04/23/2026
VIRTUAL WORKSHOP:
Grounded in trauma therapy and liberation-based, decolonial practice, Laurie and John will share the journeys that led them to create this workshop—and why this work matters now.
We will begin with the questions many therapists are holding, and where they come from—our training, workplaces, communities, and the broader cultural moment:
What are the stories and beliefs that may be harming us?
Why are so many therapists exhausted—and how is that connected to the times we’re living in?
What sustains us as humans and as healers?
Together, we will map the narratives we carry about what it means to be a “good therapist”—including expectations around neutrality, productivity, acceptable emotion, and self-sacrifice—and consider how these messages are shaped by professional systems, cultural contexts, and family histories. We will also explore how these narratives live in the body, and what it means to notice, hold, or release them.
We will then explore several dominant narratives that contribute to moral distress in clinical work:
The myth of the neutral therapist
The framing of suffering as primarily individual rather than systemic
The culture of martyrdom in helping professions
As we examine these, we will begin reclaiming forms of wisdom that support more relational, embodied, and sustainable ways of practicing.
At its core, this workshop is about belonging.
Healing is not only individual. Therapy matters, but it cannot replace the power of community, culture, ancestry, and solidarity. In these times, therapists need spaces for collective care—to grieve, reflect, and reconnect with purpose. This workshop offers a space to step out of isolation and into shared inquiry, honesty, and connection.
Participants will engage in guided reflection, shared dialogue, experiential somatic practices, and collective meaning-making, with attention to mutuality in clinical relationships.
Participants will leave with language for addressing moral distress and systemic impact, practical somatic tools for regulation and resilience, and a renewed sense of connection, clarity, and shared purpose.
Our humanity is not a liability in healing work—it is the bridge.
Registration Details:
Fee: $165 (includes four CEUs)
25% discount available for groups of 5 or more
Scholarship option available — simply say how much are you able to pay.
Individual registration is available via the Calendly link below. Group bookings (5+) can be arranged directly. We’re happy to provide Zoom access and coordinate registration manually to ensure your group receives the discounted rate.
If you’re interested in attending — individually or with colleagues — you can register here:
https://calendly.com/accordingtosykes-info/the-therapist-s-journey-in-these-times?month=2026-05
We would be honored to have you join us in this important and timely conversation.
Presenters:
John Sykes, MSW, LCSW (he/they)
John Sykes is a licensed clinical social worker in Illinois with extensive training in complex traumatic stress, liberation-based healing, somatic abolitionism, restorative justice, and decolonizing practices. With decades of nonprofit experience since 1986, John has worked across residential treatment, child welfare, community mental health, education, and juvenile justice in roles ranging from case manager to executive and clinical leadership. He teaches at the Crown Family School of Social Work at the University of Chicago, consults on vicarious trauma and reflective practice, and leads a private practice in Hyde Park, Chicago.
Laurie Kahn, MA, MFA, LCPC (she/her)
Laurie Kahn is the founder of Womencare Counseling & Training Center and a pioneer in trauma treatment. For nearly forty years, she has worked with the lasting impacts of childhood trauma and has played a significant role in training and mentoring clinicians. She has developed ongoing training programs, presented widely, and is the author of Baffled by Love: Stories of the Lasting Impact of Childhood Trauma Inflicted by Loved Ones.
A Note from Laurie and John
Our collaboration has been rooted in trust, joy, and mutual learning. As helping practitioners, we feel called in these times to share what we have gathered—through our work, our lineages, and our commitment to collective healing.
We hope you will join us.
