Presentations
Schedule and Summaries
April 24th
Welcome Address:
Ella Lamoureux / Dustin Dufault
11 am EST
Ella Lamoureux/Dustin Dufault is a Two Spirit person from the Yukon Territory. A proud Kaska Dena First Nations individual. Growing up in small northern towns he’s had to suppress her individuality and learn to express himself in a multitude of alternative ways. Art and performing were her outlets. Learning to love the journey was the first step in their happiness. Dustin became enamoured with Drag and later developed her drag personality Ella Lamoureux. Expressing himself in an extreme feminine way taught him that femininity is not to be avoided but embraced. Through drag she’s realized that Dustin and Ella are not separate people but one person. Just shown with a different light. Growing up fabulous in the North has many tough lessons but s/he would not be the person they are today without those lessons. Through the art of drag Dustin/Ella has embraced their femininity and helped them on their journey of cultural/two-spirit identity.
Learn about their journey and how to incorporate little acts of decolonization into your daily life.
Keynote Speaker:
Kai Cheng Thom
12pm EST
Kai Cheng Thom, MSW, MSc, QMed, is an author, transformational coach, mediator, and facilitator based in tkaronto/Toronto. She is the author of six award-winning books in various genres, including the Publishing Triangle Award-winning essay collection on Transformative Justice, I HOPE CHOOSE LOVE, the New York Times-featured picture book From the Stars In the Sky to the Fish in the Sea, and the recent Canadian bestseller Falling Back In Love With Being Human.
Kai Cheng’s work as a noted expert in somatic coaching, facilitation, and mediation focuses on the intersection of social justice, pleasure activism, and transformative approaches to healing conflict and harm. An acclaimed interdisciplinary practitioner in the fields of trauma healing, conflict resolution, and human systems development, Kai Cheng holds certifications in Conflict Resolution and Mediation, Transformational Embodiment Coaching, Jungian Coaching, Somatic Sex Education, and clinical hypnotherapy, among others. Her work with individuals and groups blends depth psychology, somatics, and Transformative and Restorative justice perspectives. She maintains a private practice as a master facilitator and leadership coach with organizations across North America. She also teaches as Adjunct Faculty at the Institute for the Study of Somatic Sex Education and Faculty at The Embody Lab, having trained hundreds of practitioners in body-based, trauma-informed, and anti-oppressive approaches to individual and social change.
MAID and Mental Illness: Perspectives from 2S/LGBTQ+ Individuals in Atlantic Canada:
Jay Tang
1:45pm EST
Jay Tang, MSc (they/them) is a queer and trans PhD student in the Department of Sociology at the University of Victoria. Their research focuses on medical assistance in dying, suicide, 2S/LGBTQ+ health, and disability. They were born and raised in Epekwitk (colonially known as Prince Edward Island), on unceded Mi’kmaq territory, and now reside on the unceded territory of the Ləkʷəŋən Peoples, colonially known as Victoria, BC. They spend considerable time looking at the ocean and taking pictures of birds.
In March 2027, medical assistance in dying (MAID, also referred to as physician-assisted suicide) in Canada is expected to be available to those with mental illness (MI) as the sole underlying condition (MAID-MI). Despite the fact that 2S/LGBTQ+ communities experience high rates of mental illness and suicide as well as unique barriers to accessing mental healthcare and supports, there has been little to no consultation of 2S/LGBTQ+ individuals about the upcoming legalization of MAID-MI.
Jay's presentation will explore findings and recommendations from a recent community-engaged study, highlighting the perspectives of 2S/LGBTQ+ individuals with mental illness in Atlantic Canada.
All Bodies Movement:
Flexibility with Vera
2:45pm EST
Vera Schofield (she/they) acknowledges that she lives and works on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples - land that is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, and is covered by Treaty 13 and the Williams Treaties. As a Toronto-based certified personal trainer and flexibility coach, she specializes in flexibility training and is passionate about creating inclusive, body- positive spaces where everyone can feel strong, mobile, and confident in their bodies.
With a focus on joyful movement and long-term health, Vera helps people work through chronic pain, improve mobility, and achieve their flexibility goals in a safe, approachable way. Their goal is to inspire others to embrace movement as empowerment.
Take a rejuvenating pause in your day with this accessible movement session. With both standing and seated options available throughout, you’ll explore gentle stretches and movements designed to energize your body and refresh your mind. No special equipment needed - just bring yourself.
Agreement Making in Consensually Non-Monogamous Relationships with Live Case Consultation:
Martha Kauppi
3:15pm EST
Martha Kauppi (she/they) is a marriage and family therapist, educator, author, speaker, and AASECT-certified sex therapist and supervisor. Martha has a private practice in Madison, Wisconsin, the ancestral land of the Ho-Chunk Nation, where she specializes in complex relational therapy, a broad range of sex issues, diverse sexual expression and alternative family structures. Martha offers unique educational offerings to help therapists all over the world become comfortable, confident, and competent working with sex issues and consensual non-monogamies. She is the author of Polyamory: A Clinical Toolkit for Therapists (and Their Clients)
Recognizing Religious Based Harms and Recovering from Religious Trauma:
Becca Sawyer
5:15pm EST
Becca Sawyer (she/her) is a Registered Psychotherapist practicing on the traditional lands of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, the Anishinabewaki, Wendake-Nionwentsio, and Haudenosaunee peoples, otherwise known as Oshawa, Ontario. Before completing her MACP and becoming a psychotherapist, Becca completed an undergraduate degree in international development and political economy, as well as a Masters degree in theology and urban and international development. Becca has over a decade of experience working in the nonprofit world, as a workshop facilitator, and in community building. Most recently, this included working in 2SLGBTQIA+ advocacy and community building with those recovering from religious based harm, including survivors of conversion therapy.
Becca is passionate about working with clients who are queer, neurodivergent, and healing from religious based harm.
It’s About The Parents, Too: Strengthening Support for 2SLGBTQ+ Youth
Tracy Whitmore
6:45pm EST
Tracy Whitmore (she/her) is a Social Worker, Therapeutic Health, Wellness Life Coach, and the Founder of Indigo Journey. She is also the author of It’s About You Too: Reducing the Overwhelm for Parents of LGBTQ+ Kids. With over 17 years of experience, Tracy provides therapeutic counselling, coaching, and support to 2SLGBTQ+ adults and families across Australia, Canada, and the U.S.
Supporting parents of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals can feel like a delicate balancing act. While ensuring the well-being of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals is our priority, the parental experience is often overlooked—leaving many feeling isolated, uncertain, or withdrawn.
This interactive workshop is designed for professionals working with LGBTQ+ individuals and their families. Together, we’ll explore the complexities of the parental journey when a child comes out and learn how to strengthen parental involvement in ways that benefit both the parent and the child.
April 25th
Queer Parenting Panel
11am EST
NeuroQueeriosity: Adaptations for Polyvagal Theory when Working with the Neuroqueer Community
Aden Cosgrove
12:30pm EST
Aden Cosgrove, RSW, C.C.C. (they/them) is a neurodivergent, queer, and trans trauma survivor who is passionate about polyvagal theory and the healing that has happened as a result of integrating this theory into their professional and personal life. They have been integrating this theory into their professional practice and the clinic that they operate and own for four years and has been especially helpful in working with fellow neuroqueers.
Many neuroqueer people experience shame and guilt related to their trauma, symptoms of neurodivergence, and behavior when outside their window of tolerance. Utilizing polyvagal theory has transformed how I experience life as a neuroqueer individual. It has also helped the neuroqueer individuals and relationships I work with see their experiences through a unique lens, highlighting the dynamic interplay between the autonomic nervous system and identity.
Mindful Somatics:
Janele Lajoie
2pm EST
Queer Attachment Theory: Expanding Paths to Connection and Belonging
Aziz Mirza
3pm EST
Aziz Mirza (he/him) is a Registered Provisional Psychologist in Alberta with a MA in Counselling Psychology. A firm believer that identity is an ever-evolving, relational experience, he sees healing and growth as a process best nurtured in spaces of empathy, trust, and deep connection. His practice is shaped by his lived experience as a South Asian, Queer individual navigating multiple non-dominant identities across diverse cultures, belief systems, and geographies. Aziz holds a deep interest in identity, attachment wounds, belonging, gender and sexuality, and trauma.
At this conference, he’s queering attachment theory with an expansive lens—because, let’s be honest, relationships (like identities) refuse to fit neatly into boxes. Traditional attachment theory assumes normative family structures, often failing to account for queer experiences of connection and security. This presentation explores how queering attachment theory expands our understanding of intimacy, belonging, and relational bonds beyond heteronormative frameworks.
Drawing from narrative therapy, queer theory, and collective identity formation, we will examine the role of chosen families, the disruption of attachment hierarchies, and the fluidity of queer relationships. By reimagining attachment through a queer lens, we create more inclusive, affirming spaces in mental health practice—validating diverse pathways to love, trust, and connection.