Seventh Alternative Sexualities Conference
Request for Proposals
The Community Academic Consortium for Research on Alternative Sexualities
(CARAS) and the Projects Advancing Sexual Diversity (PASD) are pleased to announce
the 7th Alternative Sexualities Conference, to be held in Chicago, IL on Friday, May 22,
2015.
OUR HOST FOR THE CONFERENCE IS THE
CENTER ON HALSTED
Our theme this year:
“Organizing the Field: Challenges Facing
Researchers, Clinicians, and Educators”
Proposals for scholarly presentations are invited--submissions are due by
March 13, 2015. Notifications of proposal status will be sent by April 1,
2015.
The focus of the conference…
Kink, leather, B&D, S&M, polyamory, swinging, open relationships, fetish/gear scenes…
Non-traditional sexual practices, lifestyles and identities have become increasingly
visible in recent years. With more portrayals on television and in movies, as well as in
literature and music, clients are feeling increasingly comfortable about bringing
“forbidden” sexual issues to therapy.
This conference is designed to provide clinical training, peer networking and
opportunities to hear the latest developments in the scholarly fields that study alternative
sexualities. There are three areas of focus at the conference:
 clinical practice
 scientific/scholarly investigation
 educational practice.
We are seeking…
We are seeking proposals that address clinical practice and theoretical perspectives, as
well as opportunities to discuss the challenges encountered in psychotherapy with
individuals, couples and families in the alternative sexuality communities.
The conference also seeks proposals on effective educational practices for both higher
education student populations and the general public.
The research track of the conference will provide a venue for researchers, post-docs and
graduate students to present their scientific investigations, scholarly research, and case
studies concerning these communities, identities and sexual practices. We solicit
proposals from the fields of psychology, psychiatry, sociology, sexology, history and
education. Other disciplines will be considered; please contact the conference organizers
to inquire.
The day-long conference will include lectures, panel presentations, roundtable
discussions and poster presentations. The conference uses an 80 minute session format.
Illustrative topics include: history and philosophy of polyamory or swinging culture,
separating BDSM practice from abuse, co-morbidity factors, issues of
transference/counter-transference, impact of BDSM practices on clients with trauma
history, edge play dynamics, concepts of consent, theoretical constructs, literature
reviews, early research findings, therapy with polyamorous family dynamics, and therapy
around open relationships.
Presenters will be offered discounted registration fees, but they will not be otherwise
compensated. Applicants will be notified regarding the status of their proposals by April
1, 2015.
Want your presentation to qualify for American Psychological Association
Continuing Education units?
Continuing education in psychology builds upon a completed doctoral program in
psychology.
Qualifying proposals are presentations that (1) are relevant to psychological practice,
education and science, (2) enable psychologists to keep pace with emerging issues and
technologies, and (3) allow psychologists to maintain, develop, and increase
competencies in order to improve services to the public and enhance contributions to the
profession.
APA Continuing Education units require that presentations demonstrate evidence-based
practices and rest on a foundation of peer-reviewed research.
Community Academic Consortium for Research on Alternative
Sexualities
https://carasresearch.org
P.O. Box 3835
Berkeley, CA 94703-3835
7th Alternative Sexualities Conference
May 22, 2015
Please complete all of the following information. Should this proposal be accepted,
information included may be posted on https://carasresearch.org websites and be
published in the final conference program.
Title of Presentation:
Primary Presenter Name:
Co-Presenter Names(s):
Summary of presentation: Include background, purpose and presentation objectives (450
words or less)
Learning Objectives: Provide three objectives of no more than 25 words each.
Make each objective a complete sentence using action verbs that state what
attendees will learn from participating in the session.
After completion of this activity, participants will be able to:
1) .
2) .
3) .
List of books, peer-reviewed articles, and other sources that the presentation uses
as a foundation (required for APA CE qualification)
Presentation Content Level
Beginner level suggests attendees have little or no knowledge of BDSM/poly/etc.
Intermediate level suggests some exposure to the issues being addressed, or have
worked with at least one client. Advanced level assumes attendees are proficient with
these populations and have worked with 5 or more clients or have conducted research
or field work with these populations.
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Presentation Focus: clinical practice
research
education
Method of Presentation:
Lecture (oral presentation intended to provide information or teach people about a
particular subject)
Panel (oral presentation or expert panelists to provide information or teach people about a
subject)
Roundtable Discussion (1 or 2 people introduce a topic and facilitate an open discussion
among peers)
Poster (1 or 2 people present on an intervention, program or study using an academic
poster format)
Audio/Visual Needs: Please note that presenters will need to bring their own laptop
computers
PowerPoint Projector / Screen
Easel / Flip Chart Paper / Markers
 Television / DVD / VCR player
 Overhead Projector / Screen
PRESENTER INFORMATION
Primary Presenter:
Name:
Degree(s), if applicable:
Organization/Agency/School:
Title:
Address:
Phone:
Email:
Brief Biographical Profile: 3-4 sentences describing your experience and education
related to the presentation. Please attach a current resume. This will be used in the
program if your proposal is accepted for presentation.
Other Presenters
Name:
Degree(s), if applicable:
Organization/Agency/School:
Title:
Address:
Phone:
Email:
Brief Biographical Profile: 3-4 sentences describing your experience and education.
Name:
Degree(s), if applicable:
Organization/Agency/School:
Title:
Address:
Phone:
Email:
Brief Biographical Profile: 3-4 sentences describing your experience and education.
Proposal Contact: If different than PRIMARY presenter, then please fill out. This
individual will receive all conference correspondence.
Name:
Organization/Agency/School:
Title:
Address:
Phone:
Email:
If accepted, presenters will be expected to register for the
conference at the special rate of $55.00. There is a special code
for registration that presenters will receive from conference
producers.
Conference Registration Rates for Attendees:
Licensed professionals (CE credit)
Professionals (no CE credit required)
Students
Community members (up to 20
registrants in this category)
Kink-Identified Clinicians Meeting on
May 23, only (must provide license #
or grad student ID at door)
before May
15
$150.00
$130.00
$75.00
after May 15
$175.00
$150.00
$90.00
$75.00
$90.00
$30.00
$40.00
CARAS members receive a $20 discount on registrations for the
above categories of registrants
CARAS membership / subscription rates for the year are $50 for professionals, $30 for
students, and $30 for community supporters. Membership includes research support
benefits, and periodic newsletters and publications.
Presenters are allowed to sell books and educational materials during the conference,
but CARAS cannot manage financial transactions for the presenters and conference
attendees.
Proposals due by Friday, March 13, 2015 (11:59 pm Pacific)
The status of proposal will be provided by April 1, 2015
Please submit this form electronically to:
AltSex2015@CARASResearch.org
Or
Mail to
CARAS
P.O. Box 3835, Berkeley, CA 94703-3835