"Language is incredibly powerful: it can leave us imprisoned in labyrinths built by others, or equip us with the tools to liberate ourselves and those we aim to support. For many people who are diagnosed with “mental illness,” clinical diagnoses can feel like a trap within a story that is impossible to escape. There is an incredible lack of imagination in contemporary mental health discourse. This session seeks to re-imagine our language in the service of liberating not only ourselves and those we seek to serve, but also our larger society.

This class is for mental health workers who are interested in creative ways of exploring experiences that are often labeled “mental illness” outside the medical model framework, and who want to put their visions of change into practice. This session will provide the opportunity to respectfully explore the complexities of personal identity with regards to traditional medical labels, as well as new and meaningful language. You will walk away with a framework for thinking about mental health experiences through the emerging lens of Dangerous Gifts, and be able to reference a growing community of creatives who are bravely re-imaginging the contemporary mental health landscape."