The Politicized Practitioner

06/04/2025

05/22/2025

Excited to kick off this book tour with my first event in Philly tonight at 6pm! A few spots still left for this free event!:

Join me for a community conversation around the release of my book: The Mental Health Guide for Cis and Trans Q***r Guys (New Harbinger).

05/21/2025

“Welcome back to the Social Work Discoveries Podcast.

In Episode 30, I have the pleasure of introducing to you the wonderful social worker and writer Rahim Thawer. Rahim is a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, facilitator, and public speaker. He works as a lecturer, writer, and community organiser. Rahim loves all things mental health and is particularly interested in examining innovation in q***r relationships. Whether in a classroom or therapy consulting room, Rahim strives to operate from a harm-reduction, sex-positive, anti-oppressive, and trauma-informed approach.

Rahim’s latest work is a self-help guidebook, coming out in June 2025, called The Mental Health Guide for Cis and Trans Q***r Guys, to be published by New Harbinger Press. This book explores the social determinants of mental health outcomes for our communities. Each chapter represents a social determinant or driver of well-being. He uses a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy and psychodynamic inquiry in each chapter to support his readers in processing their own experiences and stuck points.

Enjoy the episode!”

-Ben Joseph

Welcome back to the Social Work Discoveries Podcast. In Episode 30, I have the pleasure of introducing to you the wonderful social worker and writer Rahim Thawer. Rahim is a psychotherapist, clinic…

05/21/2025

I’m stoked about this book tour for The Mental Health Guide for Cis and Trans Guys, published by New Harbinger Publications.

In particular, I’m excited to meet q***r folks and allied professionals who want to have meaningful conversations about our determinants of mental health and the nuances of q***r men’s subcultures.

Attend upcoming author events by signing up here:
thepoliticizedpractitioner.com

Twenty Summer Stops & Dates:

Philadelphia – 5/22
Giovanni’s Room at Philly AIDS Thrift

Eastern Canada (Virtual) – 5/31
Another Story Bookshop

Calgary – 6/1
Centre for Sexuality
Owl’s Nest Books

Phoenix – 6/3
Love Fest Events

Seattle – 6/5
Charlie’s Q***r Bookstore

Birmingham – 6/12
Burdock Book Collective

New York – 6/15
Bureau of General Services—Q***r Division

Chicago – 6/17
Three Avenues Bookshop
Brown Man Therapy

Milwaukee – 6/18
Boswell Book Company
Diverse and Resilient
MKE LGBT Community Center

Washington DC – 6/20
Busboys and Poets

Nashville – 6/23
Chroma Mental Health Collective
Novelette Booksellers

Des Moines – 6/24
Beaverdale Books
One Iowa

Asheville – 6/25
Western North Carolina AIDS Project
Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe

Omaha – 6/27
The Bookworm
Omaha For Us

Mayagüez (Puerto Rico) – 7/3
Universidad Albizu

Vancouver – 7/10
Health Initiative for Men
Little Sister's Book & Art Emporiu

New Orleans – 7/16
Debbie with a D
The AllWays Lounge & Cabaret

Chapel Hill – 7/23
Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews

Richmond – 7/26
By Any Beans Necessary

Ann Arbor – 7/30
Literati Bookstore

Note: Calgary and Vancouver are hosting in-person events with the author joining by video conference.

If you can’t attend, use the same link above to order your copy now!

11/10/2024

Managing Depression with CBT
Depression can deeply affect daily life, bringing feelings of sadness, low energy, and loss of interest in things we once enjoyed. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) provides effective strategies to help improve mood, motivation, and outlook. In this post, meet Akil, who faces persistent sadness, fatigue, and self-doubt, impacting his work and relationships. Here’s how CBT helped him find a path to healing.

Here are six CBT techniques Akil practiced to manage his depression:
1. Behavioral Activation: Akil started reintroducing enjoyable activities like walking in the park and playing guitar into his daily routine. Scheduling these activities brought a sense of pleasure and achievement, helping to lift his mood.

2. Cognitive Restructuring: By using thought rec
ords, Akil tracked his negative thoughts, like “I am not good enough.” Working with his therapist, he challenged these beliefs, replacing them with balanced thoughts such as “I have strengths and skills that I am improving every day.

3. Mood Monitoring: Akil recorded his mood each day, noticing patterns and triggers. He realized that his depression worsened on days he isolated himself, prompting him to plan more social activities to stay connected.

4. Problem-Solving Therapy: Together with his therapist, Akil identified his job stress as a major issue. They explored solutions like delegating tasks and setting boundaries, which significantly reduced his stress.
5. Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques: Akil practiced mindfulness to reduce rumination and used relaxation exercises like deep breathing to stay calm, helping him manage anxiety alongside depression.

6. Social Skills Training: Akil worked on his communication skills through role-playing in therapy, allowing him to express his needs and build stronger connections with friends and family, reducing his sense of isolation.

CBT empowers individuals to regain control over their thoughts, actions, and emotions. Have you tried any of these techniques? Share what has worked for you or your challenges in the comments below.

10/19/2024

Understanding the First Wave of CBT!!

Swipe through to explore the basics of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and how it all began with classical behaviorism. The first wave focuses on observable behaviors and uses direct interventions to reduce anxiety—no deep dives into thoughts or feelings just yet!

🔑 Key Tools & Techniques:
1. Exposure Therapy
2. Behavioral Activation
3. Reinforcement Strategies
4. Token Economies
5. Skills Training
6. Systematic Desensitization
7. Aversion Therapy

CBT offers practical tools to address fears, procrastination, motivation, and more. Whether it’s practicing deep breathing for anxiety or using rewards to boost productivity, there’s something for everyone!

Have you tried any of these techniques? Share your experience below!

#

09/13/2024

PRE-ORDER, JUNE 2025 RELEASE
https://a.co/d/daP0bBI

05/16/2024

Emily Wolter interviews me on her podcast SMM. Listen here:
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/sex-money-mentality/id1606839087?i=1000655716231

05/04/2024

"Individuals scoring high on attachment anxiety reported poorer sexual selfesteem & more sexual anxiety when partner support was perceived to be low but attachment anxiety was unrelated to either when partner support was perceived to be high."

Attachment representations are associated with psychosexual adjustment in intimate relationships (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007). Few studies, however, have investigated relationship processes modulating the effect of attachment insecurity on sexuality (Dewitte, 2012). This study examined whether percei...

05/04/2024

“I would never, ever say that is as big of a problem as the or as alcohol use disorder, but it is a big enough problem that it probably warrants more systematic investigation.” -

UNM’s Center on Alcohol, Substance Use and Addictions (CASAA) is recognizing a new piece of research being published in the prestigious journal JAMA Network Open. This spotlight centers on a critical issue– sports betting/wagering and...

05/03/2024

"The reality is that there are aspects of sexual self-disclosure that may feel like they reveal difficult, unpleasant, or shameful aspects of yourself. When the predominant social message is that such communication should not be scary, it can make an individual question the validity of their own emotional experience."

Why is sexual communication challenging for couples? Understanding the problem can help promote intimacy.

05/02/2024

"We find that the permissibility of interventions in sexual dysfunction research ultimately depends on assessing the expertise of the researcher, the training required, and who is best placed to receive this training. More generally, we argued that the ethical complexity is not because a research study involves seeing participants undressed or having physical contact with research participants. Instead, the complexity concerns role-specific obligations and expertise." -

Bioethics is a medical ethics journal that combines biomedical & social sciences to tackle the moral aspects of topics such as organ transplants, ageing, & stem cells.