Rev. Silvia Behrend

The Reverend Doctor Silvia Behrend, owner of Behrend Counseling Arts, is a Unitarian Universalist minister in private practice in Olympia. Her work is based on the understanding that we are not problems to be fixed but rather mysteries to be embraced. With extensive counseling experience since 1991, she integrates the psychological with the spiritual dimensions of soul growth. In addition to her practice, she teaches at Gonzaga University in Spokane in the Leadership Doctoral Program and at Meadville/Lombard Theological Seminary in Chicago in the Arts of Ministry Program.

Silvia presents:

Gender and Soul:  the Dance Toward Wholeness

Our souls are shy: all of us have learned to hide our soul in order to survive our familial, cultural and societal expectations. We become the "good" or the "bad" child, the "competent or the helpless" or any other being other than our real selves. For GLBTQ people, the soul has to burrow deeper, create yet another mask behind the outer mask. We will explore this phenomenon and create soul and role maps that may enable our souls to emerge a little more clearly. Some of the questions we will ask are: Is the soul gendered? How does transitioning or articulating gender assonant behavior affect the roles and masks we have worn? This workshop will be participatory and also use the creative process as a visual road map to a more authentic self.