Upcoming Workshops &
Speaking Engagements
I would love to meet you at an upcoming event.
I provide workshops and trainings for providers seeking practical, affirming approaches to supporting LGBTQ+ youth and families.
Dr. Rachel Doyle
Licensed Clinical Child Psychologist
4th Annual Healing by Growing Conference,
May 6, 2026 | Waterford, CT
Co-presented with Anne Culpepper
Regulation doesn't have to happen in an office — sometimes it happens in a garden, beside an animal, or through a paintbrush.
Through hands-on creative and nature-based activities, youth and families will explore how connection with animals, art, and shared presence builds trust, co-regulation, and resilience across ability levels.
New England Association for Family and Systemic Therapy 2026 Sexuality Symposium
May 29, 2026 | Virtual
Co-presented with Jillian Celentano, LMSW
The "blank slate" therapist is a professional ideal — but for trans and gender-diverse clinicians, it can quietly demand ongoing concealment and emotional labor.
This course reframes intentional identity presence as an ethical, clinically grounded practice, exploring the relational value of thoughtful disclosure alongside real risks, boundary considerations, and strategies for sustainable care.
Previous Presentation Topics
Sort-of Accepting: Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth in Families That are Still Learning
Co-presented with Zev Spiegel
Most LGBTQ+ young people don't live in fully affirming households — and working with families where acceptance is partial, ambiguous, or conditional takes a particular kind of skill.
Using an identity formation framework, this session explores how to engage caregivers in values-informed conversations that increase supportive behavior while protecting youth dignity, identity, and relational safety.
Neurodivergent and Gender Divergent: Supporting Youth at the Intersection
Co-presented with Zev Spiegel
Trans and gender-diverse youth are more likely to be neurodivergent — yet most systems were never designed with either population in mind, let alone both at once.
Through case examples and a universal design lens, participants learn to reduce misinterpretation, improve communication, and increase access to affirming care across home, school, and healthcare settings.
When the Tools Weren't Built For Us: Psychological Assessment with Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth
Psychological testing for ADHD, autism, learning disorders, and IQ was largely developed without trans and gender-diverse youth in mind.
This presentation guides clinicians through selecting measures thoughtfully, interpreting results with appropriate nuance, and communicating findings in ways that are both clinically sound and affirmingly framed.
Growing Resilience in Healing Gardens for Youth
Co-presented with Anne Culpepper
Healing gardens offer more than beauty — for youth with disabilities, they can be spaces of agency, sensory regulation, and genuine belonging.
This presentation explores how accessible agricultural spaces support resilience in young people, and how mental health and farming communities can work together to build inclusive, nature-based healing environments.