Expanding diversity or double trouble? Exploring intersections of contemporary Vampirism and Sexuality.

= APRIL 28, 2017 = 4:20PM  -  4:50PM  210 W 50TH ST, NYC

EXPANDING DIVERSITY OR DOUBLE TROUBLE? EXPLORING INTERSECTIONS OF CONTEMPORARY VAMPIRISM AND SEXUALITY
This presentation provides an overview of contemporary human vampirism and its relevance for clinicians and helping professionals. Specifically, various self-selected vampire identities are discussed with a focus on how such identities sometimes intersect with various sexual motivations and practices. The presentation draws from current quantitative and qualitative research that explores demographics associated with self- identified vampirism and clinical and therapeutic alliance issues pertaining to clients with these alternative identities. The importance of clinician openness combined with accurate risk assessment is also addressed.

After attending this workshop, participants will be able to: 
 * Discuss important differences between “lifestyle” and “real” self-identified vampirism and how these general forms of vampirism impact sexuality.
 * Identify four types of “real” self-identified vampires based on specific “feeding” preferences.
 * Identify three important strategies (based on ethics and forensics concerns) for assessing diverse forms of self-identified vampirism.