Criminalizing Sex Work

In this interactive presentation, I will share insights from my experience as a psychotherapist working primarily with sex workers and survivors of complex trauma. Criminalization and stigma makes addressing intimate partner violence much more nuanced amongst the sex work population. I will provide clinical case studies from my work as a psychotherapist, insights from qualitative research on the intersection of sex work and domestic violence, and therapeutic and crisis intervention techniques that practitioners can use to support sex working clients. After this presentation, participants should be able to recognize the specific vulnerabilities sex workers face concerning domestic violence, identify how criminalization prevents sex workers from accessing legal protections and healthcare services, and develop harm reductive support strategies tailored to the specific needs of sex workers experiencing domestic violence.