Bisexual and Pansexual Women in Intimate Relationships (2 CE Hours, 2026)

Course Description:

More and more women are coming out as bisexual, pansexual, and sexually fluid, (or “bi+”), and this behooves therapists to gain a stronger understanding of the intimate relationships of bi+ women This presentation delves into bi+ women’s coming out challenges and the complexities of maintaining healthy sexual and romantic relationships, including mixed-gender or mixed-orientation relationships and marriages, and whether monogamous or polyamorous/consensually non-monogamous. This course will describe bi+ affirmative clinical practices to help therapists of all backgrounds become better allies.

Learning Objectives:

1) Describe unique dynamics bi+ women face in relationships with heterosexual men, lesbians, bi+, and transgender and nonbinary people.
2) Explain ways biphobia and bi erasure manifest in sexual and romantic relationships for bi+ women.
3) Identify specific mental health disparities impacting bi+ women.
4) List bi-affirmative clinical interventions therapists can use in promoting healthy intimate relationships for bi+ women.

Activity Schedule:

I. Introduction (5 min)
II. Terms & Definitions (15 min)
III. Bi+ Women in Relationships (30 min)
IV. B+ Women’s Health (15 min)
V. Becoming a Bi-Affirmative Clinician (25 min)
VI. Case Vignette (20 min)
VII. Q&A (10 min)

Speaker Bio:
Dr. Mimi Hoang (she/her) is an internationally-recognized psychologist, life coach, educator, and advocate specializing in the LGBTQ+ and Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, healthy relationships, body image, and social anxiety. As a clinician she works from a feminist, sex-positive, and anti-racist framework and has extensive experience with the LGBTQ+ community and is one of the leading practitioners of bisexual-affirmative therapy. Since the 1990s, she has co-founded three organizations for bisexual, pansexual, and fluid (AKA “bi+”) individuals – the Los Angeles Bi+ Task Force (LABTF), amBi Los Angeles, and Fluid at UCLA. Dr. Mimi has authored multiple LGBTQ-related publications and earned a seat at the landmark 2013 White House Bisexual Community Roundtable which sparked her focus on bi+ affirmative counseling and mental health. Her steadfast leadership has earned her multiple awards and recognitions, including being named “One of the Most Significant Women in the Bisexual Movement.” Dr. Mimi is currently the owner of Living in Color Therapy, Program Coordinator of the LGBTQIA+ Affirmative Therapy Center at Airport Marina Counseling Services, and professor at the University of Southern California’s Marriage and Family Therapy Program. She continues to give back to the community by serving pro-bono on three boards – Division VII of the California Psychological Association, LABTF, and Fluid Health.

Class originally recorded: upcoming.

Social workers completing this course receive 2 cultural competence continuing education credits.