Clinical Training:

Learn The Developmental Model™ of Relational Therapy

 

Tailored Specifically for LGBTQIA2S+ Clinicians, Therapists & Coaches

This is way more than a basic CE course...

This is for you if you:

  • want to transform the way you work with relational clients

  • build community with top-notch professionals

  • feel more confident and effective in your work

This is NOT for you if you:

  • are only looking to check a CE box

  • want to stay comfortable and stuck

  • you aren't open to experiment and growth

Centering queer clients and clinicians

As Queer Clinicians, we do a lot of translation work. Most of the models and materials we have access to weren’t made with us in mind.

I’m guessing you’ve experienced training that simply assumes your clients will be in a heterosexual marriage. I’m sure you’ve heard therapists talk about desire discrepancy as a “male vs. female” issue, and refer to “couples” as if every relationship is dyadic.

I’m sure you’ve put plenty of hours into painstakingly pulling out the parts of these models that work for your clients and setting aside the rest.

That being said, you will also learn how to apply this model to all of your clients, including straight, cis, monogamous couples.  

You and your clients deserve to be more than an afterthought. Safety, community, and connection is what this course is all about.

New Format (Starting this year!)

Part 1: Live Intensive Training (15 Hours Total)

Three virtual training days:

  • Day 1(Saturday September, 26, 2026): Foundations of The Developmental Model™
  • Day 2 (Saturday October 3, 2026): The Initiator-Inquirer
  • Day 3 (Saturday October 10, 2026: Two-Chair Work

Schedule:
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM MT (with a 1-hour lunch break)

Format:
Live, virtual, interactive

  • Case examples, teaching, and practical application
  • Recorded for you to re-watch on demand

Part 2: Monthly Consultation (Optional, 10 Months)

If you want to actually integrate this work- not just learn it - you can join the consultation group. You must complete the intensive trainings to be eligible for the consultation group. 

  • When: 4th Friday of each month (Starting October 23, 2026)
  • Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM MT
  • Length: 10 months
  • Format: Case consultation + live coaching

This is where the real growth happens.

  • You bring your cases.
  • We work through them together.
  • You refine your clinical voice and interventions in real time.

Tom Bruett, LMFT, CST

I am a therapist, senior trainer in The Developmental Model™, consultant, and author of the book The Go-To Relationship Guide for Gay Men  published by JKP. I work extensively with the queer community. As the founder of the Queer Relationship Institute, I provide therapy for queer folx and training for therapists who work with queer relationships. 

My work is deeply informed by my experience training under Drs. Ellyn Bader and Peter Pearson in the Developmental Model. I want to empower as many therapists as possible to start using this ground-breaking approach.

My mission is to empower you with the skills and tools you need to help your clients thrive relationally. It’s my belief that strong relationships build strong communities, and strong communities build deep, connected, and meaningful lives.

Gain essential skills for relational work

This course is designed to give you a cohesive framework for your work with queer relationships, using the insights of the Developmental Model.

Developed by Drs. Ellyn Bader and Pete Pearson, the Developmental Model is an incredibly practical, powerful, and flexible toolkit for supporting relational growth. I use it every single day in my practice – and by applying its insights to my own life, I’ve personally experienced how transformative it can be.

It’s also a brilliant approach for queer clinicians specifically. The core message of the Developmental Model is this: we don’t need to paper over our differences in order to love, respect and care for one another. In fact, our differences are what make our relationships whole.

With the blessing and guidance of Ellyn and Pete, I have done the code-switching for you. This course will bring the essential insights of the Developmental Model to bear on the unique and beautiful ways our partnerships are different from our straight counterparts.

What people are saying about the course...

What you'll get from this course:

  • Up to 36 CEU credits for clinicians certified in Colorado and California*
  • Level 1 graduate status in the Developmental Model + certificate of completion, following a course evaluation, if you complete the intensive training and the consultation
  • 3 live in-depth training sessions, 5 hours each
  • 10 live consultation and practice sessions, to get personal feedback on your cases, 2 hours each.
  • On-demand replays of all sessions
  • Inclusive materials you can use for all your clients, no matter their identity
  • A community of queer colleagues to learn with, grow with, and refer to
  • Access to future Developmental Model trainings and consultation

By the time we wrap up...

  • You’ll have confidence to see more challenging cases of a variety of different identities, orientations, and relationship structures.
  • You’ll have gained a deeper understanding of attachment theory, neuroscience, and differentiation theory and how these powerful components impact relationship struggles
  • You'll be able to assess and identify different relationship stages and understand how to intervene more successfully
  • You'll leave with a toolkit adapted for work with queer couples that you’ll already have begun to use
  • You'll be able to apply the concepts of this model to complex sex therapy cases, like desire discrepancy, OCSB and non-monogamous relationship structures 

Limited seats

It's important that you have the opportunity for feedback, practice, and time to get to know your colleagues.

Once the enrollment limit is reached, there will be no openings until next year. So if you want to join, don't hesitate.

What Will Be Covered:

Day 1: Foundations in The Developmental Model™

  • Assessments
  • Strong First Sessions
  • Conceptualization from a developmental framework
  • Assessing clients from a sex-positive framework

 


Day 2: The Initiator/Inquirer

  • Practical Communication
  • Differentiation Practice
  • Working with Hostile Couples
  • Working with Conflict Avoidance 
  • How to have complex discussion about sex and sexuality

 


Day 3: Two-Chair Work

  • Learn the Gestalt Technique of Chair Work
  • Middle Stage Therapy
  • Narcissistic Clients
  • Betrayal
  • Sexual impasses in relationship

Sign up for the Waitlist

Enrollment Closed for this year.

Be the first to learn about the next course, typically in May/June.

Join the Waitlist

 

↦ A strengths-based queer perspective for training

As in queer theory, we’ll look at the structures and systems in place that restrict queer relationships and attempt to dismantle them together. This will be a safe space to question power structures and challenge traditional narratives — and you'll be able to apply this framework with your non-queer relationship clients, too.

↦ Need-based scholarships

At Queer Relationship Institute we see how the impacts of systemic issues like class and race can make training unreachable for some communities. Our mission is to create training that is high-quality, approachable, and as accessible as possible. Seats are limited and offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

↦ Refunds

Refunds will be offered up to one month before the course begins.

↦ Accommodations

To request accommodations for special needs, please email or call.

↦ Grievances

To obtain the grievance policy or report a grievance, please email or call.

*Tom Bruett, LMFT (provider #115291) is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFT, LCSW, LPCC and LEP. Tom Bruett maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content.

Have questions? I’m happy to answer them!

You can reach me by emailing tom at queerrelationshipinstitute.com.