A Clinician’s Guide to Gender-Affirming Care: Working with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Clients

Description

Transgender and gender nonconforming (TNGC) clients have complex mental health concerns, and are more likely than ever to seek out treatment. This comprehensive resource outlines the latest research and recommendations to provide you with the requisite knowledge, skills, and awareness to treat TNGC clients with competent and affirming care. As you know, TNGC clients have different needs based on who they are in relation to the world. Written by three psychologists who specialize in working with the TGNC population, this important book draws on the perspective that there is no one-size-fits-all approach for working with TNGC clients. It offers interventions tailored to developmental stages and situational factors—for example, cultural intersections such as race, class, and religion. This book provides up-to-date information on language, etiquette, and appropriate communication and conduct in treating TGNC clients, and discusses the history, cultural context, and ethical and legal issues that can arise in working with gender diverse individuals in a clinical setting. You’ll also find information about informed consent approaches that call for a shift in the role of the mental health provider in the position of assessment and referral for the purposes of gender-affirming medical care (such as hormones, surgery, and other procedures). As changes in recent transgender health care and insurance coverage have provided increased access for a broader range of consumers, it is essential to understand transgender and gender nonconforming clients’ different needs. This book provides practical exercises and skills you can use to help TNGC clients thrive. Sand C. Chang, PhD, is a Chinese American nonbinary psychologist and trainer. They are the clinical practice consultant for Kaiser Permanente Northern California Transgender Services. They also have a private practice in Oakland, CA, specializing in trauma/EMDR, addictions, and eating disorders. Sand served on the task force that authored the 2015 APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Clients, and is past chair of the American Psychological Association (APA) Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity (CSOGD). Outside of their professional work, Sand is a dancer, avid foodie, and pug enthusiast. Anneliese A. Singh, PhD, LPC, is a professor and associate dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the college of education at the University of Georgia. Singh is cofounder of the Georgia Safe Schools Coalition to work on reducing heterosexism, transprejudice, racism, and other oppressions in Georgia schools. She is also cofounder of the Trans Resilience Project, where she translated her findings from fifteen years of research on trans people’s resilience to oppression into practice and advocacy efforts. She is author of The Queer and Transgender Resilience Workbook. She’s delivered widely viewed TedX Talks, and recorded a podcast for APA on her research with transgender youth and resilience. lore m. dickey, PhD, is a behavioral health consultant at North Country HealthCare in Bullhead City, AZ. He has a long history of LGBTQ advocacy and social justice work, and has presented throughout the world on trans-affirmative practice with gender-diverse people. His research and clinical work focus on addressing the needs of gender-diverse individuals. After working for several years in academia, lore recently took on a job working in an integrated behavioral health care setting. lore is the founder of My Bandana Project which is a suicide prevention intervention for transgender people. “Packed with a wealth of case studies, historical facts, and actionable recommendations, A Clinician’s Guide to Gender-Affirming Care is a powerful actualization of the authors’ commitments to creating trans justice. Chang, Singh, and dickey go beyond simply compiling information to create a compelling, deeply empathetic, and effective resource that bridges the gap between helping professionals and the trans communities they serve. A must-read for all aspiring trans allies and coconspirators!” —Lily Zheng, diversity consultant, and coauthor of Gender Ambiguity in the Workplace Foreword......Page 10 Preface......Page 12 Introduction......Page 14 Part 1: Trans Communities and Health in Context......Page 20 Chapter 1: Challenge Your Gender Training......Page 22 Chapter 2: Respect Client Self-Determination......Page 32 Chapter 3: Understand Cultural Landscapes of Gender Diversity......Page 48 Chapter 4: Know the History of Trans Health Care in the U.S.......Page 58 Part 2: Foundations for Affirming Mental Health Care......Page 80 Chapter 6: Understand Your Role as a Mental Health Provider......Page 82 Chapter 7: Develop Trans-Affirming Mental Health Diagnostic Skills......Page 94 Chapter 8: Identify Barriers and Challenges......Page 102 Chapter 9: Cultivate Resilience......Page 112 Chapter 10: Assess Mental Health Needs......Page 122 Part 3: Transition-Related Care......Page 136 Chapter 11: Know Options for Social, Medical, and Legal Transition......Page 138 Chapter 12: Assess and Refer for Gender-Affirming Medical Care......Page 154 Part 4: Counseling and Psychotherapy......Page 192 Chapter 14: Practice Affirming Individual Counseling......Page 194 Chapter 15: Support Trans Clients in Relationship and Family Counseling......Page 208 Chapter 16: Connect Clients to Group Support......Page 218 Chapter 17: Affirm Trans Clients Across the Lifespan......Page 224 Chapter 18: Support Gender Expansive Youth......Page 236 Part 5: Special Topics and Concerns......Page 250 Chapter 19: Create Trans-Affirming Practice Environments......Page 252 Chapter 20: Be a Strong Trans Advocate......Page 262 Chapter 21: Empower Trans Counselors......Page 270 Final Remarks......Page 282 Acknowledgments......Page 283 Appendices......Page 284 Appendix A: Trans-Affirming Glossary—A Quick Reference Guide......Page 286 Appendix B: Trans-Affirming Counseling Resources......Page 292 References......Page 294