SPECIAL SECTION
Introduction
Eric Herschman, PsyD
T
he aim of this special section is to explore a variety of psychological issues faced by transgender individuals and communities, through the work
of several professionals representing fields of study ranging from psychology to law. We believe it is paramount for professional psychologists to have knowledge surrounding the unique set of issues faced by the transgender community, and relevant pre/ post-doctoral training and continuing education are, unfortunately, rare. This section features articles from the following authors: Carmon Lalonde, PsyD who contributed the article titled, Toward Gender Affirming Care for the Trans and Gender Diverse
Community; Peter Economou, PhD who contributed, Transgender Health Care: Integrating CBT with a Transgender Client; and Jodi Argentino, Esq. and Celeste Fiore, Esq. who co-authored, The Convergence of the Legal Rights With Educational and Psychological Well-Being of Transgender Students in New Jersey. We would like to extend additional thanks to Celeste Fiore for their review of the entire section for accuracy and culturally appropriate language.
Instructions for obtaining CE credit: Visit <www.psychologynj.org> and find the CE Homestudy Library link under the Learn Tab. This will take you to the online library where you will find the article and evaluation.
Toward Gender Affirming Care for the Trans and Gender Diverse Community (3 CE Credits) of the basics of gender-affirming care; c) learn of recent gender affirming resources for treating adults and children. Carmen Lalonde, PsyD Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology Abstract “Fewer than 30% of psychologists report familiarity with transgender and gender diverse (TGD) clients’ needs. The clients, in turn, report a lack of support in their gender journeys, illustrating a significant gap in knowledge, skill, and competence in this area of practice (Singh & dickey, 2017).” The 2015 US Transgender Survey (USTS) (N = 27,715) reported that almost half of the respondents had attempted suicide during their lifetime. Given this startling data, clinicians need to make every effort to increase their ability to deliver gender affirming care. Sadly, gender affirming care is not included in many clinicians’ training. This article addresses the disparities that exist between the current state of knowledge about transgender individuals and current clinical practice. The goal of the article is to contribute to improving clinical practice. After reading this article, clinicians will a) be provided with suggestions for addressing personal biases related to gender; b) become aware 12
Toward Gender Affirming Care for the Trans and Gender Diverse Community Few aspects of human development have undergone such radical exploration and change in the early 21st century as gender. In the last two decades, the visibility of Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) people has increased exponentially (Edwards-Leeper & Spack, 2012). More and more are seeking care with confidence and strength in asserting their authentic identities. “Transgender and Gender Diverse people” (TGD) is an umbrella term that describes individuals whose gender identity does not align with their sex assigned at birth. TGD includes both transgender individuals such as trans women and trans men who align with the gender binary, as well as individuals who do not align or conform to the binary. These include individuals who identify as agender, non-binary, genderqueer, and gender fluid (Chang, Singh, & dickey, 2019; Puckett, Cleary, Rossman, Mustanski, & Newcomb, 2018). This list is not exhaustive and is continuously evolving. For this article, TGD will be used to denote the vast array of individuals who identify with
diverse gender identities. Knowing which TGD resources are affirming, as well as understanding the core elements of providing gender affirming care are essential to developing humility and skill in providing affirmative care for TGD clients. In the following section of this special edition, the author (she/her/hers) will provide a brief introduction to the core elements of gender affirming care as understood through the lens of a White privileged cisgender gay woman. The author draws on current research in the field, her own research, and her clinical work with TGD adults and youth. Gatekeeping A core element of gender affirming care is understanding, a) the history of gatekeeping that has occurred in the mental health field, and b) the current political climate. Both of these contexts affect access to care, physical safety, and the mental health of TGD clients (American Psychological Association, 2015; Chang et al., 2019; Erickson-Schroth, 2014). Before the 2016 election, a great deal of progress in transgender rights had been achieved. The Obama administration expanded the interpretation of Title IX to include transgender discrimination, and transgender youth saw progress in being New Jersey Psychologist
