Transgender & Gender Non-Binary (TGNB) Adult Clients: Culturally-Competent Strategies Every Clinician Should Know

CPD

Handouts

Faculty

Dianne Gottlieb, MS, LMFT Related seminars and products

---

Dianne Gottlieb, MS, LMFT, gender therapist, has been working with transgender and gender non-binary individuals and their families for over 15 years. She is dedicated to being a resource and advocate for her clients and is a respected educator of therapists and medical professionals in Arizona.

A former film studio publicist and national television producer, Dianne has a private practice in Scottsdale, AZ, where she specializes in gender therapy, premarital counseling, love relationship problems, life and career transitions, self-esteem issues, and LGBTQ counseling.

A graduate of Seton Hall University with a Masters of Science in marriage and family therapy, she is a member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), a Clinical Fellow of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and a past board director of the Arizona Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. For nine years, Dianne also taught college courses in abnormal psychology and the psychology of human sexuality.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dianne Gottlieb maintains a private practice. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dianne Gottlieb is a Clinical Fellow for the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. She is a member of the Arizona Interest Network of AAMFT, the AAMFT Queer & Trans Advocacy Network, and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.

Objectives

1. Develop an understanding of a non-binary gender spectrum and the latest gender terminology as it relates to clinical practice.
2. Conduct a psychosocial evaluation to assess gender dysphoria and possible co-existing disorders in clients.
3. Create a gender-affirming intake form and office environment to improve clinical outcomes.
4. Identify personalized transition goals and create timelines to inform the clinician’s choice of treatment interventions.
5. Prepare letters for clients seeking hormone therapy, gender-affirmation surgeries, and legal changes.
6. Evaluate the potential gains and losses of transitioning for purposes of client psychoeducation.

Outline

• Confusing sex with gender
• Multiple roles of ally, resource, educator, & advocate
• Using a Gender-Affirming Therapy Model
• Create a TGNB inclusive intake form & office environment
• Respectful gender-appropriate language

• Gender identity and gender expression
• Possible causes of Gender Dysphoria
• Consider intersex condition
• Challenge the binary gender spectrum
• Learn the latest gender identity terminology
• Working with gender questioning clients

• Critical assessment questions
• When to diagnosis Gender Dysphoria
• Effectively assess for co-existing mental health disorders
• Evaluate for suicidality & self-harm
• Identify supportive individuals
• Explore feelings of internalized transphobia

• Transphobia 
• Prepare a safety letter
• Microaggressions & systemic discrimination
• Intimate partner violence & HIV

• Sexual orientation and the TGNB client
• Genital dysphoria and sexual activity
• Reframing sexual organs

• Non-medical transition steps
• Create a transition timeline
• Who, when, and how to tell others
• Help families process the news
• Create a support system

• Therapist’s role as a “Gatekeeper”
• Informed Consent Model of treatment
• WPATH Standards of Care
• Prepare letters for hormone therapy and gender-affirmation surgeries
• Basics of gender-affirming surgeries and effects of cross-gender hormones
• Prepare clients for legal name, gender marker, & birth certificate changes

• Impact on love relationships, family and friends, and changing roles
  • Dating as your true self
• Potential loss of relationships, housing, employment, religion
• Changes in societal status and privilege
  • Incorporate old self with new self
• Grieving process due to changes
• Unique impact of transition on the older client
• Looking at the impact of transition years later

• Referral resources in the medical community
• Local and national TGNB-friendly resources
• WPATH’s Global Education Initiative: The Path of Certification

Target Audience

• Counselors
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Psychotherapists
• Physicians
• Case Managers
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Occupational Therapists
• Occupational Therapy Assistants
• Nurses
• Addiction Counselors
• Other Mental Health Professionals