Ethical Considerations In Group Therapy With Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) Clients
Presenter: Jennifer "Alison" Bess, Ph.D. (they/she)
Location:
Alamo Heights United Methodist Church
825 E Basse Rd
San Antonio, Texas 78209
Annual general membership meeting 12:45-1:00pm
More transgender and gender diverse (TGD) clients are seeking therapy than ever before, and referring all such clients to a small number of “specialists” is no longer a feasible way to fill this need. It is an ethical imperative that all practicing psychotherapists become knowledgeable regarding the needs of TGD clients. Recently published best practices by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) emphasize increasing access to gender affirming care for this population, as well as removal of systemic barriers. This 3-hour in-person workshop will focus on ways to reduce or eliminate these barriers to such care, particularly through group psychotherapy. The workshop will consist of didactic material, large group discussion, and small group discussions of case vignettes. (Please note that this workshop will be primarily about TGD adults, not TGD children and adolescents, due to the presenter having expertise with adults only.)
Learning Objectives:
1. Gain a more comprehensive understanding of TGD identities, including terminology
2. Identify systemic barriers and challenges for TGD individuals seeking mental health treatment, particularly group therapy
3.Identify clinical strategies to address such barriers and improve quality of life for TGD individuals
Jennifer “Alison” Bess, Ph.D. (pronouns: they/ them) has been an advocate for Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) individuals since they defended their dissertation in 2006, which was a qualitative study about experiences of TGD individuals in therapy. They are currently a Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) Psychologist with South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS), where they have worked for 9 years. They have facilitated the Transgender Veterans Group at STVHCS and have conducted mental health evaluations for gender affirming medical treatment there since 2014. They are currently a member of the national Transgender Care Coordination (TCC) Integrated Project Team (IPT), Care Coordination workstream, whose goal is to assess current services in Veterans Health Administration for TGD veterans and to plan, develop, and initiate the gender affirming surgery continuum of care. Dr. Bess also frequently provides consultation and didactic presentations to VA providers and staff regarding gender diversity, working with older LGBTQ+ veterans, minority stress, Neurodiversity, disability justice, and the social determinants of health.