Be a Door Opener, Not a Gatekeeper:
Gender Affirming Assessments and Letter Writing for Therapists
Trans, nonbinary and gender nonconforming people are experts in their bodies and their lived experience of their gender. Access to affirming healthcare is a basic human right and trans, nonbinary and gender nonconforming folx should be able to easily ask for and receive the care they intuitively know is best for their body and life. Mental health therapists (and all medical providers) should trust that these wise folx can offer their informed consent for any gender affirming care they are seeking.
In a healthful, trans-affirming culture, trans and nonbinary people would be easily able to access gender affirming medical care without difficulty or barriers. In an affirming culture, the wisdom and gifts of trans and nonbinary people would be lifted up and celebrated, while the medical system be would actively working to reduce barriers and open doors that increased access to affirming care. This is far from the dominant culture we live in, but therapists can help by reducing harmful gatekeeping and increasing access to gender affirming medical care like hormones and surgeries.
This 1 hour training offers therapists an accessible, trauma-aware, anti-oppressive and trans-affirming framework for conducting single session gender affirming assessments for adult clients. The training will introduce a reliable, repeatable process for completing clinical assessments and writing effective support letters that meet physician, surgeon and insurance standards. In addition to the 1 hour training, participants will gain access to a customizable template library that includes a core assessment tool and various support letters they are welcome to begin using and customizing in their own practice.
Participants will leave this workshop with a clear process for facilitating single-session gender affirming assessments and the immediate ability to write confident, effective support letters that will help clients more easily access the gender affirming care they are seeking.
CEUs pending.