Pink Therapy Trans workshop

Overview
Trans, both as an identity in its own right and as a process of transition from one gender to another, is often misunderstood within the teaching and practice of mainstream therapy. Transsexualism and Gender Identity Disorder still reside as psychopathologies within the ICD and DSM respectively. Consequently much work is often done in the therapeutic space around the ‘cause’ and even the ‘cure’ of trans identities and practices. In concert with this, when trans people enter therapy for reasons unrelated to their trans identity or practices they are often implicitly or explicitly expected to engage with unnecessary ‘therapy’ around their being trans.

This workshop will give some basic information about trans as well as up-to-date research. It will examine a variety of trans practices, such as transsexualism with physical body modification; cross dressing; gender queer and gender variant presentations and identities; and the mainstream culture’s ‘playing’ with gender and gender constructions. The workshop will challenge common misconceptions around trans, while encouraging participants to reflect on their own beliefs and understandings. Attendees will consider various case-studies to think about how they might work with trans clients, including those whose identity/practice is unrelated to their presenting problem as well as those who are concerned about their identity/practice. Relationships between trans and suicide and/or self-harming practices will also be explored.

Aims
The presenter of the day aims:

To present up-to-date research about trans and the experiences of those who identify in these ways and/or are involved in such practices.
To explore how we might work with those who identify as trans, who are transitioning, or who practice various forms trans or gender variant expression.

Objectives
By the end of the day attendees will have had the opportunity:

To reflect on their own beliefs around trans identities and related practices.
To consider how they work with clients who identify as trans who are transitioning, or who practice various forms trans or gender variant expression.
To explore the diversity of trans experiences, the potential meanings of these for clients, and how these may be worked with in therapy, where appropriate.

Biography
Christina Richards is Assistant Psychologist at the Charing Cross Gender Identity Clinic and has researched and published on various aspects of trans and sexuality. She is also a co-author of the upcoming British Psychological Society’s guidelines for psychologists working therapeutically with sexual minority clients.

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