Transgender Concerns Working Group

1. Transgender Concerns Working Group

2. Working Group Members • Michael Loewy • Nicholas Denton • Heather Dales-Murray • Heather Aidala • Anne Bartone • Shannon Chavez Korell • Ryan Cheperka • Carmen Cruz • Franco Dispenza • Stacie Fishell • Kristee Haggins • Jack Lockwood • Alessandra Urbano • Mo White • Kendra Saunders • Shana Hamilton • Tania Israel • Sharalyn Jordan • Kimberly Jorgensen • David Loran • Stella Nelms • Emily Nisley • Parrish Paul • Daniel Walinsky • Theo Burnes • Bobby Kizer • Yung-Lung Chen • Christine Henry • David Perry • Danielle Duplassie

3. Major Issues Discussed • Increased self-awareness of transphobia needed - individual, supervisor, faculty • Training - Need for infusion into courses, practica/internship, research • How to confront transphobia within Division 17/APA • Research - Need for best practices (e.g., not up-to-date, need alternative methods) • Community - Need for more involvement and commitment of senior colleagues in order to make change

4. Major Issues Discussed • Need for web-based resources (e.g., best practice guidelines, research) • Need for strength-based approaches to trans practice and research (e.g., assessment tools - MMPI - problematic, confront medical model, inclusion of gender identity in DSM?) • Students/others with less power having to educate others with more power (e.g., training directors, advisors) and confront transphobia • Need trans-ally development and support • Micro and macroaggressions - verbal and physical assault

5. Goals/Outcomes for Future Self-Awareness of Transgender Concerns (learning --> action) • Comprehensive list of transgender resources - including intersectionality (e.g., reading, films, websites) • Engaging/immersing one’s self in experiential activities (e.g., dialogue groups, “assumptions/biases” paper to explore gender privilege) • Accept personal responsibility to implement change (e.g., finding your voice)

6. Goals/Outcomes for Future Training on Transgender Concerns Incorporate into APA-accreditation Training module Inclusion in social justice curriculum Trans-affirmative internship sites Best practice guidelines Supervision competency standards Use technology to increase accessibility to resources Special journal issue on supervision/training issues

7. Goals/Outcomes for Future Research - Transgender Concerns JCP Special issue on conducting trans-inclusive experience (e.g., comprehensive lit review, qual and quan guidelines, researcher reflexivity, participant/consumer reflexivity) Guidelines that promote intersectionality in all counseling psychology (e.g., multidimensons of demographic identity)

8. Goals/Outcomes for Future Assessment issues with transgender people • Clinical interviewing (e.g., create semi-structured interview questions, address problems with forms, therapist training, reflexivity, awareness) • DSM - do not confound trans with mental health and gender with sexual disorders • Testing (e.g., renorming assessments for trans folks, develop measures for research with focus on resilience, writing position papers on test administration/interpretation)

9. Goals/Outcomes for Future Working with Div 17/APA Power-Holders on Transgender Concerns You are invited!! - joint meeting of Div 17, 44, 35, 51 (power-holders) at APA in Boston Creating a home for this working group on trans issues Student hour at APA - how to make a difference when you don’t have the power Media attention APA-wide in Monitor Notation that gender identity is in the ethical code - so guidelines are there for accountability

10. Next Steps & Opportunities for Involvement • Google group • Working in 5 sub-groups • Creating a “home” for working group in SLGBTA/Div 17 • Meeting again at APA Boston - joint meeting • Securing program time at APA Boston

11. Contact Information for Getting Involved • lore m. dickey lore.dickey@gmail.com • Anneliese Singh nanakikaur@yahoo.com • Pearl S. Chang pearl.heart@gmail.com