Full Description
Winner of the American Psychological Association's Division 44 — the Society for the Psychological Study of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity — Distinguished Book Award, 2025.
"I welcome this book because it reminds therapists to engage deeply in reflexive interrogation of clinical privilege, and to centre the narratives and wisdom of the trans and non-binary people we serve."
Matthew Mills (he, him), President of the British Association of Gender Identity Specialists, Lead Consultant Speech and Language Therapist
"This book is compulsory reading for anyone, personally and/or professionally, seeking to support trans and non-binary individuals and community groups."
Dr Paul Simpson (he, him), Lecturer in Sociology, University of Manchester, UK and extensively published in gender and sexuality in later life.
"This book is a welcome and much needed resource on Gender Affirmative Therapy to guide therapists and practitioners to ensure best clinical practices when working with gender."
Christiane Sanderson, Independent Counsellor, Author and Educator, London, UK
Increasing numbers of people openly identify as transgender and non-binary and questions of gender identity and diversity are coming up more frequently in psychological therapy. Gender Affirming Therapy takes you on a journey to
discover the inner lives and challenges of gender-diverse people, seeking to spark compassion and build confidence in working with these communities.
Assuming no prior knowledge and accessibly written, this book aims to bridge the gap to ensure that more mental health professionals are better prepared to support gender-diverse clients in a way that is effective, ethical and affirmative.
Key features of this book include:
• 'In their Own Words' sections containing interviews directly from transgender and non-binary individuals
• Key point summary and reflection boxes
• Coverage of new advancements in the field
Drawing on research and clinical experience, Gender Affirming Therapy has been devised as an open conversation between colleagues which centres transgender and non-binary individuals as the experts and at the very heart of the book.
Laura Scarrone Bonhomme (she/her), is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist who specialises in Gender, Sexual, and Relationship Diversity. She provides assessment, psychotherapy, and training to other professionals through www.affirm.lgbt.
Skye Davies (she/they) is a Peer Support Worker at TransPlus, a gender dysphoria service. They also work as a Volunteer Counsellor at Metro, helping LGBTQ+ people.
Dr Michael Beattie (he/him) is a Counselling Psychologist in private practice with research interests in the psychology of men and masculinities. In addition to psychotherapy, Michael provides training in Gender, Sexual, and Relationship Diversity through www.affirm.lgbt.
Contents
Chapter 1: Arriving at the world of gender
Chapter 2: Working with identity-based trauma by Dr Michael Beattie
Chapter 3: Strategies to come out
Chapter 4: Arriving at the right decision
Chapter 5: Beyond the gender binary by Skye Davies
Chapter 6: What about the parents?
Chapter 7: Sexuality, romance and identity labels
Chapter 8: What would god say?
Chapter 9: Clients' relationship with the mirror
Chapter 10: What if they 'clock' me?
Chapter 11: Digital tools and online identities
