Title: Affirmative Counseling With LGBTQI+ People

Title: An Exploration to Inform Clinical Practice: Examining Mental Health Care Experiences of Trans Service Members and Veterans

Authors: Megan J. Doughty Shaine, Deanna N. Cor, Andrew J. Campbell, and Abbey L. McAlister

Description: Mental Health Care Experiences of Trans Service Members and Veterans: A Mixed-Methods Study (Shane et al., 2021) explores the mental health care experiences of trans service members for the purpose of identifying training and practice recommendations for mental health providers. This study examines experiences with military and nonmilitary providers with a focus on stigma and barriers to care. Stigmatization significantly contributes to psychological distress for trans service members and veterans. Furthermore, trans service members and veterans experience high rates of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, suicide, and military sexual trauma. The authors conducted semistructured interviews with 10 participants. This CE provides professional counselors with information to better understand the lived experiences of trans service members and veterans and research findings to inform how to better serve these individuals.

Title: Casebook for Counseling Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Persons and Their Families

Title: Group Counseling With LGBTQI Persons

Title: Navigating Advocacy Through Anti-Transgender Issues

Presenters: Jay Kaplan, JD; Dominique Marsalek, MA; Aprille Woodson, PhD, JD

Description: The anti-transgender legislative bills introduced at the state level may incite fear, anxiety, and anger in this community and present challenges to the practice of professional counselors. This Continuing Professional Development explains what anti-transgender legislation do, identifies potential conflicts between the law and ethical responsibilities of counselors, and provides general practices about how to advocate on LGBTQIA+ issues.

Title: Resiliency Factors of Trans-College Students: Implications for Professional Counselors and Higher Education Professionals

Presenters: Jane E. Rheineck, PhD and Matt E. Lonski

Description: This session will examine the resiliency factors and the strategies transgender (trans) college students use to navigate gender-dichotomous collegiate environments. The multiple intersections of college trans* students and their various social identities are highlighted as well as the importance of coping strategies for a successful college experience. One of the presenters identifies as trans* and will share his insights as well as provide first hand suggestions that will inform and assist college counselors, student affairs professionals, faculty, and administrators working with college trans* students. Additional recommendations such as the (un)learning of normative gender constructs, the use of appropriate language in the curricula, and suggestions for providing a safe environment, inside and outside the classroom, will also be explored. Affirmative- and resilience-based counseling and “helping” approaches for working with trans* college students will conclude this training.