Title: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Youth: Family Acceptance and Emotional Development

Presenter: Julie Basulto, MA

Description: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer youth (LGBTQ) experience a variety of struggles when coming out to their families of origin. These struggles include lack of acceptance and support by their families as well as isolation, depression, engagement in risk taking behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse, and the risk of suicide. The focus of this presentation will be to address prior research on family support and acceptance with LGBTQ youth in their sexual identity development, and possible solutions for counselors to provide assistance with the youth and their families during this adjustment process.

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.

Title: Serving the Needs of the LGBTQ Clients: The State of Civil Rights Protections in Schools and the Workplace; Advocating for LGBTQ Students and Clients

Presenters: Amy Zavadil, PhD

Description: For several decades, civil rights-based protections for LGBTQ- identified individuals were increasingly solidified through case law, federal guidance, and legislation.Through the lens of Title IX, college student affairs and other equity issues resources, we will discuss how counselors can support their students and clients through awareness of legal and policy protections in school and workplace.Identifying the available legal rights and resources that can support client advocacy, whether in a school or agency setting, is vital to the focused empowerment by counselors that encourage client self advocacy.

Title: The Counseling Experiences of Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Clients

Authors: Rafe McCullough, PhD; Franco Dispenza, PhD; Lindy K. Parker, PhD; Cory J. Viehl, PhD

Description: The counseling experiences of 13 transgender and gender nonconforming individuals were examined via semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Using multiple standards of trustworthiness (e.g., member checking, negative case analysis), researchers analyzed each interview from an interpretative phenomenological analytic framework. Four main themes were identified: (a) mental health professional selection process, (b) trans-affirmative approach, (c) trans-negative approach, and (d) support systems beyond counseling. Implications for implementing culturally responsive TGNC affirmative counseling, TGNC sensitive counselor training, and social justice oriented research are discussed.

Title: Transgender: Moving from Awareness to Advocacy

Presenter: Becca Smith, MA

Description: The presentation reviews and summarize the Transgender Population. The definition of Transgender which will include Gender Identity and Gender Queer will be explained. This presentation will also discuss how to best serve the transgender community in a counseling capacity. This will include supporting them psychologically, helping with campus resources, navigating referrals for medical issues, including hormone therapy and possible gender affirming surgery. Participants will be provided examples of how to write a support letter for hormone therapy and gender affirming surgery using the Standards of Care from WPATH. The presentation will finally explain the challenges this population faces especially with the political issues in the media. The expected outcome of this presentation is that participants will acquire an overall increased competency to work with the Transgender population in a counseling setting.

Title: Trauma Informed Care Across the Lifespan for LGBTQI+ Individuals

Presenters: Gerard Lawson, PhD; Jyotsana Sharma, PhD; and Brandy Smith, MAEd

Description: Trauma does not discriminate, and yet LGBTQI+ individuals experience trauma and violence at higher rates than straight and cis individuals (Roberts, Austin, Corliss, Vandermorris, & Koenen, 2010). Moreover, there is potential for treatment providers to re-traumatize clients. This session will explore challenges facing LGBTQI+ clients, and introduce how trauma informed care strategies can support clients and avoid re-traumatization. Further, strategies for helping to position LGBTQI+ clients for progress in counseling and potentially for post traumatic growth will be explored. Applications and strategies for clients across the lifespan will be presented.