An Overview
We are so excited to offer you this training which will help you learn how to better support your transgender and nonbinary child, adolescent, and young adult clients. We use the term “gender-affirming psychotherapy” to refer to knowledge and clinical practices that help transgender and nonbinary youth thrive. These practices are non-directive and supportive.

Course Catalog

Introduction
As providers, our number one goal is to serve our clients. This training will help you feel prepared to serve transgender and nonbinary clients with grace, respect, and humility. 
Module 1: The Benefits & Goals of Gender-Affirming Care
This module will cover: what gender-affirming care means for mental health providers and why it matters for young transgender and nonbinary clients.
Module 2: Terminology
This module will help you learn accurate definitions so we can share a lexicon with our clients and better understand their experiences.
Module 3: Developmental Tailoring
In this module, you will learn about the unique experiences of transgender and nonbinary youth in different developmental stages: childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. 
Module 4: Discrimination and Mental Health
This module will teach you why  transgender and nonbinary youth tend to experience mental health problems. Being transgender and/or nonbinary does not inherently have negative mental health consequences, but the associated discrimination often does.
Module 5: Language to Use (And Avoid)
This module will cover gender-affirming language to use with transgender and nonbinary clients and language you should avoid using. 
Module 6: Help Caregivers Be More Supportive
This module will cover how to support caregivers of transgender and nonbinary youth. Research indicates that for transgender and nonbinary youth, parent and family gender-support is one of the most powerful predictors of their wellbeing and mental health.
Module 7: Help Clients Access Other Services
This module will teach you how to connect transgender and nonbinary clients with additional gender-affirming providers and support services.
Module 8: Clinical Skills
In this module, you will learn 4 key clinical skills to use with your transgender and nonbinary clients. Learn how to help your client with transphobic thinking, guidance on gender dysphoria, build self-advocacy skills, and find social support.
Module 9: Unequal Access to Care
In this module you will learn why and how gender-affirming care is often difficult to access for all transgender and nonbinary youth . You will also learn how those difficulties vary across different groups within the transgender and nonbinary community.
Module 10: Advocacy
This module will teach you how to engage in advocacy (activities designed to remove or diminish barriers faced by others) on behalf of your clients at your workplace and beyond.
Module 11: Wrap Up
Hear a receive a final message from a transgender young person about why your efforts are important and appreciated.

Do you have a story to share? 

Your story may help providers learn how to better support trans and nonbinary youth.
​If you would like to contribute a story for this training, please reach out to AffirmLabBC@gmail.com.