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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Listening To Transgender And Autistic Voices: Reflecting On Affirming Research And Mental Health Practices, Kameron Bm Kirbyson Apr 2024

Listening To Transgender And Autistic Voices: Reflecting On Affirming Research And Mental Health Practices, Kameron Bm Kirbyson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Those who are both autistic and transgender/gender diverse, an often-overlooked group, face difficulties accessing gender-affirming care and appropriate therapy and have higher rates of mental health complications. This study focused on listening to the voices of people who live with both of these identities through semi-structured interviewing and by centring the writer who is also autistic and transgender. Seven participants shared their experiences and highlighted issues they have come up against while trying to access care. Thematic analysis revealed several themes that were sorted into barriers and strengths. Barriers included autism symptoms, complex medical factors, interactions with institutions, traumatic events, …


The Bloodless Period: A Transfeminine Experience, Rin Nguyen Apr 2024

The Bloodless Period: A Transfeminine Experience, Rin Nguyen

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

There is limited research exploring menstruation in transgender and gender diverse (TGD) populations, and studies have primarily examined the relationship between menstruation and gender congruence. Findings revealed menstruating TGD people experienced distress related to decreased gender congruence (Eisenberg et al., 2021), and 88% of TGD people expressed interest in menstrual suppression to manage the distress (Schwartz et al., 2022). By contrast, Lowik (2020) highlighted a transfeminine person who wished to menstruate to achieve womanhood and commented on the “bloodless period” (i.e., menstrual-like symptoms in the absence of bleeding) upon receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy. To the author’s knowledge, there is no …


The Role Of Authenticity In The Link Between Self-Determination, Gender Minority Stress, Psychological Well-Being And Distress In Transgender, Nonbinary, And Gender Expansive Individuals, Zakary Alexander Clements Jan 2023

The Role Of Authenticity In The Link Between Self-Determination, Gender Minority Stress, Psychological Well-Being And Distress In Transgender, Nonbinary, And Gender Expansive Individuals, Zakary Alexander Clements

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Transgender, nonbinary, and gender expansive individuals (TNB and GE) have the same basic psychological needs (BPN) for self-determination as their cisgender counterparts yet face unique gender minority stressors (GMS) that may impact psychological distress and well-being. Authenticity is an important factor that may also affect psychological well-being and distress in TNB and GE people. Few research studies have examined BPN attainment or GMS factors and psychological well-being and distress. The role of authenticity, which is associated with psychological well-being in cisgender samples, has yet to be examined in TNB and GE people on the context of BPN attainment or GMS. …


Gender Transitioning In Childhood: A Hermeneutic Study Of Parental Reactions, Ashley Rosenberg Jan 2023

Gender Transitioning In Childhood: A Hermeneutic Study Of Parental Reactions, Ashley Rosenberg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The visibility of the transgender community has grown in recent years. The purpose of the hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand and provide context to the experiences of parents whose children have transitioned from their assigned birth sex to their authentic gender identity. The theoretical framework used was Kubler Ross’ “Five Stages of Grief.” Participants were interviewed by using semi structured interviews on Zoom. A total of 6 people participated in my study. Common themes emerged as a result of my study, which parallel previous research studies. These themes included shock and denial, a sense of grief and loss, feelings …


Informed Consent In Counseling Processes With The Transgender Community, Sindhura Elagandhala May 2022

Informed Consent In Counseling Processes With The Transgender Community, Sindhura Elagandhala

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Cultural competence from mental healthcare professionals is vital to effectively serving the transgender population. Unfortunately, specifics for working with this community often remain unaddressed in most counselor education programs. Working with gender diverse individuals requires a nuanced understanding and application of contemporary theories surrounding gender, sex, intersectional theories, and potential medical consultation. Counselors may be asked to play unique roles for transgender clients that require knowledge of basic concepts and definitions regarding transgender identity and the ways in which these topics become relevant in the clinical, counseling environment. It is also necessary to question roles that mental health counselors may …


Trans And Genderqueer Military Service Member-Veterans: An Acculturation Phenomenology Of Civilian Reintegration, Joseph A. Galluzzo Jan 2022

Trans And Genderqueer Military Service Member-Veterans: An Acculturation Phenomenology Of Civilian Reintegration, Joseph A. Galluzzo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As United States military policy continues to evolve and affirm the accession and retention of trans and genderqueer (TGQ) service members, more TGQ people will join and ultimately separate from military service. Reintegration is a term that represents the experience of beginning to separate from the military and transitioning into civilian life, and those who encounter it are referred to as military service member-veterans (MSMVs). Though empirical knowledge of reintegration for MSMVs overall continues to improve, cultural relevance has only recently been considered, and no research has investigated the reintegration experiences of TGQ MSMVs specifically. The primary purpose of this …


Promoting Inclusion In Your Practice For Transgender And Gender Non-Conforming Clients: Utilizing The Inclusive Financial Well-Being Empowerment Model, Goldie Prelogar-Hernandez, Megan A. Mccoy, Meghaan Lurtz, Kenneth J. White Jan 2022

Promoting Inclusion In Your Practice For Transgender And Gender Non-Conforming Clients: Utilizing The Inclusive Financial Well-Being Empowerment Model, Goldie Prelogar-Hernandez, Megan A. Mccoy, Meghaan Lurtz, Kenneth J. White

Journal of Financial Therapy

Despite increasing attention to cultural humility and inclusivity for financial therapy, mental health, and financial practitioners, little is written about the best practices for working with transgender and gender non-conforming (GNC) clients. This theoretical paper will review these best practices and will present a hypothetical financial therapy case study that utilizes the Inclusive Financial Well-being Empowerment Model (IFWEM). The goal of this work is to introduce practitioners to the best practices for working with transgender and GNC clients in an inclusive and empowering way and to promote future data-driven research for this population.


Non-Affirmation As A Moderator Between Social Support And Quality Of Life For Transgender Populations, Michael Evitts Aug 2021

Non-Affirmation As A Moderator Between Social Support And Quality Of Life For Transgender Populations, Michael Evitts

Dissertations

This research builds upon scholarship exploring the quality of life of transgender populations. Knowledge on quality-of-life (QOL) for transgender populations has been limited due to the fact that most studies have focused on gender affirming medical procedures as interventions (Nobili et al., 2018). Other protective factors, such as social support, have been identified in the literature but have been defined in broad terms. The purpose of the study was to better understand additional factors that promote QOL and psychological well-being, specifically social support. It is unclear how non-affirmation of gender identity affects the protective effects of social support for QOL. …


Counselor-In-Training Self-Efficacy When Working With Transgender And Gender Non-Conforming Clients, Thomas John Hegblom Jan 2021

Counselor-In-Training Self-Efficacy When Working With Transgender And Gender Non-Conforming Clients, Thomas John Hegblom

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers highlighted a significant void in existing literature surrounding the preparation of counselors working with the transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) population. The problem addressed is the limited understanding of self-efficacy counselors-in-training (CIT) possess while working with TGNC clients. The purpose of this quantitative study rooted in self-efficacy theory was to examine the relationship between three independent variables: (a) the cumulative time the participant spent as a CIT, (b) the amount of training the CIT received specific to transcompetent counseling practices, and (c) a CIT’s competency in delivering transcompetent counseling, and the dependent variable: a CIT’s self-efficacy in providing transcompetent …


"We've Been Here All Along" : The Standpoint And Collective Resilience Of Transgender U.S. Service Members., Jacob R. Eleazer Aug 2019

"We've Been Here All Along" : The Standpoint And Collective Resilience Of Transgender U.S. Service Members., Jacob R. Eleazer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The 2010 repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy ended the ban on open lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) military service (Alford & Lee, 2016). However, prior to 2015 transgender military personnel were still considered medically and psychologically unfit for service (Kerrigan, 2012; Yerke & Mitchell, 2013). From 2015 through 2017, the Department of Defense (DoD) researched the implications of policy change, developed new policies and trainings, and implemented open service for transgender persons (Belkin, 2016; Carter, 2015). The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of transgender military service members prior to this transition in …


Intersectional Identities And Microaggressions: The Experience Of Transgender Females, Cory Daniel Gerwe Jul 2019

Intersectional Identities And Microaggressions: The Experience Of Transgender Females, Cory Daniel Gerwe

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Historically, attention given to privileged LGBT minorities such as white LGBT individuals, renders those who experience multiple minority identities as unacknowledged. There is a scarcity of research exploring the intersectional experiences of transgender individuals and how these experiences impact their mental health and well-being. For that reason, the intent of this study was to learn more about transgender females who hold additional minority statuses, their transition experiences, their circumstances, and the nature of their social environment. Specifically, I investigated trans female experiences of transitioning with a specific focus on the intersection of gender identity, race, socioeconomic status (SES), and age. …


Transgender And Gender Nonconforming Persons' Experiences With Counseling Assessments, Macie Stead Jan 2019

Transgender And Gender Nonconforming Persons' Experiences With Counseling Assessments, Macie Stead

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Counselors sometimes use counseling assessments with transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) persons without understanding the experiences individuals have with those assessments. The American Counseling Association and the World Professional Association of Transgender Health identified that attention is needed with the practice of counseling assessments to ensure that helpful, ethical, and culturally sensitive services are available. The purpose of this study was to explore TGNC adults' experiences with counseling assessments. Gadamer's hermeneutics provided a framework to examine qualitative data as truth and validate the individuals' experiences with counseling assessments. Participants included 12 TGNC persons 18 years or older who had a …


Understanding The Relationship Between Anti-Transgender Bias, Non-Affirmation, And Post-Traumatic Stress: A Model Of Internalized Transphobia-Mediated Post-Traumatic Stress., Sebastian Mitchell Barr Dec 2018

Understanding The Relationship Between Anti-Transgender Bias, Non-Affirmation, And Post-Traumatic Stress: A Model Of Internalized Transphobia-Mediated Post-Traumatic Stress., Sebastian Mitchell Barr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Transgender people’s increased risk for negative mental health outcomes, when compared to cisgender peers or the general public, has been well documented in the psychological literature. Researchers have begun to establish empirical support for a relationship between anti-transgender bias, non-affirmation of gender identity, internalized transphobia, and other transgender-specific minority stressors. Although little work has explored the mechanisms of this relationship, some psychologists have proposed conceptualizing these factors as potentially traumatic experiences and understanding the poor mental health outcomes as manifestations of complex post-traumatic stress. In this dissertation, I examine whether there is empirical support for this framework by evaluating the …


Transgender And Racial Identities Negotiation Processes Of Transgender Asians, Asian Americans, And Pacific Islanders : A Transcendental Phenomenological Examination., Jayden Thai Aug 2018

Transgender And Racial Identities Negotiation Processes Of Transgender Asians, Asian Americans, And Pacific Islanders : A Transcendental Phenomenological Examination., Jayden Thai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While the field of transgender (trans) research is vastly growing and expanding, little is known about the process in which trans Asian and Pacific Islanders (API) individuals experience, navigate, and negotiate their trans and API cultural identities. The aims of this study were to: 1) examine the navigation and negotiation process for trans API individuals related to their cultural identities and values; 2) enhance, enrich, and diversify existing trans and API literature by generating foundational and complex understanding of trans API identity processes; and 3) challenge hegemonic narratives regarding trans API individuals’ lived experiences. Moustakas’ (1994) transcendental phenomenological qualitative methodology …


Drama Therapy And Transgender Adolescents, Ryan Lisman Apr 2018

Drama Therapy And Transgender Adolescents, Ryan Lisman

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Transgender adolescents in the United States are currently a vulnerable population that often regularly face discrimination and are at a high risk for hate crimes (Center of Excellence for Transgender Health, 2016). Developing and implementing therapeutic interventions and models for working with transgender adolescents is essential at this time. In American society, there has recently been a cultural shift towards a greater sense of acceptance for the LGBTQ community (Benson, 2013), but within that, the transgender community has been consistently left behind in many aspects of progress that LGB (Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual) people have benefited from (Benson, 2013). There …


Blessing Or Bs? Examining The Therapy Experiences Of Transgender And Gender Nonconforming Clients Obtaining Referral Letters For Gender Affirming Medical Treatment, Holly Brown Jan 2018

Blessing Or Bs? Examining The Therapy Experiences Of Transgender And Gender Nonconforming Clients Obtaining Referral Letters For Gender Affirming Medical Treatment, Holly Brown

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) people who pursue gender affirming medical interventions, such as hormone therapy and surgery, are required to supply their physicians with referral letters from mental health professionals (Coleman et al., 2012). The process by which TGNC people are required to obtain referral letters before accessing gender affirming care is often referred to as gatekeeping in the TGNC literature (Budge, 2015; Cavanaugh, Hopwood, & Lambert, 2016). Despite implications that the current gatekeeping system may have for the relationship between TGNC clients and their therapists, few studies have examined TGNC individuals’ experiences related to obtaining referral letters in …


Supporting Transgender Students In Higher Education: Opportunities For Mental Health Professionals, Tracy G. Marsh Jan 2018

Supporting Transgender Students In Higher Education: Opportunities For Mental Health Professionals, Tracy G. Marsh

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

During the last decade, there has been a significant increase in visibility of transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) individuals, particularly in Western cultures. However, this increase in visibility has also prompted a concomitant surge in hate crimes and violence against TGNC persons and anti-TGNC legislation throughout the United States. Extant research, framed largely by Meyer’s minority stress model, has shown that TGNC persons experience greater rates of psychological distress, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation and intent when compared to cisgender and lesbian, gay, and bisexual peers. Furthermore, TGNC students in higher education face specific challenges with regard to …


Preparedness To Counsel Transgender College Students: Perceptions Of College Mental Health Clinicians, Valerie G. Couture Dec 2016

Preparedness To Counsel Transgender College Students: Perceptions Of College Mental Health Clinicians, Valerie G. Couture

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the perceived preparedness levels of college mental health clinicians to counsel transgender college students. Multicultural counseling competency is required of professional counselors and transgender individuals are considered to be part of the multicultural population. A survey was completed by college mental health counselors (N = 84) from across the United States. The results showed a moderate amount of preparedness overall with no significant differences based on years of counseling experience nor graduation from a CACREP accredited program. Results did show the participants believed they do have a professional duty to be knowledgeable …


Correlates Of Satisfaction With Life For People Who Identify As Transgender And Sexual Minority, Christopher C. Bober, Kristen L. Suing, Dustin K. Shepler Nov 2016

Correlates Of Satisfaction With Life For People Who Identify As Transgender And Sexual Minority, Christopher C. Bober, Kristen L. Suing, Dustin K. Shepler

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Researchers have focused on understanding factors such as resiliency, medical concerns, and coping skills in the lives of transgender and gender-nonconforming people. However, little research has examined how transgender and gender-nonconforming people cognitively evaluate their own lives. Furthermore, many people who identify as transgender or gender-nonconforming also report a sexual minority identity status. In this study, we sought to understand how aspects of sexual self-concept (i.e., sexual esteem and sexual anxiety), internalized homonegativity, and level of outness about sexual identity correlated to self-appraisals of satisfaction with life (SWL) in a sample of transgender and gender-nonconforming people who identified as sexual …


Transgender Self-Attitudes: Formation And Change A Qualitative Study, Juliet Ezhil Meggs Aug 2016

Transgender Self-Attitudes: Formation And Change A Qualitative Study, Juliet Ezhil Meggs

Doctoral Dissertations

The current study explored attitudes of transgender people about being transgender and how these attitudes had formed and changed over participants’ lifetimes. Using a qualitative, grounded theory approach (Charmaz, 2003), interviews with 11 transgender adults were coded and analyzed. Two primary categories of attitudes were identified: participant attitudes regarding acceptability of being transgender and attitudes regarding how possible they believed it is to be transgender and/or transition genders. Early in life, most participants had little exposure to the idea of being transgender, and those that knew of it often initially believed that it would too difficult or impossible to transition. …


Sex, Sexuality And Sexual Practice For Trans Individuals And Their Romantic Partners., Kinton Rossman Aug 2016

Sex, Sexuality And Sexual Practice For Trans Individuals And Their Romantic Partners., Kinton Rossman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Transgender populations demonstrate significant sexual diversity, with over three-fourths (77%) of transgender individuals identifying as sexual minorities (Grant et al., 2011); however, a majority of research on sex, sexuality, and sexual practice has focused exclusively on cisgender and heterosexual individuals and, perhaps more importantly, addressed these issues a heteronormative and cisnormative perspective (Nichols, 2014). Such frameworks have created significant gaps in research about sex, sexuality, and sexual practice for trans individuals including understanding how gender transition influences sex and sexuality and how trans individuals and their partners engage in sexual practice. The current study addressed these omissions in the literature …


Transgender Individuals' Social Support Experiences In Central Appalachia, Angela J. Aaron Jan 2015

Transgender Individuals' Social Support Experiences In Central Appalachia, Angela J. Aaron

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

The majority of empirical studies in transgender psychology have focused on the negative experiences of urban transgender individuals (Grossman & D’Augelli, 2007; Koken, Bimbi, & Parsons, 2009; Melendez & Pinto, 2007; Singh & McKleroy, 2011; Strain & Shuff, 2010; Xavier, Bobbin, Singer, & Budd, 2005). Less is known about the experiences of rural transgender individuals (Fassinger & Arseneau, 2007; Grossman, 2008) especially in Central Appalachia (Gray, 2009). The purpose of this study was to examine transgender individuals’ perceptions of social support in Central Appalachia. Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) ecological model framed the analysis of social support experiences within the culture of Central …


Determining Multidimensional Gender: Development And Psychometrics Of A Measurement Instrument, Karyl Lounsbery May 2012

Determining Multidimensional Gender: Development And Psychometrics Of A Measurement Instrument, Karyl Lounsbery

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gender identity is often thought of only as a binary construct, masculine and feminine, despite the fact that there are many people who do not see themselves as fitting this dichotomy (Rochman, 2006). Within the counseling field, it is likely that every counselor will eventually see someone who will be struggling with issues of gender identity (Ehrensaft, 2011). The introduction of the Arkansas Multidimensional Gender Scale (AMGS) will show there is a much broader scope of gender identity, more in line with the idea that all gender identities are normal and that there are as many gender identities as there …