Gender Conference NYC Professional Symposium 2019

TGNB adolescents and their family members hold many social identities, including race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, etc. One issue that frequently arises in working with TGNB adolescents is lack of family acceptance, or ambivalence a family may have in moving forward with medical or surgical changes. TGNB adolescents often need parental consent, financial and logistical assistance to move forward with transition. Therapy with TGNB adolescents often focuses on gender alone. Affirming family therapy involving TGNB individuals further explores the complex ways an adolescent’s gender identity intersects with and is understood in context of family members’ identities. This panel will briefly overview intersectional theory and how it informs practice, will explore provider location of self and will present several case examples applying the intersectional understanding of a family system. This presentation will aim to expand on how intersectionally informed affirming therapy may serve to bolster the therapeutic process targeting acceptance.