In this course, Cadyn Cathers, PsyD explores how psychotherapists can offer prevention and intervention to reduce gender minority stress experienced by their trans or nonbinary clients. Brofenbrenner’s ecological model seats every individual in relation to their micro, meso, and macro level communities. Psychotherapists are well situated to prevent the harmful impact of transphobia at each of these levels as well as offer interventions to trans and nonbinary clients impacted by transphobia. Within the micro level, each individual person carries their own experiences of internalized transphobia as well as relational experiences of transphobia, such as microaggressions. In the meso or community level, transgender and nonbinary people often experience structural transphobia in their schools, workplaces, social organizations, places of worship, and other community settings. Macro level transphobia is embedded in our politics, legal systems, media, and culture. Dr. Cadyn will provide examples of prevention and intervention of addressing transphobia at every level of the ecosystem to work toward wellness and liberation of the trans and nonbinary communities.
Learning Objectives:
- Discuss at least two ways in which transphobia is different at each level of the ecosystem
- Implement an effective intervention for addressing transphobia at each level of the ecosystem
- Utilize at least two prevention techniques to address transphobia
Dr. Cadyn Cathers (he)
Cadyn Cathers, PsyD (he/him/his) has been teaching courses on human sexuality, psychotherapy with LGBTQIA+ communities, and psychodynamic theory for over 10 years, and serves as teaching faculty at Antioch University Los Angeles in the LGBT Specialization. He is the founder and CEO of The Affirmative Couch, which provides online continuing education on clinical work with LGBTQIA+, CNM, and kink communities. He is a licensed psychologist in private practice at the Out Couch Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, P.C., where he focuses on psychoanalytic psychotherapy with transgender and nonbinary patients.