Presenter: Melissa Dellens, MA, AMFT
Date/Time: November 13, 2022 10am-5pm Pacific with a one hour lunch break
6 CEs
Abstract:
Gender dysphoria in teenagers can be complicated by unaccepting parents and family, lack of access to affirming medical care, and anxieties about the cultural and political conversations directed toward transgender and nonbinary (TGNB) identities. Even when a family is accepting of their teen’s gender identity, there can still be conflicts in priorities around transition planning. Therapists may struggle to find clarity in their roles as clinician, advocate, and educator when working with teenage clients. Working with TGNB teen clients present specific challenges such as navigating the coming out process and planning for social, medical, and legal transitions. These added challenges can amplify the inherent or “normal” struggles of emotional teenage development. Additionally, unconscious conflicts in family dynamics can arise in the process. Affirmative therapists have the opportunity to not only support a TGNB teenager come into their own identity, they can assist families in gaining increased awareness of essential communication skills and teamwork. In this six hour virtual, live, collaborative lecture, participants will explore their roles in transference/countertransference dynamics, examine key concepts of psychoeducation for parents and families, and apply knowledge of community and medical resources to benefit TGNB teenage clients.
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Describe common minority stressors TGNB teens may experience in coming out and transition planning.
- Utilize transference/countertransference dynamics that arise between therapist and client to broaden a client’s understanding of specific conflicts and challenges they experience.
- Discuss common external conflicts TGNB teenagers experience in their families and the role the therapist plays in joining these dynamics.
- Compile local community and medical resources to assist families with the client’s coming out and social transition process
About the Presenter
Melissa Dellens (she/they) works with teens and young adults with intersectional identities as an associate marriage and family therapist in private practice. She offers her understanding of collective trauma, community stressors, and political advocacy through publications and education. Melissa earned her Master of Arts in Psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles with an emphasis in Applied Community Psychology and completed the one year Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Certificate at the Los Angeles Institute and Society for Psychoanalytic Studies.
Price:
$150 for licensed
$120 for licensed in non-profit organization (Use coupon code at checkout: GMSA30)
$75 for pre-licensed (Use Coupon Code at checkout: GMSA75)
You can also get free access to this course and all other courses with our memberships.
Additional Information
Instruction Level
Intermediate to advanced
Who should Attend
Psychologists, counselors, and marriage and family therapists and social workers working with LGBTQIA+ adolescents.
Format
Home Study
Completion Requirements
You will need to take the post-test with at least a 80% score in order to receive your certificate for a homestudy course.
Financial Support
Presenters are compensated by the Affirmative Couch for the courses they teach. There is no other financial support for this course.
Conflict of Interest
There is no potential conflict of interest or outside commercial support for this course.
Contact Information
For any inquiries related to subject matter, problem resolution, corrections, grievances, or anything else, please contact us.
Accommodations
The Affirmative Couch will work to accommodate reasonable accommodations requests. Requests can be emailed with the event date and “accommodation request” in the subject line. Requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Continuing Education Approvals
The Affirmative Couch, LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Affirmative Couch, LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
$150 for licensed
$120 for licensed in non-profit organization (Use coupon code at checkout: GMSA30)
$75 for pre-licensed (Use Coupon Code at checkout: GMSA75)
You can also get free access to this course and all other courses with our memberships.
$150.00
