Counseling members of the transgender and gender-expansive community requires a foundation of knowledge about the special issues faced by this population, and a “lifelong process of engagement” (Wilkinson, 2014, p. 68) in the evaluation of self and social norms. This workshop will provide clinicians with an overview of the most recent developments in the field, and the information necessary for proficient practice with the gender-expansive community. 

Topics covered include:

·  Gender-affirming practices: From forms and assessments, to honoring gender-expansive identities in the therapeutic space

·  Identification of transgender and gender-expansive identities in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood

·  Assessment of Gender Dysphoria

·  Gender-identity development for transgender and gender-expansive individuals

·  Understanding social and medical gender-confirming interventions

·  Ethical considerations when working with transgender and gender-expansive clients

·  Gender-affirming practices: From forms and assessments to honoring gender-expansive identities in the therapeutic space

Cortny Stark Ph.D., LPCC, LADAC, CRC is an Assistant Professor with the University of Colorado Colorado Springs Department of Counseling and Human Services, and a telehealth therapist for the Trauma Treatment Center and Research Facility in Rio Rancho, NM. Dr. Stark’s research focuses on LGBTQQIA+ issues in counseling, using qualitative methods to explore the experiences of counselor-advocates and community-based advocates for transgender and gender-expansive individuals. As a counselor educator, she encourages her students to critically evaluate taken-for-granted beliefs about gender and sex, and advocate for social change for historically oppressed communities.