Linda Reeves, LMFT

Linda K. Reeves is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a private practice (Beach Cities LGBT Therapy) in Manhattan Beach. She specializes in working with LGBTQ+ individuals, couples, and families. Linda received her Master's in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University, Los Angeles, specializing in LGBTQ+ Affirmative Psychotherapy, and her undergraduate degree from San Diego State University. Eager to understand more about the unique challenges faced by gender-diverse individuals, Linda completed the WPATH Global Education Initiative (GEI) Certified Training Course: Best Practices in Transgender Medical and Mental Health Care and attained WPATH GEI Certification as a Gender Specialist. Through her work with transgender and gender non-binary identified clients, Linda has supported hundreds of family members and loved ones who are also moving through their own transition. Her understanding of these unique challenges is the focus of a book she is writing for parents of gender-diverse children.

Clinical Considerations When Treating Parents of Gender Diverse Children
Friday | May 5, 2023
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
(1.5 CEs)

Workshop Description:

We are in the midst of a gender revolution. Research from The Williams Institute reveals approximately 1.4 million adults and 150,000 youth in the United States identify as transgender, and more than 1 million adults identify as non-binary. Double these figures, and you have approximately five million parents who are psychologically impacted when their child identifies as Trans*/NB. Many of these parents experience significant emotional distress and secondary stigma related to trans negativity and feel reluctant to seek support outside their immediate family due to fear of rejection. These negative psychological states are problematic due to the fact that no matter the age of the Trans*/NB loved one, parental support is one of the most important protective factors in reducing risks of depression, anxiety, substance use, and suicide. As a result, therapists treating the Trans*/NB population should be knowledgeable of the psycho/social/emotional factors that contribute to parental distress, understand the reasons why parents should also be a focus of treatment, and be familiar with different treatment approaches and appropriateness depending on whether parents are accepting or unaccepting of their loved ones Trans*/NB gender. This course provides an overview of the parent transition experience and how clinicians can best support that journey.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will be able to:

1. Explain the differences in how the therapist provides treatment to parents depending on the age of their trans*/NB child
2. Identify three cultural factors that influence parents feelings of shame
3. Explain the differences between Ambiguous Loss and Disenfranchised Grief
4.  Explain how intersectionality and cultural resistance influence the parent journey
5. Identify three key strategies and interventions for working with accepting/unaccepting parents and parents who are concerned about Rapid-Onset Adolescent Gender Dysphoria

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