What is Gender Affirming Care?
By: Kariana Jude
Rainbow flag also known as pride flag hanging outside of a building.
WHAT IS GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE?
Gender-affirming care (GAC) is a supportive form of healthcare that incorporates advocacy, education, and affirms gender experiences. This could consist of therapy, medical, surgical, and non-medical services that support an individual on their journey of gender. This type of care has the objective of empowering diverse gender clients with their identity and self-esteem while acknowledging the impact of societal stress, family systems, discrimination, sexism, enbyphobia, transphobia, and dysphoria.
Some types of gender-affirming care can look like:
- Hormone blockers
- Anti-androgen medication
- Hormone replacement treatment
- Hair removal
- Surgical options
- Therapy interventions
WHAT IS GENDER-AFFIRMING THERAPY?
Two individuals holding hands.
Gender-affirming therapy is an approach in therapy that works with gender-diverse clients which supports their identities and looks at how other aspects intersect with the client’s life. Gender-affirming therapy can look at a vast number of topics depending on each client. Some of the topics that are usually looked at in therapy could be trauma, shame, depression, anxiety, sexuality, medical treatment, dysphoria, stigmas in society, and hormone therapy.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Gender Affirming Care is said to decrease anxiety, depression, substance use, and suicide attempts within the community. The Trevor Project’s 2021 National Survey on LGBTQIA+ Youth Mental Health found that around 52 percent of the LGBTQIA+ community have seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. Allowing a safe and welcoming environment for individuals to explore, process, and understand all aspects of gender care is a necessity. This care is critical for gender-diverse clients for providing better outcomes for transgender, nonbinary, and other gender-diverse populations.
This topic is important with new laws that have been enforced in fifteen different states that prohibit gender-affirming treatment for youth and inflict penalties on healthcare professionals who provide care for gender-diverse clients. This is problematic in many ways with GAC because gender-affirming care does not have the goal of treating the client but listening to the client to create a safe environment that allows them to safely ask questions, explore themselves and their emotions, all while getting the care that is needed. Having this care has presented that gender-affirming care does yield lower rates of anxiety, depression, suicide, and substance use for clients.
GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE AT WELLMINDED:
Child looking at wall art that states “Believe in yourself”.
If you’re looking for support on your journey with gender, you’re at the right place! WellMinded Counseling therapy services create a safe, welcoming, and empowering environment to have clients’ voices be heard, identities supported, and encourage exploration. Working with a therapist can help you feel supported and validated with all gender-affirming care needs.
Resources for Gender-Affirming Care:
In Colorado:
One Colorado’s gender diverse page for patients and families
Colorado’s guide to transgender health
Gender Affirming Care Billing Manual for Colorado
In General:
American Psychiatry Organization’s page on gender-affirming care
Learning resources for transgender and gender-diverse clients
OTHER COUNSELING SERVICES OFFERED AT WELLMINDED COUNSELING
Therapy for depression isn’t the only service we offer. WellMinded Counseling offers the following counseling services: