EPISODE 111: A Deep Dive into Gender Affirmation Therapy
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- čas přidán 27. 07. 2024
- Until recently, in many parts of Europe, and currently in the United States and Canada, the affirmative model of care is the primary practice in place for working with gender-nonconforming and gender-diverse youth and children. In this episode, Stella and Sasha put some intention into a deeper exploration of what affirmation therapy is exactly. They take time flushing out not just what it is but also facilitate consideration of what it means and what it achieves. Together they reflect on where the concept of affirming therapy came from, how it evolved into its current practice, when a clinician follows the affirmation model, how does that look in practice, and what are the implications?
Sasha and Stella also explore varying types of therapy, both similar to and in contrast to the fundamental premise of the affirmative approach, what they think about it, and does it actually offer any context for a comprehensive therapeutic process in the name of care?
Links:
More on Carl Rogers' Approach to Psychology here (many of his theories seem to underpin the affirmation only model):
www.simplypsychology.org/carl...
Live Stream Event from the Genspect Conference: The Bigger Picture
Friday, April 28, 2023 at 11am(PT) / 2pm(ET) / 7pm(IT)
/ @widerlenspod
NEW Sponsor - GETA
Gender Exploratory Therapy Association
www.genderexploratory.com/
GETA Workshop: Gender Trouble, Authoritarianism, and the Flight from Womanhood
Saturday, April 22, 2023 - 6 pm‒7:30 pm(ET)
www.genderexploratory.com/wp-...
Sasha’s CZcams
/ @sashalpc
Genspect Conference: The Bigger Picture
genspect1.telltix.com/events/...
Stella’s Book: What Your Teen is Trying to Tell You
www.stellaomalley.com/whatyour...
Stella on Benjamin Boyce w/ Eliza Mondegreen
The Dangerous Radicalization of Gender Rhetoric | with Stella O’Malley & Eliza Mondegreen
• The Dangerous Radicali...
Critical Therapy Antidote (CTA) book, Sasha & Stella contributing authors
Cynical Therapies: Perspectives on the Antitherapeutic Nature of Critical Social Justice
www.amazon.com/Cynical-Therap...
APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice With Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People
www.apa.org/practice/guidelin...
Embracing a Gender-Affirmative Model for Transgender Youth: A growing number of individuals disclosing their transgender identities underscores the need for competent care for this population
www.instapaper.com/read/15947...
LGBT Affirmative Therapy: Tips for creating a more lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, & queer inclusive practice from the AAMFT Queer Affirmative Caucus
www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/hdfs/d...
If you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:
GWL Episode Playlist
“Conversations about Medical Interventions & Gender”
• Playlist
GWL Episode Playlist
“Top Episodes for Therapists Working with Gender-Questioning”
• Top Episodes for Thera...
GWL Episode Playlist
“GIDS at the Tavistock”
• GIDS at the Tavistock
GWL Episode Playlist
“The Dutch Studies”
• The Dutch Studies
Please visit www.widerlenspod.com to explore more content, access additional resources, or join our listener community.
To learn more about our sponsors, visit:
GETA: www.genderexploratory.com/
ReIME: rethinkime.org/
Genspect: genspect.org/
Sasha Ayad: inspiredteentherapy.com/paren...
Stella O’Malley: www.stellaomalley.com/parent-c...
Chapters
00:00 Start of the show
12:26 Shout out to GETA, our new sponsor
14:08 What exactly is the "Gender Affirmative Model"?
17:08 Mental health, Identity, and Medicine
20:00 Carl Rogers' influence on therapy
24:35 The activist component of the "Affirmative Model"
28:59 Therapeutic Process vs. Therapeutic Support
34:54 What are the assumptions in the Affirmative Model?
53:12 The influence of "positivity culture"
58:10 What is happening in therapist trainings
I do not appreciate a therapist who sits back, letting me talk, giving me some homework then next session asking me to explain what I found out about myself. As you say, I did really like, and still do like any therapist, pretty much that I see. After, really, not realizing any significant improvement, I would conclude that it was pleasant and costly.
I don't have any friends I can confide in enough to get feedback, so I laughingly tell my therapist that she is my hired friend who I am paying to give me feedback; I expect that; I want that. I can have, and do have, conversations with myself all day long, and for years. But there is no differential feedback; I have a hard time moving from the chair I am in, to the chair in front of me, then back again, and getting any quality unbiased feedback from a perspective other than my own; I do not need therapist led sessions to do that.
Good discussion you are presenting here.
Thank You,
Aeron
thanks Aeron
I loved when Sasha said that Stella didn't get tiktok to "observe". That was such a therapist comment. Most people would've said "watch". Haha!❤
haha! Good catch :)
Every chance I get, I try to tell people about this podcast. I try to truly emphasize that, guys, it's not hateful and toxic as sometimes some conservatives sound when then talk about this subject. You ladies have a truly unbiased, scientific approach. So even in my sometimes admittedly toxic online arguments, I have enough self awareness to say, 'and if you want to get a more neutral, scientific, and open discussion on the topic of gender, trans, etc., go check this podcast out.' I hope a percentage of those people do end up seeking your podcast.
The was an insidious cultural shift that kinda closed in on us out of nowhere. It feels like it started about 13 years ago, but then somewhere between 2015-2017, it absolutely overtook the world. And I will say, BECAUSE Republicans are sometimes dismissive of topics of inclusion and kindness, just giving this blanket term of "woke," liberals (having the empathy they usually do) took the extreme hard stance to absolutely support trans and try to quickly equate this topic to being similar to racism (I'm black, I should know), sexism, and other *ACTUAL* discrimination.
Both sides have it wrong. Somewhere in all this we forgot that it's not a thing to hate OR support, as if it's some right. It's a MENTALL ILLNESS. It's something these people need help on, not altering reality (and the way the rest of us have to address their reality) to fit what's unfortunately a delusion or fantasy in their own minds. In the way I couldn't just declare that my arm is actually now a leg, and that's how I feel, and that's how the rest of you will address it, something as fundamentally binary and scientific as someone's gender/sex (99.999% of the time) can't just be subjectively changed cause someone felt like it. For the few adults in which a sex change (remember when we called it that) is truly the solution for their gender dysphoria, they have nothing but my support.
BTW, I'm a rapper. I will eventually rap on this topic and I think that will be yet another way for this issue to be addressed, *RATIONALLY* . It'll be on my channel here. Thank you for your time, and your podcast.
that means a lot to us, thank you!
@@widerlenspod Sure, anytime. I truly feel if people were more level-headed and reasonable as you guys were, this truly wouldn't be an issue. But again, I sum this all up as - one side generally lacks empathy, while one side's empathy is so extreme, they mistake a condition, as if it were some 'right' to be defended. Each side fuels the other, where there's very few people like who can be objective about it.
I think maybe you should avoid speaking on this if you aren't in the community or have friends or people in your life that are trans. It's very easy to sit back on the internet and do research and think you know the explanation for an entire group of people, but reality is much more nuanced than that. I appreciate you not hating us though, that's definitely helpful lol.
@@Snailshroom No.
People shouldn't shy away from talking about topics unless they're a part of some ingroup. This idea that only certain people get to talk is really regressive. Especially as the issues affect all of us in terms of education, medicine, prison, sport etc.
The exceptionalism around trans identity really needs to stop.
If we took this approach of you can't speak unless you know someone then we wouldn't say a word about history for example. Empathy, compassion, logic are open to all.
You're literally saying that an opinion is or isn't valid not on the evidence or argument but on who they know or what group they belong to. That's just all kinds of wrong.
What do you mean by "the few adults" regarding getting transition therapy? You say they "need help" and then don't elaborate. This is a matter of bodily autonomy. Do you think it's okay for doctors to mutilate and kill developing babies in the womb because women pay them to? Because if you do, then what business do you think you have telling adults they can't take hormones or have surgery? Unlike abortion, this is a legitimate example of the saying my body my choice.
Fascinating. Ithink your discussion can be summerised as explaining 'affirmation mission creep'. It reflects the insidious, wider impact of gender ideology.
great summary!
I remember Stella running into this question of whether we have Samaritans in the US before ~ perhaps in a calmversation?
What you call Samaritans we refer to as suicide prevention hotlines, I think. 🇺🇸🤘
Excellent conversations, thank you for all your work!
Oh wow. You guys have been at this for awhile. I just now got algorithm 'd to you...🐿
We are so happy you found us! Enjoy your hours to come of catching up!
Fascinating conversation!
"Affirmation" is probably not the best term. Even with the issue with the mass false understanding of positivity, even the idea of "positive affirmations" servers as a prefixing term to denoted specific arbitrariness rather then first-party agreement, as appeasement. (Which gives you the issue/understanding/perception of the following.)
I'd imagine you'd want to _affirm_ select or seemingly minor details as a base and from there continue to affirm proper things in a strict technical manner, as well as affirming the perceptions thereof others may have without necessarily their correctness. That would apply the same way for meaningfulness, etc. (Though avoiding being patronizing by dismissing actual lack thereof; where something external would need gained or available.)
""" Empathy is not sympathy, it is understanding; and understanding requires no prostration. "Understanding" itself is misunderstood for appeasing submission, thus empathy is misrepresented as such to hang feelings with guilt. Submission is fine depending circumstances, but appeasement is a manipulation and abusive. The most "positive" usage of appeasement is "Altruistic Betrayal" -- appeasing to gain their trust, with the intention of betraying that trust to help them in hopes they forgive you, or if not you, at least does not jade them; it is a very dangerous, "playing with fire," technique. Common appeasement is usually out of fear and danger, or not wanting to have to deal with someone/something. """
The issue is that the "affirmers" have controlled the language. It's like how they call actual therapy "conversion therapy".
It really reminds me of the bolsheviks calling themselves the majority (bolsheviks) and the opposition the minority (mensheviks) even though that wasn't true to the point where it was actually the opposite way round.
I can't help feel given the huge number of same-sex attracted ppl being transitioned that the "affirmative model" is closer to conversion therapy.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!
Its a little echoey in your new house. Maybe a new microphone, maybe a quilt wall hanging...
Sasha's room, it sounds like. Although I'm less sensitive to it than ^ I think.
A lavalier mic can help reduce echo
Thanks
Thanks Paulo!
I am struggling with this. As an autistic I don't understand subterfuge. I know it happens, but I don't understand it.
Here's a list re: "gender affirmative care": 1) Diane Ehrensaft, Ph.D.: Ehrensaft is a developmental and clinical psychologist who has written extensively on the topic of gender-affirmative care. Her book, "The Gender Creative Child: Pathways for Nurturing and Supporting Children Who Live Outside Gender Boxes" (2016), has been influential in shaping the discourse around gender-affirmative care.
2) Johanna Olson-Kennedy, MD: Olson-Kennedy is a pediatrician specializing in the care of transgender and gender-nonconforming youth. She has authored numerous research articles on the topic, including "Management of the Transgender Adolescent" (2011) and "Mental Health of Transgender Children Who Are Supported in Their Identities" (2016).
3) Julie Graham, M.Ed., LPC, and Edgardo Menvielle, MD, MSHS: Graham and Menvielle are known for their work in developing the Gender and Family Project at the Ackerman Institute for the Family. Their article, "The Gender Affirmative Model: What We Know and What We Aim to Learn" (2011), provides an overview of the model and its applications.
4) Kristina Olson, Ph.D.: Olson is a psychologist and researcher whose work has focused on the experiences of transgender children. Her study, "Prepubescent Transgender Children: What We Do and Do Not Know" (2016), examines the development of gender identity in young children and supports a gender-affirmative approach.
5) Colt Keo-Meier, Ph.D., and Diane Ehrensaft, Ph.D.: In their book, "The Gender Affirmative Model: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Supporting Transgender and Gender Expansive Children" (2018), Keo-Meier and Ehrensaft provide a comprehensive overview of the gender-affirmative model and its applications across various disciplines.
What are your conclusions from these authors?
❤
It sounds like a new religion.
100%
Yeah, praise the insanity!
It is.
Precisely!
I think Stella's take on hidden meaning misses the point a bit. Everything we see is a reflection of the value we place on it. If we don't value it, we don't see it and classify it as an obstacle. The whole world is compeised of things of value (tools and resources) and obstacles.
Freud's cigar was 'a smoke' to Freud and testament of his dominance to his accolite. Both were applying value to it, since both were aware it was there.
No idea how insurance decides what to cover but it seems to me you are being coerced into prescribing hormones or medical procedures as the only treatment option that a patient has.
I’m sorry but every piece of this feels like the motivations are financial. From medicalizing a young person to chopping off body parts.
That's because it is financially motivated.
@@horseluv7315 So is abortion. Do you want it banned?
@@morganm4768 - You are comparing applies to oranges.
@@horseluv7315 Actually no, because A: The abortion industry is also financially lucrative. Very much so, which was the very point you brought up. And B: the subject relates to bodily autonomy. Who the hell are you to dictate what an adult does with their body when you think mutilating and unborn baby is fine? You don't get to pick and choose bodily autonomy when it suits you. Abortion isn't even "my body my choice", because it involves a fetus with it's own cells and own DNA. At least transitioning is an actual example of my body my choice. You're a complete and utter hypocrite.
The very idea that a child that doesn't know how to say the word "dress" can show they are identifying as a girl by "making" a dress is ludicrous beyond belief.
It's based on an easily disprovable idea that clothing is inherently gendered.
A while ago I was at a historical reenactment (Romans v Carthaginians) and my landlord who was taking part said to me, you'll spot us because we're the only ones not wearing skirts (Celtic Mercenaries). I assume these clowns think the Roman Empire conquered and controlled so much territory due to brave trans warriors.
There are elements of this ideology that reek of sexism and trying to convert kids into adhering to Western/American gender roles.
Clothing is gendered. Most men don't wear dresses. They look ridiculous.
Critical theory is cynical.
The Scientific - Socratic method is skeptical.
seem to be missing the point here