Every part of our lives, whether we are aware of it or not, is touched by gender identity and the cultural and contextual meanings made of it. Just like a jigsaw puzzle, a person’s identity is composed of a number of intersectional elements or identity categories (Crenshaw, 1991), including gender, sexuality, religious background and ethnicity. While these are parts that an individual does not choose – these can prove to be challenging and anxiety-provoking when who we are is conceptualized by others / society as inadequate, problematic or in some way defective.

However, perhaps because of the very pervasive nature of gendered experience, reflexivity around one’s own gender identity is rarely covered in much depth in professional trainings. Instead, gender is often either taken for granted or otherwise felt to be the preserve of ‘experts’ who work with populations where questions of gender are understood to be the principal presenting problem.

Having identities that are problematized by others can create a feeling of discomfort about one’s self-perception – a condition that has been described as Identity Based Trauma (IBT). IBT can be experienced by anyone holding a salient (visible or invisible) trait that makes them a minority and for which they may experience discrimination, shaming and / or alienation.

The course pack has two aims: firstly, to deepen our understanding of gender in general, our own gendered identity and how it interacts with our client’s identity.  Secondly, to build our understanding of and ability to work with clients who are gender diverse.

This video resource pack contains two complete workshops (CPD hours: 8) that cover:

Through examples and case vignettes, this intellectually stimulating seminar explains both theoretical and practical approaches for working with Identity Based Trauma. By looking at specific examples of individuals belonging to gender and sexual minorities, the seminar explores:

Part 1:

How do we comprehend the societal structures that set the foundations of IBT and, by extension, internalised transphobia and homophobia

The mechanics of IBT: how does it originate, what does it feel like? How do we make sense of its relation to self-esteem, self-loathing, social anxiety and attachment styles?

What are the therapeutic pathways we need to follow to allow our clients gain authenticity without shame – the webinar specifically discusses 3rd wave cognitive behavioural therapy models like Compassion Focused Therapy (Gilbert, 2010) as well as somatic techniques

Overall, the seminar is aimed at not just enhancing our comprehension of IBT as therapists, but also equipping us with practical tools for working with IBT and its co-constructs.

Part 2:

Module 1: Understanding gender and cisgender identities

This is an introductory session that explores what gender is. We look at current theory and research on the psychology of femininities and masculinities and how our clients come to understand their gender identity.

Module 2: Exploring trans and gender nonconforming identities

Having identified the norms that govern cisgender identities we will look at other forms of gender identities, including transgender and other gender nonconforming classifications including non-binary identities.

Module 3: Unpacking the lived experience

Part of working affirmatively is having a clear understanding of the lived experience for gender diverse people.  We will look specifically at:

Medical frameworks – including NHS treatment pathways

Legal frameworks – what protections does the UK have for gender diverse people?

Social spaces – coming out, transition, sexuality and intimate relationships

Module 4: Compassion Focused Therapy and gender shame

The final session looks at the third wave CBT model of Compassion Focused therapy developed by Paul Gilbert and considers how it can be used effectively with gender diverse clients experiencing internalised transphobia and gender shame.