Working With Families With a Gender Non-Conforming Child
Moderator:
Rupert Raj, MA, Counselling Psychology, Psychotherapist, LGBT Services, Sherbourne Health
Centre, Toronto
Presenters:
Solomon Shapiro, MD, Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto; Head, Gender and Sexual Orientation Service Hincks-Dellcrest Centre, Toronto
Joan Wiley, President, Trans Parent Canada, St. Catharines
Geremy Vincent, Toronto
Parents of gender dissonant (aka gender nonconforming, gender-variant, gender-divergent, genderanormative, etc.) children face tremendous barriers in finding effective and culturally competent therapy and support for children and families. Few therapists have any experience working with gender dissonant children. There has been very little clinical research done on how to provide clinically and culturally competent care to gender dissonant children and their families.
This workshop will present a model for providing therapeutic support for gender dissonant children and
their families. The workshop will feature four speakers. Two clinicians, Rupert Raj and Dr. Soloman Shapiro,
will present their approach to providing therapy and support to gender dissonant children and their families.
Joan Wiley, the mother of a trans youth, will present her perspective and the most effective types of services and supports that she received as the parent of a gender dissonant child, and now provides to other parents. Finally our fourth panelist, an adult who in their childhood and youth was identified as gender dissonant, will discuss their perspective on effective supports and services.
