Exploring cisgender therapists' attitudes towards, and experience of, working with trans people in the United Kingdom
Mollitt, Paul Christopher ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1284-7412
(2022)
Exploring cisgender therapists' attitudes towards, and experience of, working with trans people in the United Kingdom.
Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 22
(4)
.
pp. 1013-1029.
ISSN 1746-1405
[Article]
(doi:10.1002/capr.12559)
Abstract
Objectives
Research suggests therapists may be lacking the skills and experience to work with the trans population and may hold a range of personal and professional views about trans people, in line with wider society. The aim of this study is to understand attitudes that qualified cisgender UK therapists have towards this client group, how equipped they feel to work with them and to identify gaps in training and experience.
Design
A mixed-methods, concurrent nested design was used.
Methods
Data were generated via an online survey. Quantitative data were analysed alongside a reflexive thematic analysis.
Results
The politicisation of trans identities has created a toxic debate that has left therapists confused about their professional and personal stance, but there is an earnest attempt to understand this. Therapists are generally supportive of trans people and a majority have worked with this community, but a significant minority of these therapists could be said to hold transphobic views or working practices. Therapists feel ill-equipped to work with the trans community and are fearful of getting things wrong. Younger, more recently trained therapists are more comfortable working with gender identity, with older, “gender critical” and psychoanalytic therapists struggling the most.
Conclusions
The politicisation of trans identities has created a split in UK therapists, and work is necessary to ensure adequate training and ongoing reflexivity regarding personal biases. Clarity and reassurance are needed on the implications of the proposed conversion therapy ban, particularly on exploratory therapeutic work within an affirmative stance.
Item Type: | Article |
---|---|
Sustainable Development Goals: | |
Theme: | |
Keywords (uncontrolled): | Psychiatry and Mental health, Applied Psychology, Clinical Psychology |
Research Areas: | A. > School of Science and Technology C. Collaborative Partners > Metanoia Institute |
Item ID: | 36595 |
Depositing User: | Jisc Publications Router |
Date Deposited: | 18 Oct 2022 09:09 |
Last Modified: | 19 Oct 2022 10:17 |
URI: | https://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/id/eprint/36595 |
Actions (login required)
![]() |
View Item |
Statistics
Additional statistics are available via IRStats2.