Supporting Trans and Non-Binary Clients with Transitioning

The main goal of the training is for participants to gain practical front-line skills related to supporting trans and non-binary clients with the difficult bureaucratic aspects of transitioning, and also strategies for emotionally supporting through this process.

The first part of the training is focused on supporting trans and non-binary clients with social transition. Some topics include:

• Gender questioning and exploration
• Fears related to transitioning
• Gender euphoria + celebration
• Strategies for addressing clinical uncertainty, overwhelm, and fear of making mistakes

The second part of the training is focused on system navigation. Topics include:

• Receiving and reviewing all forms needed to support trans clients with legal name and gender marker change in Ontario. These forms will be organized for easier to use with clients
• In class supported experience filling out these forms
• Basic understanding of physical transition options
• System navigation strategies for supporting clients with physical transition in Ontario, such as finding providers who will prescribe hormones or give surgical referral
• Emotionally supporting trans clients through legal and physical transition

This training was created through organizing my experiences supporting many trans and non-binary people over the years with social, legal and physical transition, and also navigating the systems myself.

Note: This is not a trans 101 training. It is assumed that participants will have basic trans + non-binary knowledge such as understanding that sex and gender are different things, knowing what “cisgender” means, and having some experience being able to successfully use they/them pronouns.

This training can also be conducted on another date for interested organizations. Please reach out to info@gavrelfeldman.ca to find out more.

About the trainer:

Gavrel Feldman, BA, M.Ed., Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) has been doing trans-specific education, consultation, advocacy and peer-support, for over 10 years. They have offered workshops to and with dozens of organizations within a variety of sectors including employment centres, unions, legal aid clinics, youth centres, high schools, universities, health care centres, and shelters. They run a small private psychotherapy practice with a focus on trans clients and our loved ones.

They acknowledge that those who come to trainings are there to learn, and offer a supportive and relaxed educational setting in which we are not judged for what we don't know. Infused with knowledge development, empathy building activities, small group discussions and individual reflection opportunities, this training intensive is meant for those who want to increase their capacity to support trans clients in concrete and tangible ways.