ISTSS Webinar: Trauma and Minority Stress among TGD Communities
The Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity (SOGD) SIG of ISTSS hosted a panel in honor of International Transgender Day of Visibility (celebrated annually on March 31st). Despite increased risk of trauma exposure among transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals, this community is often underrepresented in trauma and PTSD research. However, a growing field of work focuses on the overlapping psychological experiences following trauma exposure and minority stress and how these experiences can be addressed in treatment. Join our panel presentation to learn more about the intersection between trauma exposure and experiences of distal (e.g., victimization, discrimination) and proximal (e.g., internalized stigma, anticipated rejection) minority stressors among TGD individuals. The panel featured diverse, multidisciplinary, and international perspectives from experts in the field.
Panelists:
Colleen A. Sloan, Ph.D. (She/her) is a clinical psychologist at VA Boston Healthcare System and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Sloan is involved both locally and nationally in education, training, and consultation in sexual and gender minority (SGM) health. She has expertise in treatment for trauma-related problems and emotion dysregulation including Prolonged Exposure and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Her research interests involve SGM health disparities and the utilization and modification of evidence-based psychotherapies, particularly trauma-focused treatments, when working with SGM clients.
Augustus Klein, Ph.D., (He/him) is a research scientist at the Hunter Alliance for Research and Translation and oversees their Transgender Health Research Initiative. Dr. Klein’s empirical research program is informed by over 20 years of experience as a community-based social worker. He conducts community-engaged, practice-driven research with an emphasis on studying the effects of, and reducing, stigma and discrimination at the structural, interpersonal, and individual level for transgender and gender diverse individuals.
Danielle S. Berke, Ph.D. (She/her) is an assistant professor of psychology at Hunter College and The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. She directs the gender based violence research laboratory, which focuses on the conduct of research on pathways to healing from traumatic victimization of women and sexual and gender minority survivors. In her clinical practice and supervision, she specializes in the culturally-tailored delivery of evidence based PTSD treatment.
Román Ronzón-Tirado, M.A. (He/him) is a PhD candidate at the Autonomous University of Madrid (Spain) in the department of clinical and health psychology. His research encompasses the identification of adverse interpersonal processes, such as childhood maltreatment, Intimate partner violence and politicization in Latinx and LGBTQ+ populations.
Nicholas A. Livingston, Ph.D. - Moderator - (He/him) is a Research Psychologist in the National Center for PTSD, Behavioral Science Division, and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine. Areas of clinical and research expertise include minority stress and LGBTQ+ health, trauma and PTSD, and substance use.
Additional Resources:
Livingston, N.A., Berke, D., Scholl, J., Ruben, M., & Shipherd, J. (2020). Addressing diversity in PTSD treatment: Clinical considerations and guidance for the treatment of PTSD in LGBTQ populations. Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry. Epub ahead of print. doi: 10.1007/s40501-020-00204-0
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7223966/
Shipherd, J., Berke, D., Livingston, N.A. (2019). Trauma recovery in the transgender and gender diverse (TGD) community: Extensions of the minority stress model for treatment planning. Cognitive & Behavioral Practice, 26(4), 629-646. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpra.2019.06.001
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-41894-001
Livingston, N.A., Berke, D.S., Ruben, M.A., Matza, A.R., Shipherd, J.C. (2019). Experiences of trauma, discrimination, microaggressions, and minority stress among trauma-exposed LGBT veterans: Unexpected findings and unresolved service gaps. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 11(7), 695-703. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/tra0000464
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30998062/
ISTSS blog post:
https://istss.org/public-resources/trauma-blog/2022-march/increasing-visibility-of-transgender-and-gender-di
Sloan, C. A., Berke, D. S., & Shipherd, J. C. (2017). Utilizing a dialectical framework to inform conceptualization and treatment of clinical distress in transgender individuals. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 48(5), 301–309. https://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000146
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-29287-001
Book Chapter: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315390505-8/dialectical-behavior-therapy-treatment-option-complex-cases-gender-dysphoria-colleen-sloan-danielle-berke