Happy Transgender Awareness Week!
What is Transgender Awareness Week?
Let’s Spill the Tea! In honor of Transgender Awareness Week, I wanted to write a blog that has resources regarding gender and what this week means. This week is a time to honor transgender folks and increase visibility and community. Near the end of the week, there is Transgender Day of Rememberance, honoring and celebrating trans folks who have been killed due to violence in the last year. I don’t know if y’all know this, but last year the numbers were the highest in history of Transgender folks being killed. What I did last year on this day was, sat in silence, lit a candle, I bought flowers, and reflected on this last year. As a sex therapist in Minneapolis who supports and works with several trans and gender expansive folks, last year was excruciatingly hard for my clients. They were grieving, trying to process this with me as their sex therapist in Minneapolis, and often felt gut wrenching pain. If you are wanting to create a ritual on this day, which is tomorrow, Saturday, November 20th, I encourage you to do so and reflect on what this means. To know more information about this week, I encourage you to check out GLAAD’s website here. Last year, I watched the Netflix Documentary, Disclosure, and this was absolutely fantastic to learn how Hollywood portrays trans and gender expansive folks in television, media, and film. There was a lot I thought I knew about Transgender History and this documentary highlighted a lot of things that not even I, a sex therapist in Minneapolis knew at the time. For educators, therapists in Minneapolis, healthcare workers, doctors, school counselors, or other lifelong learners, I am begging you to please take 90 to 120 minutes - if you need a bathroom break like me - out of your day and watch this film.
I’m a Therapist in Minneapolis, MN, What can I do?
Bitch, did you not just read my last sentence?? LOL Jk Jk!! I love you and the fact that you’re a boss-ass therapist in Minneapolis too and want to know more! I got you! I love the fact that you’re probably a LGBTQ Friendly Therapist, maybe a Mental Health Counselor in Minneapolis, or even pursuing sex therapy or are a Gender Therapist in MN. Here are some tips…
Watch Disclosure and Reflect on this film, maybe even journal about it or watch with someone and have a conversation about it.
Use Gender Inclusive language and practice pronouns in allllll situations! Pronouns 101 is important to practice and know. Check out my blog here: Pronouns 101 for more information on what I mean here.
If you’re working with Trans and Gender expansive folks, consult with a Trans Therapist with Lived Experience. Why? That’s going to be someone who you want to talk about on how to best help your clients because of the lived experience they have. They may also be a sex therapist in Minneapolis or practice sex therapy in another state.
Read, read, read!! Read, listen, & learn. As a sex therapist in Minneapolis, I know I’m a forever learner. I’d be willing to bet most therapists in Minnesota would agree with that statement too. It is important we are updated with resources, readings, and trainings. Maybe your next training or CEU is about Trans and Gender expansive folks, ESPECIALLY if they’re on your caseload and you haven’t done the work. If you haven’t, refer out, you’re going to be looking for the client’s best interest at heart at the end of the day. It’s not for Trans folks and gender expansive folks to educate us as therapists practicing therapy in Minneapolis. Nope!
Challenge others to do the same! Teachers, Coaches, Educators, Doctors, Physical Therapists, OBGYN’s, EVERYONE, and even Therapists in Minneapolis, please challenge others to do the same. You don’t know who’s life you might be saving by doing so, honestly, check out the numbers on that blog I included from the Trevor Project here.
What Resources do you Recommend as a Sex Therapist in Minneapolis?
Ahhh I love you, seriously, can I give you a hug? Let’s go!! I love me some books, especially on Audible, and free ones on Libby. Here are some books I recommend about Gender to check out…
Workbooks
The Gender Quest Workbook: A Guide for Teens and Young Adults Exploring Gender Identity
You and Your Gender Identity: A Guide to Discovery
LGBTQ+ Youth: A Guided Workbook to Support Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
For Clinicians
Transgender History, Second Edition: The Roots of Today's Revolution
Lighter Reading aka Shorter Books
Beyond the Gender Binary (Pocket Change Collective)
The New Queer Conscience (Pocket Change Collective)
Continuum (Pocket Change Collective)
Some of my Fave Reads
All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto
He Said, She Said: Lessons, Stories, and Mistakes from My Transgender Journey
Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love
Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality
I hope this information about Transgender Awareness Week and Transgender Rememberance Day! Please feel free to share this information with other therapists in Minneapolis, friends, family members, educators, coaches, teachers, doctors, physicians, and more! Therapists in Minneapolis thank you for reading this. For more information regarding Pronouns 101 and Gender, don’t forget to check out this blog here!! If you know of anyone that is seeking Sex Therapy Services in Minneapolis, Minnesota, feel free to pass along this information to them today! If you are seeking help with sex therapy, couples therapy, self-esteem, LGBTQIA+ & Gender-Affirming care, or anxiety, you can read more about how I can help by clicking here! If you are a therapist seeking consultation on any of these topics or want to know what it takes to open your open private practice then click here for more information on how I can help you today!
Stay Shameless
