TRANSACTIVISM AS THERAPY: A Client SelfEmpowerment Model Linking Personal

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TRANSACTIVISM AS THERAPY A Client
Self-Empowerment Model Linking Personal Social
Agency

• Rupert Raj, M.A., Counseling Psychology
• LGBT Counsellor (Psychotherapist)
• Sherbourne Health Centre
• Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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Agenda

• Theoretical Drivers of the Model
• Practical Drivers of the Model
• Nuts Bolts of the Model
• Case Study Annabelle
• Types of Transactivism
• Therapist Transactivists
• Non-Therapist Transactivists
• Interactive Exercises

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Theoretical Drivers of the Model

• PSYCHODYNAMIC EXISTENTIAL THEORY
• ALFRED ADLER (Interconnectedness, Power)
• VIKTOR FRANKL (Meaning, Authenticity)
• ANNE VITALE (Gender Authenticity)

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Practical Drivers of the Model

• (TRANS)ACTIVIST THERAPIST AS FACILITATOR as role
  model mentor
• TRANS CLIENT AS SELF-EMPOWERER
• as individual (trans)person as (trans)
  community member

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Nuts Bolts of the Model

• Interconnectedness (Social Interest)
• Power
• Meaning
• Existential Authenticity
• Genderal Authenticity

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Nuts Bolts of the Model (contd)

• EMPOWERMENT personal trans-personal power
• AGENCY ability of individual to be an active
  agent of hir personal destiny
• Personal Agency Self-Advocacy
• Social Agency Community Activism

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Case Study Annabelle

• Two-Spirited Transwoman (20)
• Have been working with (then) pre-transitional
  client over past 2 1/2 years
• Paper of same name to be published in Journal of
  Gay Lesbian Psychotherapy (Issue 3/4 and also
  as a monograph Activism in LGBT Psychology) in
  November 2007

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Case Study Presenting Issues

• Multiple Mental Health Issues
• self-hatred
• poor body image
• PTSD
• ADHD
• depression
• anxiety
• psychotic episodes
• anger/rage
• substance use
• eating disorder
• self-harm
• suicidality

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Case Study Presenting Issues (contd)

• Gender Distress (GID)/Transsexualism
• Obesity
• Familial Rejection
• Abusive Mother/Unsafe Home Life
• Social Isolation

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Case Study Treatment Goals

• Facilitate Self-Empowerment
• (develop personal social power)
• Enhance Self-Esteem
• Be Safe/Access Housing
• Stabilize Mood
• Work Out Anger Rage
• Cease/Decrease Harmful Behaviours

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Case Study Treatment Goals (contd)

• To Transition (hormone therapy)
• Improve Body Image Lose Weight
• Make Supportive Friends
• Connect to Community (trans two-spirited)
• Re-Connect with Father Sisters
• Start Healing Process re Trauma

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Case Study Interventions

• CLIENT-CENTRED INTERDISCIPLINARY
• CARE PLAN
• Client
• Psychotherapist
• Psychiatrist
• Primary Care Physician
• Primary Care Nurse
• Client Resource Worker

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Case Study Interventions (contd)

• Therapist Self-Disclosure, Modelling Mentoring
• Encouragement
• Client Self-Esteem Building
• Skills Development re Self-Advocacy, Life,
  Interpersonal Social Skills
• Connecting the Dots between Personal Social
  Agency
• Re-channelling Righteous Rage re Transphobia
  into Empowering Advocacy Activism

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Case Study Interventions (contd)

• Skills Transfer between Self-Advocacy Community
  Activism
• Facilitation re Centres Trans Activities
  Trans Community Activism
• Individual Therapy
• Group Work
• Bibliotherapy
• Psychoeducational Workshops
• Overall Ongoing Therapeutic Support

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Case Study Interventions (contd)

• Psychiatric Assessment
• Psychotropic Medication Monitoring
• Female Hormone Therapy Monitoring
• Overall Ongoing Primary Care
• Linking up with Trans Community Groups
  One-on-One Peer-Supports
• Linking up with Housing Officer

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Case Study Treatment Outcomes

• Facilitating Self-Empowerment (developing
  personal social power)
• Enhancing Self-Esteem
• Becoming Safe/Accessed Transpositive Supportive
  Housing
• Stabilizing Mood
• Working Out Anger Rage
• Ceased/Decreasing Harmful Behaviours

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Case Study Treatment Outcomes (contd)

• Accessing Female Hormone Therapy
• Improving Body Image
• Making Supportive Friends
• Connecting with Trans Two-Spirited Communities
• Re-Connecting with Father 1 Sister

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Types of Transactivism

• Self-Advocacy
• Community Activism
• Political Activism
• Legal Activism
• Educational Activism
• Scientific Activism
• Religious Activism
• Art-as-Activism
• Therapy-as-Activism

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Some Key Transactivist Therapists

• Dallas Denny
• Gianna Israel (deceased)
• Matthias Kaay
• Zack Marshall
• Jude Patton
• Rupert Raj
• Hershel Russell
• Melanie Spritz, M.D.
• Reid Vanderburgh
• Anne Vitale
• Lukas Walther
• Julian Young
• autobiographical pieces
• trans research papers or other trans works
• Canadian

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Contact Information

• Sherbourne Health Centre
• 333 Sherbourne Street
• Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5A 2S5
• Tel [phone] fax [phone]
• www.sherbourne.on.ca
• Rupert Raj [phone]
• rraj_at_sherbourne.on.ca