Being a sexual and/or gender minority in our current culture of cis-gender, hetero-normative privilege can be extremely marginalizing and stigmatizing.   Working with a provider who is culturally competent and affirming can be vital to feeling seen and heard and being able to therapeutically work through any internalized self-judgment and minority stress one may have. 

My Experience

My experience and expertise in working with this population includes identifying as part of the community and spending a good deal of my life advocating for equality, visibility, and inclusion for sexual and gender minorities.

I started the LGBT Program (AKA: the Support and Empowerment Program) at the SLC VAMC in 2009, during the time of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT), and have grown that program to a point where it is now nationally recognized as one of the top 10 VA LGBTQIA+ Programs in the Nation.   I also spearheaded and am now the VA program coordinator for the Gender Identity Veteran Experience (GIVE) Program, where we offer a wide range of services for transgender, gender non-binary, and intersex veterans. For or more information on these programs, please visit our VA LGBT & GIVE websites.

Outside of the VA system I facilitated the Adult Transgender Support Group through the Utah Pride Center for over 5 years and have worked closely with supportive and affirming organizations to advocate on behalf of sexual and gender minorities. I am a member of both the LGBTQ Affirmative Therapist Guild, and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). I feel very passionately about the importance of providing affordable, specialized/clinically competent care to this historically underserved population.  For more information on my qualifications, I am happy to share my CV.

Supportive and Affirming Organizations

The Utah Pride Center	U of U Transgender Health Program
Transgender Education Advocates	National LGBT Health Education Center
Genderbands	SAGE: for LGBT Elders
Mama dragons	Gender Identity Veteran Experience (GIVE)
Mormons Building Bridges	Veterans Affairs Medical Center LGBT Program
LGBTQ Affirmative Therapist Guild of Utah	Rebirth OB/GYN
Equality Utah

Resources

The following are organizational resources, books, movies, and youtube links that I will use regularly as supplemental material during the therapeutic process to deepen healing and growth opportunities: 

World Professional Association for Transgender Health, Standards of Care 7th Edition

The Transgender Guidebook: Keys to a successful transition By: Anne L Boedecker