Eli Nealy, author of Working with Transgender Children and Youth: Cultivating Pride and Joy with Families in Transition, will be giving a special day-long presentation of his work as part of South Shore Sexual Health Center’s Sex Therapy Skills Training Week. 

This training moves beyond the basics of gender identity/expression and early transition tasks to explore more complex challenges working with trans and gender diverse youth and their families. Topics include assessment of gender diversity vs. transgender identity, navigating adolescent developmental tasks such as dating, relationships, and sexual intimacy while trans, intersecting aspects of identity for trans youth of color, and dynamics of persistent dysphoria and body image. With increasing evidence pointing to family acceptance as the critical mediating variable for young adult wellbeing, clinical interventions are presented for cultivating increased understanding and support within families of trans youth. The role of the clinician's underlying beliefs and therapeutic stance is highlighted.