Therapeutic Approaches to Counselling Trans and Gender Diverse Clients During the 2017 Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey: A Qualitative Study of the Effects of Stigma

The Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey (AMLPS), conducted between September and November 2017, has been identified as a time when trans and gender diverse (TGD) people experienced high levels of societal stigmatisation. This study enquired into the impacts of stigma on TGD people during the perio...

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Main Author: Gaby Mason
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia 2019-12-01
Series:Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.59158/001c.71105
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author Gaby Mason
author_facet Gaby Mason
author_sort Gaby Mason
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description The Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey (AMLPS), conducted between September and November 2017, has been identified as a time when trans and gender diverse (TGD) people experienced high levels of societal stigmatisation. This study enquired into the impacts of stigma on TGD people during the period of the 2017 AMLPS. Six experienced therapists reported the experiences of their TGD clients during this period, which included: an increased lack of safety, family ruptures, experiences of distress, and re-triggering of past traumas. This paper describes the approaches adopted by these therapists and documents the resources they drew upon to address the effects of stigma in their clients. Enquiry into approaches utilised by therapists revealed three themes: acknowledging the systems at play, promoting self-care, and working from a trauma-informed approach. The paper also outlines the impacts of structural and interpersonal stigma on TGD people and approaches to counselling reported in the literature when working with the effects of stigma.
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spelling doaj-art-0a8eddaba8c2472ba71be20633167b5a2025-08-20T02:01:23ZengPsychotherapy and Counselling Federation of AustraliaPsychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia2201-70892019-12-017210.59158/001c.71105Therapeutic Approaches to Counselling Trans and Gender Diverse Clients During the 2017 Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey: A Qualitative Study of the Effects of StigmaGaby MasonThe Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey (AMLPS), conducted between September and November 2017, has been identified as a time when trans and gender diverse (TGD) people experienced high levels of societal stigmatisation. This study enquired into the impacts of stigma on TGD people during the period of the 2017 AMLPS. Six experienced therapists reported the experiences of their TGD clients during this period, which included: an increased lack of safety, family ruptures, experiences of distress, and re-triggering of past traumas. This paper describes the approaches adopted by these therapists and documents the resources they drew upon to address the effects of stigma in their clients. Enquiry into approaches utilised by therapists revealed three themes: acknowledging the systems at play, promoting self-care, and working from a trauma-informed approach. The paper also outlines the impacts of structural and interpersonal stigma on TGD people and approaches to counselling reported in the literature when working with the effects of stigma.https://doi.org/10.59158/001c.71105
spellingShingle Gaby Mason
Therapeutic Approaches to Counselling Trans and Gender Diverse Clients During the 2017 Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey: A Qualitative Study of the Effects of Stigma
Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia
title Therapeutic Approaches to Counselling Trans and Gender Diverse Clients During the 2017 Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey: A Qualitative Study of the Effects of Stigma
title_full Therapeutic Approaches to Counselling Trans and Gender Diverse Clients During the 2017 Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey: A Qualitative Study of the Effects of Stigma
title_fullStr Therapeutic Approaches to Counselling Trans and Gender Diverse Clients During the 2017 Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey: A Qualitative Study of the Effects of Stigma
title_full_unstemmed Therapeutic Approaches to Counselling Trans and Gender Diverse Clients During the 2017 Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey: A Qualitative Study of the Effects of Stigma
title_short Therapeutic Approaches to Counselling Trans and Gender Diverse Clients During the 2017 Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey: A Qualitative Study of the Effects of Stigma
title_sort therapeutic approaches to counselling trans and gender diverse clients during the 2017 australian marriage law postal survey a qualitative study of the effects of stigma
url https://doi.org/10.59158/001c.71105
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