Gender Identity
Assessment and Treatment for transgender, gender queer, and gender questioning individuals
The goal of the assessment and treatment process is to ensure the provision of high quality, non-judgmental, and supportive counseling services for patients, their families and/or significant others; to ensure effective interdisciplinary communication and teamwork with other providers whom the client wishes to see; and to identify supports and barriers to positive healthcare outcomes.
Purpose of assessment
The purpose of the gender assessment process includes the following six factors:
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To facilitate the well-being, empowerment, and support of the patient;
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To highlight the experience of gender dysphoria as defined by WPATH and SBHC;
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To facilitate appropriate referrals for behavioral health, psychiatric, medical and/or surgical interventions as indicated, and if the patient is seeking medical intervention(s), to make an assessment of the patient’s behavioral health and psychosocial readiness for these medical intervention(s);
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To clarify the presence of psychiatric or psychosocial stressors which could interfere with the patient’s ability to engage in treatment;
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To identify with the patient any issues which could be addressed in on-going behavioral health treatment;
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To assess the patient’s ability to make informed decisions about their care..
Individual differences
Every evaluation is done on a case-by-case basis. These assessments include exploration of and discussions about: assessing a patient’s ability to provide informed consent regarding medical care; the history and current experience of gender dysphoria; relationships and sexuality relevant to gender/gender dysphoria; any psychiatric and/or reported medical co-morbidities; social transition; safety assessment; support system; future goals; further gender-affirming surgical options; and provision of information.
