Therapy/Therapist Bias

Therapists are called to provide affirming and culturally competent care for trans clients; however, various biases about gender diversity and trans identities can interfere with the delivery of truly affirming mental health care for trans people. Cisnormativity, or the false assumption that all people have gender identities that match their sex assigned at birth, can lead to several biases and barriers to the mental health care that trans people receive. Anti-trans prejudice also affects the negative attitudes, beliefs, and stereotypes that people may have about trans and gender-diverse people. Given such misconceptions about gender, therapists may also hold various biases about gendered roles, gendered expressions, and gendered identities of trans and gender-diverse people. Furthermore, many therapists report lacking knowledge of trans communities, awareness of their ...