Trans-centered Clinical Social Work: Exploring Cissexism and Use of Self in Trans-Affirming Care

Recorded Webinar
Instructor: Damon Constantinides, M.S.W., Ph.D.
CEs: 1.5 CEs 
Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: Social workers and other social service providers.
Course Delivery Method and Format: Recorded webinar, self study. All courses are hosted on SmithOnline. Login information will be emailed immediately after registration to the email address entered during registration.
System Requirements: Attendees will need access to a computer with internet and the capability to play recorded videos.

Date of original webinar: Wednesday, January 27, 2021

This workshop will introduce trans-centered care as an active model of practicing towards a world that centers justice and healing. Trans-centered care challenges therapists to shift foundational perspectives of gender that are rooted in mainstream Western culture, to create a clinical experience for transgender and gender non-conforming people (TGNC) that centers and lifts their own experiences and realities. Participants will be asked to practice personal reflection and curiosity regarding their own gendered experience and gender identity. We will also discuss use of self as a therapeutic tool and take a deep dive into cissexism both as a concept and an action. Knowing and understanding your own gender story provides an essential tool to identifying counter-transference when working with TGNC clients. Cissexism is an often unexamined part of each of our gender stories for both TGNC and cisgender social workers. Cissexism refers to the cultural belief that cisgender identities are normal and TGNC identities are other. It’s a belief woven into the fabric of our culture and shows up in our clinical spaces. Seeing and identifying cissexism allows social workers to create spaces and services that are truly trans-centered and affirming. This workshop is for clinicians of all gender identities and centers trans voices and experiences.

Registration Fee and Deadline:

$35 (one time registration fee of $5) | Ongoing 

Learning Objectives:

1. Define trans-centered care, cissexism, and cissexual privilege.
2. Name two ways that cissexism has shown up in their own practice.
3. List three resources to support them in providing trans-centered care.

Outline:

• Why trans-centered care?
• Location of self
  • Three assumptions when using self
• TGNC-affirmative practice
• TGNC-centered psychotherapy
• Cissexism
  • Cissexual vs cisgender
  • Cissexual privilege
  • Gendering
  • Cissexual assumption
  • Cissexual gender entitlement
  • Cissexual birth privilege
  • Cisgender privilege checklist
• Revisiting trans-centered care
• Reflection

Instructor Biography:

Damon Constantinides has a private therapy practice in Philadelphia, PA on colonized land of the Lenape people. He is a white, queer, trans man from a mixed working-class and middle-class background. In his private practice Constantinides provides individual and relationship therapy and supervision. He is faculty for the Advanced Certificate in Trans-Affirming Therapy for Transgender Communities at Widener University and co-author of Sex Therapy with Erotically Marginalized Clients: Nine Principles of Clinical Support.