“Applying the ACA Transgender Competencies from a Humanistic Lens When Collaborating with Transgender Clients”

This workshop will support the development of awareness, knowledge, and skills to meet the needs of transgender clients. The presenters will discuss the American Counseling Association Competencies for Counseling with Transgender Clients (ACA, 2010) from a Humanistic psychology/counseling approach and how this perspective both assists with self-reflection of the practitioner as well as how it inform the counseling process and the therapeutic relationship. The ACA Competencies for Counseling with Transgender Clients represent a significant shift in the conversation with respect to the unique needs of people who are transgender in the mental health field. As practitioners, supervisors, and counselor educators, we are interested in finding creative ways to support both ourselves and those students and clinicians we interact with in finding meaningful and useful ways to apply the competencies in a variety of practical contexts, including the counseling relationship, counselor development, and supervision.