Abstract
Several developments over the last 10 years have brought profound changes for trans people in the UK and for their families and friends. While these changes are welcome, there is still much to be done and not all of society, including the therapeutic community, will have caught up with these changes. The trans community is part of an increasingly aging population in the UK, and it has faced, and is still facing, transphobia, discrimination, prejudice and social exclusion. This article seeks to review the literature that identifies the particular needs of trans people and their friends and families as they cope with the challenges of aging, including the death of a loved one or of friends and family. It explores how social exclusion, estrangement and isolation may make contact with bereavement counselling services all the more important for this community. But a history of rejection and prejudice may create a barrier, as potential trans clients remain defensive and wary of these services. Although there is little research on the subject, it is likely that the barriers to counselling will not be overcome unless therapists take action to reach out to this community and reassure them with their trans-affirmative practices.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes on contributor
Charlotte Hannah Thomas is a person-centred counsellor and psychotherapist based in Worthing, Sussex in the UK, working with both individuals and couples. She is a registered member of the BACP and also a member of the National Counselling Society. Charlotte holds a Higher Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling, an Advanced Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy (with Distinction) and a Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. She also studied Transactional Analysis for two years at Wealden College, Crowborough. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), a coach accredited by the Institute of Human Development, and an accredited Facilitator and Mediator. She also holds a Masters degree in Politics and Public Administration and a first degree in Philosophy.
Notes
1. Taken from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy Ethical Framework for Good Practice (2009).
2. ‘Generational replacement’ is probably taking place. This theory of social change assumes that people are less likely to adopt changes as they age. Social changes therefore become more widespread as younger people who grew up with the changes become a larger proportion of society.
3. For a full record of the legislative developments, and to anticipate further changes to come, see the guidance published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) (www.equalityhumanrights.com) and the Gender Identity Research and Education Society (GIRES; www.gires.org.uk).
4. UK Registered Psychotherapist, Consultant and Speaker on Gender Identity.
5. The journal of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
6. A directory of counsellors is provided at http://www.pinktherapy.com/en-us/findatherapist.aspx.
7. Details of all six documents are listed in Appendix 2.
8. The first is the work of FORGE, set up in Wisconsin in 1994. FORGE is unique because it includes the only Transgender Aging Network (TAN), and it is an important source of pioneering thought and action in the field led by Loree Cook-Daniels (e.g. Citation2001, Citation2002/2007, Citation2008). The second is the very recent work of Reicherzer et al. (Citation2011) on counselling transgender trauma survivors. The third US article is by Carroll et al. (Citation2002) and is perhaps the most challenging for counsellors, as it requires them to shift their thinking about gender identity from the traditional binary model to something far more fluid.
9. In 2000, after informal consultations with the Passport Section of the Home Office, ‘Press for Change’ estimated there were around 5000 transsexual people in the UK, based on numbers of those who had changed their passports. As of November 2006, 1660 people had already been awarded a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC).
10. See also the headline findings from the Home Office transgender surveys in 2011 and the ‘Advancing Transgender Equality’ Action Plan published in December 2011: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/85498/transgender-action-plan.pdf.
11. Count Me In Too; see Brown and Lim (Citation2009). See also Brown and Lim (Citation2008).
12. This is also called ‘post traumatic growth’, where a significant loss is sometimes a spur to personal growth.
13. With the usual safeguards to protect the confidentiality and anonymity of clients.
14. Baroness Julia Neuberger press notice, July 2013, for ‘More Care, Less Pathway’; see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-liverpool-care-pathway-for-dying-patients.
15. Caitlyn Jenner, in Vanity Fair, July 2015 edition; see http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/06/caitlyn-jenner-bruce-cover-annie-leibovitz.