ACTing As Yourself: Implementing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Transgender Adolescents Through a Developmental Lens

Abstract

Transgender adolescents are at an increased risk for mental health concerns including depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, and truancy. Transgender youth are especially vulnerable to victimization and bullying, often exacerbating mental health symptoms. Furthermore, typical adolescent developmental milestones as well as the unique developmental experiences of transgender adolescents make growth and identity development challenging. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a third-wave cognitive therapy that focuses on acceptance, values-driven decisions, and committed action. Practitioners’ use of ACT has demonstrated effectiveness with at-risk adolescents and allows for transgender adolescent clients to gain more skills and support throughout their personal journey. In this article, we provide a case illustration and application of ACT with a transgender adolescent and also explore the developmental needs and considerations of this population in need.

Keywords:

• transgender
• adolescents
• acceptance and commitment therapy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interests were reported by the authors.