Gender Identity and Transgender

Elder's (2016) "Experiences of Older Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Adults in Psychotherapy" is a qualitative study of gender identity in an elder population. The research focuses exclusively on elder transgender and also gender nonconforming elders in their experiences of psychotherapy. The goal of the study is to trace any differences between psychotherapeutic experiences across the life span, to see if there have been changes in the field of psychology and also changes in the perceptions of transgender and gender nonconforming individuals. Elder (2016) argues that relatively few studies have examined the experiences of transgender individuals in psychotherapy at all, and this research seeks to fill that gap in the literature too.

The author approaches the subject from a transaffirmative model, which validate and support the individual's self-determined gender identity without leading to pathologies like gender dysmorphia. There are several established theoretical viewpoints mentioned in the research including Lev's transgender emergence model, Fraser's combination of Jungian and narrative therapies, and some types of feminist psychotherapies. Moreover, Elder (2016) claims that transgender people experience disproportionate levels of harassment and discrimination, making new research on the topic an imperative. Some of the issues that transgender people address in psychotherapy are not related to gender identity at all, including career choices, and struggles with relationships or the aging process.

The sample in this research was ten individuals between the ages of 60 and 83 who self-identified as "transgender, transsexual, crossdresser, intersex, or gender nonconforming," (Elder, 2016, p. 181). The stipulations for inclusion in the study included their having at least one experience in psychotherapy of any type, regardless of their gender identity at the time of that encounter. Participants were informed that the research was being conducted from a transaffirmative standpoint. Interestingly, two of the participants were also psychotherapists. The methods used in this research were semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions that allowed the participants to elaborate.

Data analysis consisted of coding the interview results into different themes. A six-phase thematic analysis process was used for the coding, and three main categories emerged: experiences in therapy both healing and painful, life experiences of all types, and recommendations for both transgender or gender nonconforming clients and for their therapists. All total ten themes and 39 sub-themes were identified in the results. Nine of the ten participants reported some healing and transaffirmative experiences in therapy, but all of them also reported that their first experience in psychotherapy was hurtful, negative and transphobic. All of the participants also noted that they had noticed changes in psychotherapy, and that therapy has become more open minded and less judgmental and not as concerned with finding a "cure" to the "problem" of nonconforming gender identities. All participants reported experiencing some kind of abuse or discrimination in their personal lives, and all also used community resources to build pride and resilience. In fact, all of the participants suggested that support groups become one of the most important resources for transgender and gender nonconforming persons.