Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can present itself through intrusive, persistent doubts surrounding one's identity. This includes a presentation that has been referred to as Gender Identity OCD (GOCD), where obsessions focus on gender identity. Individuals with this manifestation experience relentless doubts and anxieties about their gender identity, leading to a constant cycle of rumination and […]

Presented by Dr. Stephen B. Levine. A casual first person discussion of the values, goals, content, and processes of the first contact with a family concerned about "what is going on here." The evaluation is a separate process prior to psychotherapy. Ideally, it informs the patient, family, and the future psychotherapist what reasonably should be […]

Unlike ordinary mistakes and errors that result in injury, and different from the painful but mundane interpersonal betrayals of trust in everyday life, moral injury captures the experience of institutional manipulation of beliefs and behaviors to coerce individuals into actions they ultimately find morally objectionable. As the harms of the gender affirming model for youth […]

The way a therapist thinks about a phenomenon such as gender dysphoria and transition informs how they will respond clinically. The belief that gender dysphoria is caused by a mismatch between one’s sex and internal sense of being male or female informs treatment approaches that emphasize social and medical transition as ways to reduce dysphoria […]

Exercise, diet, and sleep greatly impact brain health and, therefore, mood and functioning. In this webinar, several physiological mechanisms by which lifestyle behaviors can affect mental health will be discussed. For example, exercise increases dopamine and brain-derived neurotrophic factor; diet impacts glutamate, inflammation, and advanced glycation end products; and sleep directly affects glial cells. The […]

In July 2024, the Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry published a paper by Joanne Sinai, a Canadian psychiatrist, and Peter Sim, a retired lawyer, that reviewed the current mental health landscape for gender dysphoria. The paper argued that psychodynamic psychotherapy should be made available as a first-line treatment for gender […]

In this webinar, we explore the evolution of the concept of gender and gender identity, its treatment over the decades, and current controversies. We will examine the historical cohorts and treatment protocols of gender dysphoria. These will include the treatment protocols of the 80s and 90s (Canadian protocol), the subsequent protocols of the late 90s […]

This webinar will sketch some of the ideological antecedents of Queer Theory and its radical (re)conceptualization of gender, which many therapists and psychologists may not be aware of. In doing so, it will focus primarily on the postmodern critique of language and two of its most influential figures: Jacques Derrida and Michele Foucault, both of […]

As new executive orders in the United States aim to restrict access to transition-related medical interventions for youth under age 19, many gender dysphoric young people are experiencing fear, confusion, and uncertainty. This panel will explore concerns, discuss strategies for meaningful connection and support, and provide guidance for therapists, parents, educators, and school officials on […]