{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"The Practicalities of Mental Health and Gender Affirming Care for Trans Youth: An Interview with Jordan Held, LCSW","description":"The Practicalities of Mental Health and Gender Affirming Care for Trans Youth: An Interview with Jordan Held, LCSW Curt and Katie interview Jordan Held, LCSW, about gender affirming care, trans mental health, the practicalities of transition (as well as the different types of transition), specifics when working with trans youth, and the politicization of trans folks. We also explore culture and privilege related to transition. Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com! An Interview with Jordan Held, LCSW Jordan Held (he\/him\/his), LCSW is a Primary Therapist and Gender Specialist at Visions Adolescent Treatment Center. Prior to Visions, Jordan was a Therapist and Intake Coordinator at Children\u2019s Hospital Los Angeles in the Center for Trans Youth Health and Development, the largest trans youth health clinic in the USA. Jordan\u2019s mental health practice centers around creating a trauma-informed and healing-centered space for both adolescents and their families. Jordan\u2019s expertise is working with gender and sexual minority youth with complex histories of PTSD and trauma. Jordan speaks internationally about creating and supporting affirmative LGBTQ+ environments with an emphasis on informed consent and enhanced family communication. As a queer-identified, transgender man, Jordan brings an important dual perspective to his work as a mental health provider. Prior to social work, Jordan worked extensively in secondary school education, with a decade of experience teaching, coaching, and developing health and wellness curricula. Jordan\u2019s work focuses on gender violence prevention, diversity, equity, inclusion, and cultivating strength and belonging for teens. Jordan is on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles LGBT Center, the Laurel Foundation, JQ International, and Mental Health America of Los Angeles. Jordan is also a long-time facilitator at Transforming Family, a support group for gender-diverse youth and their family. Jordan holds a Master of Social Welfare degree from UCLA, a Master of Sports Leadership degree from Northeastern University, and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Connecticut. Jordan is an avid sneakerhead who self-cares by lifting heavy weights, going to the beach, loving his rescue dog, and embracing his gender euphoria!   In this podcast episode, we talk about trans mental health For Pride Month, we wanted to deepen our conversation on trans mental health and what therapists should know when working with trans individuals. What is gender-affirmative care? \u201cTrans people are being used as political pawns.\u201d \u2013 Jordan Held, LCSW The way that \u201cgender affirming care\u201d is being taken out of context What is actually happening, how it has been politicized The misinformation related to what is available to children who are exploring their gender (i.e., parental consent and youth care) The role of therapists versus the role of medical providers Discussion of gender norms Different types of transition for trans individuals Social transition (name, pronouns, clothes, haircut) Medical interventions that may start during puberty (i.e., puberty blockers, progesterone only birth control) Cross sex hormones and surgeries (which actually require a long process) States are very specific for what they require for gender care (as do insurance companies) Conversations in therapy for trans youth Gender journey Meeting the kids where they\u2019re at Lying to get what they need Letters and recommendations for surgery The gender dysphoria diagnosis and sorting that out from depression, anxiety, etc. Supporting trans youth with social transition and getting the support they need The concerns with maladaptive coping skills available online Positive resources for trans youth (scroll down to resources) Identity and impacts The Politicization of Trans Individuals \u201cShame on us as adults that we are so scared, we have so much fear over \u2013 let\u2019s be honest \u2013 what\u2019s in someone's pants, right? All of this has to do with the fear of something that we don't know. This fear\u2026 that somebody's genitals do not align what we think is in their pants. And as an adult talking to another adult, that's kind of gross, right? Like, why as adults do we care so much about what is in a kid's pants?\u201d \u2013 Jordan Held, LCSW Jordan grew in privilege when he transitioned Legislation Schools removing conversations related to gender and sexuality Play and sports being withheld from trans kids Bias and how being trans is perceived The actual numbers of trans folks who want to play sports or want to use the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity Advice for trans kids and families where gender care is illegal, advice for therapists Age limits and laws that don\u2019t align with logic Culture, privilege, and being trans Increasing or decreasing privilege when one transitions Getting used to the changed dynamic within society based on external experience The complexity of the experience and the changing of the experience The concept of \u201cpassing\u201d and how it taps into bias   Our Generous Sponsors for this episode of the Modern Therapist\u2019s Survival Guide: GreenOak Accounting  At GreenOak Accounting, they believe that every private practice should be profitable. They\u2019ve worked with hundreds of practice owners across the country to have the financial confidence and information to make data-driven decisions. We want our client's businesses to be profitable so they can focus on fulfilling their mission. GreenOak Accounting specializes in working with therapists in private practice, and they have helped hundreds of therapists across the country reach their financial goals. They offer a number of monthly packages to fit a growing practice's needs - from bookkeeping to CFO services. Other specialized services include Profit First Support, compensation planning, and customized KPI Dashboards. They help therapists achieve their clinical goals by making sure they have a profitable practice, and offer unsurpassed support along the way. If you\u2019re interested in scheduling a complimentary consultation, please visit their website at www.GreenOakAccounting.com\/consultation to learn more. Thrizer Thrizer is a new modern billing platform for therapists that was built on the belief that therapy should be accessible AND clinicians should earn what they are worth. Their platform automatically gets clients reimbursed by their insurance after every session. Just by billing your clients through Thrizer, you can potentially save them hundreds every month, with no extra work on your end. Every time you bill a client through Thrizer, an insurance claim is automatically generated and sent directly to the client's insurance. From there, Thrizer provides concierge support to ensure clients get their reimbursement quickly, directly into their bank account. By eliminating reimbursement by check, confusion around benefits, and obscurity with reimbursement status, they allow your clients to focus on what actually matters rather than worrying about their money. It is very quick to get set up and it works great in completement with EHR systems. Their team is super helpful and responsive, and the founder is actually a long-time therapy client who grew frustrated with his reimbursement times The best part is you don't need to give up your rate. They charge a standard 3% payment processing fee! Thrizer lets you become more accessible while remaining in complete control of your practice. A better experience for your clients during therapy means higher retention. Money won't be the reason they quit on therapy. Sign up using bit.ly\/moderntherapists if you want to test Thrizer completely risk free! Sign up for Thrizer with code 'moderntherapists' for 1 month of no credit card fees or payment processing fees! That\u2019s right - you will get one month of no payment processing fees, meaning you earn 100% of your cash rate during that time.   Resources for Modern Therapists mentioned in this Podcast Episode: We\u2019ve pulled together resources mentioned in this episode and put together some handy-dandy links. Please note that some of the links below may be affiliate links, so if you purchase after clicking below, we may get a little bit of cash in our pockets. We thank you in advance! Visions Adolescent Treatment Center Jordan Held\u2019s Website Jordan on Instagram WPATH Standards of Care   Online support and communities for trans youth: GLSEN The Trevor Project (helpline, suicidality) Human Rights Campaign (HRC) \u2013 Trans Resources HRC \u2013 LGBTQ+ Youth PFLAG Flamingo Rampant (publisher focusing on diversity, including gender diversity) Disclosure (Documentary) Google local universities in state \u2013 they often have support groups       Relevant Episodes of MTSG Podcast: Working with Trans Clients: Trans Resilience and Gender Euphoria \u2013 an interview with Beck Gee-Cohen Vulnerability, The News, and Your Clients: An interview with Dr. Abigail Weissman Additional episodes for Pride Month: Bi+ Erasure: An interview with Dr. Mimi Hoang, PhD Getting Personal to Advocate for Compassion, Understanding, and Social Justice: An interview with James Guay, LMFT   Who we are: Curt Widhalm, LMFT Curt Widhalm is in private practice in the Los Angeles area. He is the cofounder of the Therapy Reimagined conference, an Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University and CSUN, a former Subject Matter Expert for the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, former CFO of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, and a loving husband and father. He is 1\/2 great person, 1\/2 provocateur, and 1\/2 geek, in that order. He dabbles in the dark art of making "dad jokes" and usually has a half-empty cup of coffee somewhere nearby. Learn more at: www.curtwidhalm.com Katie Vernoy, LMFT Katie Vernoy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, coach, and consultant supporting leaders, visionaries, executives, and helping professionals to create sustainable careers. Katie, with Curt, has developed workshops and a conference, Therapy Reimagined, to support therapists navigating through the modern challenges of this profession. Katie is also a former President of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. In her spare time, Katie is secretly siphoning off Curt's youthful energy, so that she can take over the world. Learn more at: www.katievernoy.com A Quick Note: Our opinions are our own. We are only speaking for ourselves \u2013 except when we speak for each other, or over each other. We\u2019re working on it. Our guests are also only speaking for themselves and have their own opinions. We aren\u2019t trying to take their voice, and no one speaks for us either. Mostly because they don\u2019t want to, but hey. Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement: Patreon Buy Me A Coffee Podcast Homepage Therapy Reimagined Homepage Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube   Consultation services with Curt Widhalm or Katie Vernoy: The Fifty-Minute Hour Connect with the Modern Therapist Community: Our Facebook Group \u2013 The Modern Therapists Group Modern Therapist\u2019s Survival Guide Creative Credits: Voice Over by DW McCann https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/McCannDW\/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https:\/\/groomsymusic.com\/ ","author_name":"The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide with Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy","author_url":"https:\/\/therapyreimagined.com\/podcast\/","html":"