Psychological support for trans people: affirmative psychology

This is how affirmative psychology works to help trans people.

Trans people constitute one of the segments of the population in which there is a higher degree of discrimination even today.

Statistically, people who have not developed a gender identity that fits the canons of cis (based on gender roles) suffer a much higher rate of unemployment, and also present a higher risk of attempting to end their lives. This is not because being trans is a pathology (this pathologizing conception has been discarded from psychiatry and clinical psychology), but because of the strong stigmas and discriminatory dynamics against them that still exist.

This is the reason for the emergence of what is known as psychology, affirmative psychology, which pays special attention to the experiences of transgender people, has emerged.to help them integrate into themselves and accept their non-normative gender identity. In this article we will see what it consists of.

What is affirmative psychology?

Affirmative psychology is an approach of applied psychology to the problems and needs that usually affect people of the LGTBI community.. It is a way of dealing with experiences related to sexual orientations and gender identities that are outside the norm, that is, experiences related to the possibility of expressing sexual and gender diversity freely and without complexes.

It is a non-pathologizing view; that is, it does not assume that there is a qualitatively different and problematic psychic structure in homosexual and trans people, so it does not propose a cure to heterosexuality or cisgender identity.

In fact, it originated as a way to help homosexual and bisexual people to develop a positive perspective on their sexual orientation, accepting themselves and not assuming that they have a disease, dealing with the stigmas and myths that surround their collective; over time, it began to work on helping trans and asexual people as well.

This is precisely why we talk about affirmative psychology: it is about positively and constructively affirming that part of a person's identity, without repressing it or trying to eliminate it in order to fit into "the norm." in order to get rid of the social stigma that for a long time has affected LGTBI people. Because there is a whole series of expectations, prejudices and roles that have been internalized by society and that presuppose how men and women should behave, any dissidence in this sense has been severely punished, coming to be seen as part of a disease.

Thus, this way of judging minorities has come to produce a self-fulfilling prophecy effect, damaging their mental health.

This type of prejudice and pathologizing ideas have generated a series of social stigmas that, in some cases, have even been materialized in discriminatory legislation.. Fortunately, nowadays countries like Spain are getting rid of these discriminatory elements in their written rules, but there still remain a whole series of social dynamics that reproduce the discomfort with oneself in many of the people of the LGTBI collectives.

On the other hand, affirmative psychology should not be understood as psychology applied to the sexuality of people who do not fit into the canons of heterosexuality and cisgender identity. This is so because it is not limited to the problems and needs associated with sexual practices, but addresses above all bio-psycho-social issues arising from stigma and the hegemony of gender roles.

In short, affirmative psychology is based on the idea of acceptance of sexual orientations and identities.The aim is not to repress or conceal this facet of oneself, but to integrate it into the self-concept and to be able to express it in a satisfactory way and not limited by personal complexes.

In other words, affirmative psychology does not propose the objective of "curing" a psychopathology (since gender identities that deviate from the norm are not a disorder), but rather to focus on the habitual experiences of the individual. to focus on the usual experiences of LGBT people in order to address their problems and needs by understanding what they are going through, going beyond the assumptions of the "normal" and the "normal".going beyond the assumptions that are often based on the cis and heteronorma paradigm.

It is not a specific type of therapy or an intervention model with specific and unique techniques and strategies for these cases, but rather a set of ideas and references to adapt to the kind of experiences that often lead these types of minorities to seek professional psychological support.

Main areas of work of psychological support for transgender people

As we have seen, affirmative psychology is not limited only to providing help to trans people; in fact, it originated with attention to homosexual people, although over time it has expanded its focus to include the entire LGTBI collective. Therefore, focusing on the attention to trans people from affirmative psychology, it is worth highlighting the following fronts of intervention.

1. Psychoeducation in the field of gender identities

There is a lot of misinformation about everything related to the experiences of LGTBI people, and some of these myths cause problems.and some of these myths cause problems. Therefore, psychoeducation is fundamental.

2. Combating internalized transphobia

Transphobia is not simply a social phenomenon; it also has an individualized component, of beliefs and feelings that run so deep that they are accepted even by many trans people, who blame themselves for being "weird" or "degenerate" and only see a "cure" for what is happening to them as a way out. Many times, these pathologizing beliefs coexist with other beliefs of self-acceptanceThey fight against them and give rise to apparently contradictory behaviors.

Therefore, affirmative psychology helps the person to definitively get rid of these dysfunctional beliefs and to adopt a positive perspective on their gender identity.

3. Support in dealing with uncertainty and conflicting ideas and beliefs.

As gender identity falls outside the canons of cisgender, trans people tend to feel much more disoriented and lacking in referents; therefore, forced to examine many more aspects of their ways of behaving, and without guidance from outside institutions, it is easy to focus on the contradictions of their "philosophy of life. their "philosophy of life".

For example, many trans people find it problematic to accept themselves and at the same time maintain religious beliefs whose main institutions spread transphobic messages or, at least, do not take into account transgender issues.

For that reason, from the affirmative psychology one helps to confront this lack of answers that seems not to affect the rest of people, and to assume a certain degree of contradiction in the beliefs of oneself (since it is impossible to develop beliefs in complete harmony), whenever that friction between ideas does not generate much discomfort or leads to the rejection to oneself.

4. Support in the intrafamiliar conflicts

Unfortunately, trans identities continue to trigger conflicts in the family environment due to transphobia. Therefore, in therapy transgender people are helped to cope with these problems and, if possible, family therapy approaches are used to solve the root of the problem. to solve the root of the problem.

Are you looking for professional psychological assistance?

If you are interested in starting a psychotherapy process or want to have psychological assistance through affirmative psychology, we invite you to contact our team of professionals.

From Psychological Center Cepsim we attend both in person in any of our offices located in Madrid, as well as online through video call.