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WPATH - Oct/Dec 2021-2022 GEI Advanced Mental Health Workshop

Summary

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If you rated any of the above questions with 'fair,' 'poor,' 'disagree,' or 'strongly
disagree' please explain in detail (e.g. session title, speaker name, situation):
Answers    Although I find the discussion of people's personal stories fascinating, I did not realiz that the entire course
was just a panel. I was hoping for more research and data/discovery

Concerned related to single view of DID presented by panelist. This was a simplistic representation. As it is
unrelated to workshop topic, and cannot be explored properly in it's complexity, I would consider that this
panelist may not be ideal for this setting. .

Sheree Earle

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Please tell us about any session you found particularly good or bad.
Answers    -Oh My!! This is an impossible task! I found them all helpful and top-notch. Autism was what I am less
versed on so it was very helpful. But others were amazing too because the presenters were impeccable

All sessions were great and appropriate.

All were helpful.

being new to the field, all of the sessions were very informative. I appreciated hearing from the presenters,
who transitioned, about their stories.

Breakout sessions were great for learning, although as always we could have used more time. I do wish
slide decks were made available after the presentation

good topics

Great job of evidence based presentations

I am seeing more ASD in my work, recognizing that clients were presenting but I wasn't assessing because
I really was never trained. I appreciated the Gender Diversity and Neurodiversity/Autism presentation and
this was also the topic discussed in my panel. I feel excited to learn more!

I am seeking to know more about the practical aspects of this work; the "how to".

I appreciated the panel discussion on ASD and gender diversity. I was disappointed to see another "panel"
of highly trained experts being asked to share personal stories. I've seen so many, and there are so many
recorded options, I find it strange that we keep asking folks to do the emotional labor of sharing their stories
like this.

I couldn't believe the feeling of identifying in to what was presented as a professional and as a person with
gender/ neurodiverse and co-occuring dxs.

I enjoyed the sessions about complex mental illness, evaluation, and assessment. I thought that the parts
on interventions for partners and parents was very helpful.

I especially enjoyed the Neurodiversity session, the Person of the Therapist and the Core Principles. I did
not enjoy the Career transition and working with Partners sessions.

I felt I did not learn as much from the session where we were to discuss cases and offer our thoughts. I
know it's important to do this but perhaps because of the zoom format it seemed awkward and difficult to
have a conversation the way one would in a break out group in person where there would be a
conversation.
I felt Person of the Therapist was outstanding and really helped me as a therapist to look at my own biases,
etc. All sessions were good and informative, however this one stood out for me.

I found all sessions interesting, informative, and useful.

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I found the person of the therapist session and breakout rooms to be helpful in developing a connection
with the professional network around me and explored aspects of potential countertransference I may not
have considered before.

I loved the last section when the presenters spoke about their own personal stories. It was so enlightening.
I really enjoyed hearing from the speakers

I really enjoyed the dating session

Panelist discussion and willingness to share related to their own experience

The breakout session on The Person of the Therapist was especially useful to me.

The session on Career Considerations while transitioning did not seem to be an ADVANCED class. It felt
very basic for this level.
John Strang and Shawn Giammattei were excellent!

The sessions were not bad, i just don't feel like I learned anything new. I know we did not discuss the
WPATH SOC 7 at all so I could not answer any of those questions positively. I have no doubt though that
the presenters were not competent in this area, it was just not discussed.

The smaller breakout groups were valuable to learning and professional peer support.

They were all excellent!

They were all exceptional, but I particularly loved the panel and case discussions.

Victor did very well in his breakout sessions with having the other presenters present their individual
experiences.

Please tell us about any objective you feel we accomplished well or poorly.
Answers    All equally well, I'd say.

All objectives were covered well and I found them informative.

All well.

As above: I am seeking more about the practical applications.

Considering all the elements that are involved in a person's mental health and gender identity and that it is
not a one size fits all approach

I am so impressed with WPATH conferences, I attend GEI earlier this year and have come back for
Advanced Mental Health and Child/Adolescent. I am pretty new to WPATH, so I feel really inspired and
absolutely pleased with the presentations thus far.

I believe you accomplished all the objectives well.

I believe you achieved them all.

I feel I am on track with best practices it was incredible affirmation and guiding to grow forward.

I feel that I was provided numerous strategies that can be immediately implemented into my clinical
practice

I feel that live sessions could be significantly improved. The breakout sessions had so many participants
that I never had a chance to speak.

I feel you described many issues relevant to the population. I wish we would have looked at complex
mental health pictures even more, as well as effective intervention strategies and tools.

I found the content to be highly relevant.

I learned a lot about the intersection of ASD and gender diversity.

I took this course a year Dec 2020 and felt that I didn't quite get what I needed so I took it again this year.
Wow! I am so impressed with the improvements to the content and presentation format with multiple
presenters offering their perspective and knowledge. It was outstanding and I am so glad I took it again.
I was able to take really good practice notes from the pre-recorded sessions

I would have liked more depth and nuance. Some of the sessions felt very introductory and not nuanced
and complex enough.

I would have liked more updated research about therapeutic practices during the Advanced Mental Health
Course - that is what I thought I had signed up for. Vignettes are nice to discuss but I did not get a sense
that any new data or information was taught.

it was interesting to learn more about Autism and the trans community.

no comments at this time

The education surrounding co-occurrence of gender dysphoria and ASD was comprehensive and helpful
for understanding gaps in my knowledge.

The session on Identity Development and Intimacy identified some aspects that I wasn't aware of before
(Objective #1).

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Please tell us about any presenter you found particularly good or bad.
Answers    Aadi Banerjee, MA, MPhil; Shawn V. Giammattei, PhD; Zander Keig, LCSW, MSW;Amrita Sarkar, PGD
All
of these presenters were phenomenal. I have no complaints regarding any of the presenters.

All the presenters were lovely. They were well versed, positive, and shared deeply moving stores about
themselves. Again, I just thought we were going to discuss something different.

all were great

Dr. Ren Massey is a treasure. Overall, all of the presenters were great, actually. I thought there was great
benefit to the diversity present.

Dr. Ren Massey was excellent, especially his integration of his own experiences into the didactic
presentation materials.

Everyone was wonderful!

Excellent presenters with only minor technical difficulties (one presenter had what I think was a low battery
for a smoke alarm beeping going off-which I thought was mine!- A little distracting)

I am grateful to the group of presenters who shared their own experiences as transgender/gender diverse
people including things that were unexpected and the challenges.
All of the presenters were excellent. Two
that stand out are Aadi Banjerjee and Shawn Giammattei.

I appreciated the neurodiversity discussion.

I enjoyed all the presenters.

I enjoyed everyone, seriously!

I felt like Zander and Ren were very good presenters.

I found all of the presenters to be very engaging and knowledgeable

I found the panel discussions to be the most enloghtening. I liked Dr. Varunee Faii Sangganjanavanich,
PhD to be very knowledgeable and enjoyed these presentations most.

I liked them all.

I loved Ren's presentation in the videos we needed to watch before the event. I also found one presenter (I
think her name was Aama, she was from India and noted that she is neurodiverse) to be very clear,
informative and enlightening.

I loved Ren, John and Shawn's presentations.

I thought Victor and Ren were wonderful

I truly can't because they were all amazing!!!

John Strang and Shawn Giammattei were excellent!

Most presenters were excellent and represented diverse group and encouraged critical thinking. I am
concerned about one panelist representation of her alters. This is a very complex topic that was addressed
simplistic through her discussion. It could not be addressed within the format and was distracting.

Please don’t make me chose. All were excellent!

Ren Massey and Shawn Giamatti were excellent as usual!

SOOOO friendly and cooperative with another; rarely do I find such great coehension and humility among
that many providers.

They were all really good. Thank you for organizing a diverse panel of neurodivergent T/GD folx with
immense wisdom from their education, professional and loved experience. This was a powerful training and
I am so grateful to have shared space with y'all.

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If you answered "No" to any of the above questions, please explain.

Answers    There was no educational content discussed. Just personal stores and vignettes.

If you answered "Yes" to the above question, please detail the situation below (e.g.
session title, speaker name):
Answers   
 

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If you answered "Yes" to the above question, please explain in detail (e.g. who, when,
where):
Answers   
 

How much did you learn as a result of this education program?

Answers    A great Deal.

A great deal.

A great deal. Hard to quantify.

A great deal. In fact, at this age, it does not happen often that I leave a conference feeling this happy with
what I learned

A great deal.autism and transgender

a lot to support my clients

A lot.

A lot.

An incredible amount. I cannot wait to continue my journey with WPATH.

I feel like I responded to this already, but there was a general increase in understanding, more nuanced. I
really appreciated the presentation(s) on ASD.

I learned a good amount and had a good deal of my knowledge reinforced.

I learned a lot and appreciate the program.

I learned a lot from the case discussions.

I learned A LOT. I feel like I was given access to information that is very difficult to access because of the
presenters sharing their own personal stories. I'm so grateful.

I learned a significant amount of knowledge related to mental health in the context of gender and sexual
diversity

I learned more about the "policing" aspect of gender identity

I learnt quite a bit, but I thought there could have been a lot more depth. I expected more depth for an
advanced course.

I really enjoyed the discussion regarding the Gender Galaxy.

I think I learned a lot, but still have so much to still to learn. Hope you offer more mental health seminars

It validated and added to my current knowledge on the subject matter.

It was instructive to learn from the experiences of the panel. I am still seeking practical application content.

Lots.

Not a lot.

Quite a bit.

Tons! It reaffirmed and expanded learning from previous courses/professional development.

TREMENDOuS amount

Very much

What specifically did you learn during this activity that you intend to integrate into
your practice?
Answers    a lot of the info regarding neurodivergence

Assessment ideas and approaches to meet the client where they are

Autism and transgender

Being mindful of my own ableism, even as someone who is neurodiverse.

Discussing with my client's more about what shapes them not just want they want to achieve.

Gender Galaxy

how ASD and GD interrelate.

I especially liked the information on Autism and gender.

I felt validated in my struggles and triumphs. Sometimes, this work can be isolating, as there are not
enough practitioners who do this specialized work.

I found the segment on gender diversity and neuro diversity very helpful.

I have often used the gender bread with clients but learning about the gender galaxy is something I will
engage client's with more, including families.

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I learned more about ASD and gender diversity. I learned more about gender diversity and dating. It was
also really great to have the fact that there can be competition between members of the LGBTQ community
regarding their relevance, struggle and story acknowledged. This has been painful for some of my clients.

I learned more detail about neurodiversity.

I learned quite a bit about autism, and since I have someone right at this moment that is dealing with
figuring out autism in the midst of other things.

I learned that working with clients on their neurodivergence and their gender identity do not need to be
separate - this training showed us ways to explore both parts of their experience in concert.

I plan to utilize a lot of the information specifically from the dating section

I was inspired to look more into autism and TG, but this is something I then researched on my own. No
information was provided.

I will be discussing potential countertransference during supervision, and explore training materials for
building competency in working with neurodivergent individuals.

Information related to neurodiversity and gender affirming care.

Intersectionality.

neurodiverse spectrum includes Autism/ epilepsy and dsylexia (which I have)

Presentation on working ASD individuals was excellent and will broaden my work.

Resources for working with partners, using an effective approach to exploring gender options for
individuals, being able to make ethically sound decisions in triage and effective goal-setting with complex
mental health pictures.

See #6 above.

So much information that I am integrating into my understanding of transgender and gender diverse people.

The gender identity exercises were helpful.

The information about couples and family therapy approaches were particularly useful, and the treatment of
dating and relationships

The most valuable thing I learned is to be aware of my own subconscious/unconscious biases; not to
presume because I am an ally, that I do not have my own shortcomings; as well as listen, ask questions to
understand the individual, do not presume everyone is going through the same journey

The term ambiguous grief and how to hold that for families.

There are more opportunities to explore both the impact on neurodiversity on gender identity and
dysphoria, and gender identity with neurodiversity. I also plan to increase my education and awareness in
general.

To be more curios about my client's journeys.

Using Zander's presentation looking at transition trauma to growth to help clients find more positive
meaning for what they are going through.

Ways to provide appropriate support to transitioning patients

What questions have arisen in your practice for which you need answers/strategies
that you can implement?
Answers    The intersection between autism and other intersections of identities

Creating a multidisciplinary team in college settings.

Help with getting our medical staff up to speed on HRT, getting the appropriate training, and setting up a
program so students don't need to find providers in the community, instead of saying this treatment needs
to be conducted and followed by a specialist.
Helping Trans people with Eating Disorders, managing boundaries with unsupportive families, resource
lists for support groups and organizations that client's can easily connect with others virtually when they are
isolated &/ remote.

How to answer questions related to autism and if there is a link

I am always looking for more guidance for letter assessments.

I am not currently practicing.

I know I need more practice exposure and education for work with families/significant others

I need appropriate tools for assessing youth with ASD who struggle with projective questions related to
hopes for medical affirmation or fears related to puberty.

I would like to know more about suicidal ideation and transitioning and how we can help patients through
this.

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I would like to see a referral list, that is specific to my area. Clients in my area do not have a centralized list
of providers that are LGBTQ+ friendly

need content specific to correctional professionals and settings.

None at the moment.

None at this time

none at this time

None that I can think of at the moment

Questions about how to create community in a small town that lacks diversity - how do people find the
online community to connect with that is local to them (if it exists)?

Role of therapist in letters for GAHT

Still wondering how to not be a gate keeper for the letter for either hormones or surgery while supporting
and educating a client.

Teenagers saying they are transgender - how much of this is a fad? This was not the case a decade ago
but we are seeing a lot more today.

There were some assessment tools and self-report measures that I wonder if my institution will support
(and purchase).

to be answered in the next workshop in identity evolution

What has arisen I have found resources to answer.

Working with under 12 y/o

What patient/client problems or patient/client challenges do you feel you are not able
to address appropriately or to your satisfaction?
Answers    5632 Mission Rd

As above, I am seeking the practical aspects- I need to know more about diagnosing gender dysphoria and
how to write letters for patients.

As someone who is beginning their journey working with trans folks, I do not know, what I do not know yet.
So hopefully as I progress I will be able to answer this question after future seminars.

Autism

Co-occurring neurodivergency

Connecting with doctors/services in other areas where they can receive help.

Dating has been challenging for me. I've had a client describe himself as a "science experiment" or
"amusement park ride" for other people. I know this is related to the earlier stages of dating, but it's been
challenging for me to address this issue w the client and help him shift toward choosing healthier people to
date, or even being willing to check out different places to find partners.
Also the idea of disillusionment for
people who thought their main goal was to "pass" as cisgender but then realize they don't feel comfortable
in that context and want something different.

Eating Disorders, self-advocacy with medical providers, finding accurate information online, easing family
groups through effective communication (more family and couples work).

I feel like I still have so much to learn and want to learn more about everything.

I feel pretty well versed

I need more on neurodivergence; I am so glad this course and the child/adolescent course included
elements of case formulation regarding autism. However, the intersection of disability (intellectual and
physical) needs to be explored by wpath.

I work for active duty service members. As such, there are certain restrictions we have to operate under
given that deployment comes firts

I would like to know more about suicidal ideation and transitioning and how we can help patients through
this.

It is hard to help people to come to a definite conclusion as gender is more of a journey than destination

None at the moment.

None that I can think of at the moment

None.

None.

Nothing comes to mind at this point. I see a limited number of gender patients.

Nothing, based on the clients I am currently working with.

See above

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working with DID clients

Working with individuals with limited social supports, and co-occurring panic disorder and/or debilitating
social anxiety.

What problems are your patients/clients communicating to you that need attention or
follow up?
Answers    Access to care.

Again, I have already followed up.

As an integrated health and counseling center on a college campus, our medical staff/front desk staff is not
always the best with using preferred names and asking about pronouns. Ongoing training would be helpful

Continuing to help families with their child's transition.

Engaging families who are not supportive.

help with understanding what is right for them and not what is helpful to explain to others

Housing within a correctional setting and other considerations germane to the correctional environment.

How to cope with " side comments or jokes" about the client's gender during the holiday family gatherings.

I am not currently in practice.

I have a client that is very identified with multiple diagnoses that he has either been given or has self-
diagnosed, he attributes these conditions and challenges with his thoughts of being "disabled". He is very
anxious and has significant trauma, his fear of the unknown, the "what if" keeps him pretty isolated and at
home. He is 19 years old.

I recently had one patient experiencing significant frustration and ongoing dysphoria regarding the slow
pace of medical transition even though their dose and their lab results are within target ranges we have
been unable to reach the patient's individual transition goals after 1.5 years on hormone therapy
Lack of access to affirming services.

Lack of affirming providers, difficulty securing financial means, etc.

None at this time

None right now

not sure at this point

ongoing support for family issues.

Parental support
peer bullying at school not adequately addressed by administration

Referral lists; including where to shop for clothes, binders, etc.

Safety

safety in dating

some of my teen clients report SI from time to time

Systems that suck - insurance, medical system, jobs, etc.

they are having a lot of dating concerns

What barriers might you have that would interfere with implementation of new
information learned from this training?
Answers    Being cisgender anf hetero

Getting appropriate supervision and making connections with colleagues

I am cisgender, and I try to be very conscious of that.

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I am currently looking for a position so I don't know what barriers I might run into.

I'm not the head of my practice, financial access to training

Living in rural area.

Memory - needs more handouts and access to the slides, maybe smaller quizzes at the end of lectures to
promote retention of key takeaways, or accompanied readings.

My own short-comings I suppose.

need to revisit what I've learned - time, time, time!

none

None at this time.

None known at this time.

None that I am aware of at this time

None.

not sure

policies from our administration that I will have to continue advocating to dismantle

Remote setting, small community, few resources available locally.

The South African context. Access to care is much more complicated.

work demands as a clinical intake professional

How can this training (the overall meeting) be improved to better impact
competence, performance and/or patient/client outcomes?
Answers    absolutely essential in my role at a community health center

Aquiring Knowledge and awareness on privilege

Better learning tools (see above)

Can't think of anything other than spend more time going through case studies

Cannot think of suggestions right now

I need to figure out if I can get some of the powerpoints used, and I plan to rewatch some of the recordings.
I think the live portion could be longer. I would have been happy for each section to be a half-hour longer.

I would look more studies and research to be shared versus personal stories.

It was wonderful as-is! Case studies are always particularly helpful.

listserv for participants to connect after the fact

maybe some multiple choice questions with the cases

More breakout sessions

More depth and nuance. Perhaps more participant engagement?

More opportunity for participants to discuss the cases amongst themselves with input from the panelists.
Maybe even allowing time for consultation on cases that participants might be struggling with

no recommendations at this time.

No suggestions at this time.

Not sure

Provide support/training to develop the skills of the presenters in leading the break out groups and how to
engage participants in the zoom format.

Smaller breakotu groups

the more educated I am, the more fluent I will be in understanding my clients

There was no "how to" content; which I had thought would be part of this advanced course.

unsure

Additional comments:
Answers    An amazing group of presenters. Wonderful presentations.

Correctional content please; I would be happy to assist.

I loved the presenter panel.

No additional comments

Please have the handouts of the slides provided. I want to be able to review what was reviewed and it is a
distraction if I am trying to write everything down that is on a slide, instead of taking notes.

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Please keep the zoom option in place - this has made it so much easier to attend CEU's that would have
been difficult to do before.

Thank you for all the information.

Thank you for this well organized and presented course.

The personal stories shared by members of the panel were the most memorable and helpful aspect of the
training. As a cis lesbian, I am always striving to better understand the real lived experience of trans
persons so that I can be increasingly supportive to my clients.

Enter your ABIM ID

Answers   
 

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