DIGITAL WORKSHOP
Gender Health Evaluations and Writing Letters of Support
Gender Health Evaluations and Writing Letters of Support
6 CEs available
This advanced clinical training offers in-depth guidance for mental health professionals conducting gender health evaluations and writing letters of support for gender-affirming medical care. Through a trauma-informed, gender-affirming, and culturally responsive lens, the course outlines best practices for evaluating readiness, exploring client goals, understanding systemic barriers, and crafting high-quality, ethical letters that support client access to care. It emphasizes a collaborative, strengths-based approach rooted in the gender affirmative model and encourages clinicians to reflect on their own biases, ethical responsibilities, and clinical decision-making.
Designed for psychologists, therapists, and other licensed clinicians, the training covers practical strategies, clinical documentation skills, and the sociopolitical nuances involved in supporting transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse individuals seeking medical interventions. Special attention is given to working with youth and families, integrating co-occurring conditions, navigating insurance and surgical center requirements, and utilizing plain yet powerful language to support client narratives.
Why is This Important?
Despite increased visibility and medical pathways for gender-diverse individuals, many still face systemic barriers in accessing affirming healthcare. One of the most frequent delays comes from poorly written or incomplete letters of support. This training equips clinicians with the clinical and structural tools to avoid common pitfalls, reduce gatekeeping, and ethically advocate for their clients' needs. It also provides clarity on the evolving standards, best practices, and ethical considerations in a field shaped by policy shifts, cultural change, and client diversity.
By strengthening both assessment and documentation skills, clinicians can help ensure that gender-diverse individuals receive the timely, respectful, and affirming care they deserve.
What we will Cover:
- How to apply gender-affirming, trauma-informed principles to gender health evaluations
- When and how to assess readiness for various gender-affirming interventions
- How to structure and write effective, ethical, and individualized letters of support
- Strategies to integrate medical necessity, informed consent, and client voice in documentation
- How to address insurance and surgical center requirements without compromising clinical integrity
- Ways to identify and challenge internalized transphobia and clinician countertransference
- Techniques for evaluating systemic and contextual barriers (family, school, housing, etc.)
- How to support non-binary and neurodivergent clients during evaluations
- How to collaborate with clients in language, tone, and letter review
- Tools to assess clinical and ethical dilemmas when care is unclear or contested
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- List 5 core components of a gender health evaluation within a gender-affirming model.
- Identify 3 common clinical pitfalls that create barriers to gender-affirming care.
- Describe elements of trauma-informed care as they relate to gender-diverse populations.
- Explain how to write letters of support tailored to different interventions (e.g., HRT vs. top surgery).
- Compare insurance vs. surgical center requirements and select appropriate documentation strategies.
- Discuss 3 ethical considerations when writing letters for clients with co-occurring conditions.
- Apply strength-based and collaborative approaches to real-world letter writing scenarios.
- Critique examples of problematic letters and revise them for clinical accuracy and affirming tone.
- Prepare a client-centered, ethically sound, and standards-informed letter of support.
- Describe 3 dimensions of family and environmental context that influence client readiness and safety.
- Explain the use of direct client quotes in documentation and plan when to include them appropriately.
Course Curriculum
Gender Health Evaluations & Letters of Support
$399.00
CE's INCLUDED (6 CEs)
- Video recordings
- Quizzes (required to get CEs)
- Certificate (6 CEs)
- BONUS: Comprehensive Evaluation Checklist & Decision Tree
- BONUS: Gender Journey - How To
Presenter
Shawn V. Giammattei, PhD is a clinical psychologist & WPATH certified member/mentor, specializing in couple & family therapy with a particular focus on trans youth and their families. He is the founder & CEO of the Gender Health Training Institute & TransFamily Alliance, a research consultant, international speaker, community educator, and professor teaching graduate and post-graduate courses in LGBTQ psychology, family systems, and gender affirming care, as well as the author of several articles and book chapters on gender, sexuality, and family work.
The Gender Health Training Institute is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.
Gender Health Training Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Gender Health Training Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0339.
