Transition Anxiety: Play, Pleasure, and Possibility beyond Trans 101 (8 CE Hours, 2025)

Description

The dominant narrative of gender transition is that transition has to equal suffering. This workshop applies current research in facilitative coping mechanisms to individuals in the process of transitioning their gender in order to help our clients transition with more ease. By learning practical skills for helping clients make decisions about how to express their gender to the world, we will begin the conversation about how to change the narrative of transition into a process of self-actualization, curiosity, and discovery. We will address pleasure equity, personal and collective pride, and explore practical therapeutic skills for guiding transgender/non-binary clients through the transition journey.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will describe two skills to facilitate effective coping skills for transgender/gender non-conforming clients in transition
2. Participants will be able to discuss up-to-date language about gender and sexual diversity
3. Participants will discuss their own bias and privilege about gender and sexual diversity and how it might impact their therapy work
4. Participants will be able to describe spectrums of gender and sexual orientation diversity
5. Participants will apply skills to support gender diverse clients in making decisions and coping with hormones and gender-affirming surgeries
6. Participants will be able to assess the inclusiveness of their forms, procedures, atmosphere, and support staff of their practices.
7. Participants will discuss the impact of multiple oppressed and intersectional identities on gender and sexually diverse clients
8. Participants will apply skills to support their clients in making decisions about coming out
9. Participants will be able to describe next steps in learning more about gender and sexually diverse clients

Speaker Bio:

Rae McDaniel, MEd, LCPC, CST (they/them) is a Licensed Therapist, Certified Sex Therapist, soon-to-be published author, and a Transgender Diversity and Inclusion Specialist, coach, educator and entrepreneur. Their specialty is helping transgender and non-binary people navigate transition, sex, gender, sexual identity and relationships with resiliency, curiosity and pleasure. Rae believes that gender freedom is an essential part of collective liberation and transformation and is here to paint a vision for how gender exploration and transition can be celebrated both individually and systemically by transgender and cisgender folks alike. Rae is the founder and CEO of Practical Audacity: Gender & Sex Therapy in Chicago, a group private therapy practice focused on the queer community. They also offer a group coaching program, GenderFck, for clients outside the state of Illinois, a one-of-a-kind, research-based online coaching community of transgender/non-binary/questioning folks who are on a mission to transition with less suffering, more ease, and (dare we even say it!) pleasure. Rae is the creator of the Gender Freedom Model (to be published in an academic journal this fall), a model for key mindsets and practical skills to support trans/non-binary folks throughout gender transition. Their credentials – both academic and professional, have led to a variety of speaking engagements and opportunities to facilitate and lead workshops on transgender equality and inclusion in corporate settings, for medical and mental health professionals, and within community groups. Rae holds a Master of Education in Community Counseling from DePaul University in Chicago and is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois. Rae graduated from the University of Michigan’s Sexual Health Certificate Program with specializations in Sex Therapy and Sexuality Education and is a Certified Sex Therapist through the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists.