Publication Date

Spring 5-3-2026

Document Type

Student Project

First Advisor

Jaekel, Katy

Degree Name

B.A. (Bachelor of Arts)

Department

Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality

Abstract

The field of marriage and family therapy (MFT) is deeply flawed when it comes to the inclusion, representation, and treatment of trans individuals and families. This is despite the fact that MFT could be of unique benefit to the trans community, as they are a community who experience high rates of both familial issues and mental health issues (Katz-Wise, 2021). However, due to education that is often incomplete or inadequate, many mental health providers—including, but not limited to MFT’s—feel they lack the competencies necessary for working with trans individuals and families in practice (Dalton, et al., 2021). This research project aims to challenge this issue by using a participatory action research (PAR) methodology combined with a creative method—development of a curriculum for an undergraduate MFT class—to call these issues into question and offer a practical, applicable solution.

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