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Research on the interaction between gender and emotions has largely been constrained by the gender binary. This article seeks to advance theory of constructed emotions as relates to marginalized id...

Objective: Sexual satisfaction has implications for well-being and may be related to gender norms. This study was conducted to understand the relationship between U.S. sexual minority (SM) individu...

Background: Transgender people in the United States often lack access to high-quality health care.Methods: A group of researchers and transgender people came together in a community-based participatory research process to survey transgender Wisconsinites about their health care experiences. A multiple regression analysis of survey data was used to evaluate the association between barriers to health care, gender identity, and quality of medical and mental health care provider.Results: Seventy-seven respondents were included in this analysis. Transmasculine respondents were more likely than transfeminine respondents to report barriers to high-quality health care, but having a high-quality medical or mental health care provider was associated with reporting fewer barriers to care across the entire sample.Discussion: This community-based study suggests that health care providers play a key role in facilitating access to care for transgender Wisconsinites in the USA.

Background: A growing body of research has examined transgender identity development, but no studies have investigated developmental pathways as a transactional process between youth and caregivers, incorporating perspectives from multiple family members. The aim of this study was to conceptualize pathways of transgender identity development using narratives from both transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGN) youth and their cisgender (nontransgender) caregivers.Methods: The sample included 16 families, with 16 TGN youth, ages 7 to 18 years, and 29 cisgender caregivers (N = 45 family members). TGN youth represented multiple gender identities, including trans boy (n = 9), trans girl (n = 5), gender-fluid boy (n = 1), and girlish boy (n = 1). Caregivers included mothers (n = 17), fathers (n = 11), and one grandmother. Participants were recruited from LGBTQ community organizations and support networks for families with transgender youth in the Midwest, Northeast, and South regions of the United Stat...

The current study examined how dimensions of masculinity and femininity were expressed for sexual minorities. Cluster analysis was used to determine the number of latent classes for conformity to masculine and feminine norms for sexual minorities. A four-class solution was the best fit to the data. Cluster 1 (labeled Relating to others through equality and caring, n = 41) was characterized by low dominance and power over women and high involvement with kids and have nice relationships norms. Cluster 2 (labeled Relating to others through avoidance and misogyny, n = 38) was characterized by low risk-taking and have nice relationships and high power over women and disdain for homosexuality. Cluster 3 (labeled Relating to others through power, n = 34) was characterized by high winning, pursuit of status, and appearance and low modesty. Cluster 4 (labeled Relating to others through sex, n = 27) was characterized by low involvement in romantic relationships and sexual fidelity while endorsing high playboy attit...

Alliance, empathy, and genuineness are each integral parts of the therapeutic relationship. No previous meta-analysis has explored the extent to which therapist empathy and genuineness contribute to the therapeutic alliance.In this meta-analysis, a multifaceted search strategy yielded 53 studies. Forty studies reported alliance/empathy relationships, eight studies reported alliance/genuineness relationships, and five studies reported both.Random effects meta-analyses revealed that therapeutic alliance was significantly related to perceptions of therapist empathy with a mean r = 0.50 (95% CI = 0.42, 0.57). Therapeutic alliance was also significantly related to perceptions of therapist genuineness with a mean r = 0.59 (95% CI = 0.45, 0.71). Tests of publication bias indicated a low likelihood of publication bias affecting the strength and direction of the results. Potential moderating variables were explored, including rater perspective, measure of therapeutic relationship variables, and client race/ethnicity.Therapeutic alliance has a moderate relationship with perceptions of therapist empathy and genuineness. Of note, there may be reason to believe that when rated by the same person, these constructs have significant overlap and lack discreteness. Future directions for study of the therapeutic relationship are discussed. Implications for practice are provided.

This research explored identity processes related to mid-life gender transitioning in 13 trans women (assigned male at birth), ages 44–67 years, who lived in the Midwestern United States. Participants completed a semi-structured qualitative interview with questions about transgender identity development and experiences of gender transitioning. Interview transcripts were analyzed using grounded theory methodology. Themes representing cognitive and interpersonal processes differed in salience throughout the gender transitioning process: cognitive processes were more salient earlier and later in the transition, whereas interpersonal experiences were more salient in the middle of transitioning. Results from this study can inform counseling practice by improving cultural competency in counselors through increasing knowledge about how trans women form their gender identities and experience gender transitioning.

Objective: The current study examined the good-enough level (GEL) and dose-effect model on three outcome variables: well-being, symptom distress, and life functioning, while accounting for therapist effects. The dose-effect model assumes the rate of change is consistent across clients, and the GEL model assumes that the rate of change will vary according to the total length of treatment. Method: The sample included 13,664 clients who completed 2–100 sessions of therapy. Results: The GEL model was a better fit to the data compared to the dose-effect model for all outcomes. There were fewer changes in life functioning compared to well-being and symptom distress for clients. There were significant therapist effects for changes in symptom distress and life functioning, but not for the rates of change in well-being. Conclusion: Therapists should consider the rates of change for their own clients as well as by outcome.

This study examined the relationships between social support, coping, depression, and anxiety in a sample of genderqueer individuals (n = 64). Genderqueer is a label used within the broader transgender community and is defined as a gender identity that is outside the binary construct of male and female. Findings indicate that 53% (n = 34) of participants reported clinical levels of depression and 39% (n = 25) reported clinical levels of anxiety. There was a direct relationship between social support and depression and anxiety, indicating that more social support is associated with less depression and anxiety when statistically excluding coping factors. In addition, more facilitative coping (e.g., seeking help) was related to less anxiety, whereas more avoidant coping (e.g., avoiding emotions) was related to more anxiety and depression. There was a significant interaction between social support and coping factors when predicting anxiety, such that individuals who reported higher social support used more fa...

Allegiance effects have been discussed, debated, and tested over the past several decades. The evidence clearly shows that allegiance affects the findings and representation of therapies that are considered efficacious. We argue that allegiance effects are evident in randomized controlled trials of supportive therapy. Supportive therapy is an established and bona-fide therapy but its implementation as a control group for non-specific elements is a treatment that does not resemble supportive therapy as would be used therapeutically. Allegiance effects in the use of supportive therapy are caused by the design of supportive therapy controls, the therapists who deliver supportive therapy, and the patients who are enrolled in the trials.

Research on mentoring in higher education is increasingly widespread. This article aims to provide insight into different kinds of mentoring programs and the research conducted to determine the eff...