Whatever your field of counselling you cannot exclude the possibility of working with gender variant clients - Transgender and Intersex people can have relationship problems, bereavements, issues with orientation, experience of abuse, become victims of trauma, and suffer emotional breakdown just as much as any other human being. In addition to this most are endowed with a fundamental sense of displacement through difference, and many struggle to feel a part of our binarily gendered society. Being a minority with whom many therapists lack familiarity means that they also suffer the indignity of actually being turned away by some providers, or being met with assumptions and attitudes that compound their distress.

This workshop aims to open the way to more positive therapeutic connections with gender variant clients through providing insight into their frames of reference, and the opportunity to share a variety of illustrative case studies. Against a backdrop of relevant clinical and social history (including recent legislation), participants will gain insight into diverse trans-perspectives of life, the pressures experienced by both Transgender and Intersex people within a Heteronormative society, the principle causes and effect of shame on gender-based minorities, and the value a therapeutic relationship can bring them across a broad range of life situations.

Facilitator, Tina Livingstone has been involved in support work within the trans-community since 1990, she is an associate member of the Gender Trust, a member of GIRES and one of the principal founding members of Depend, which supports friends and family members of transsexual people.

Working in private practice since 1999, she respects the individual’s right to self-definition and has a wide experience of counselling cross-dressing, transvestite, transgender, transsexual and intersex people, both face-to-face and online. Tina also works as a consultant to employers supporting gender transition at work across the U.K., and has devised and delivered training with regard to trans issues for counsellors, help-liners, and speech therapists, at both local and national level.

Saturday 14th January 2006 1pm - 7pm Central London £85 for members of the Directory of Pink Therapists; £95 for others

The Faculty of HIV/Sexual Health of the Division of Clinical Psychology and the Lesbian and Gay Section of the BPS are holding a one day conference on Friday 18th November at the Resource Centre, Holloway Road, London N7.

The conference is open to non BPS members so counsellors and psychotherapists interested in sex, sexuality and sexual health are welcome. £65 for non members, less for members.

Have You Undertaken a Couples Therapy Training? Cloud Taylor is a clinical associate with Pink Therapy and she would like to invite any sexual minority therapists who have undergone couple's therapy trainings to answer a short questionnaire in preparation for an article. Names of therapists and courses will remain confidential. Please email: cloud.taylor@pinktherapy.com

BPS West Midlands is holding a one day conference entitled: Is Gender an issue in Working as a Psychologist?

The event will feature keynote presentations from Prof Andrew Samuels: Men, Masculinity Clinical and Cultural Dilemmas; Dr Lyndsey Moon: Keying Gender, a therapist's experience of working with transgender clients and Dominic Davies: Training Needs in working with Sexual Minorities. The speakers will also facilitate study groups for deeper exploration.

The conference is being held at Wolverhampton University on Saturday 12 November 2005 and is open to non-members of BPS. Registration: £30 for BPS members and £45 for non members (incl vegetarian lunch).

Further info from Erica Wilson, 15 Bridgnorth Grove, Willenhall, West Midlands WV12 4RX

Directory member, Jonathan Lake and Rob Finley are starting a mixed therapy group in West Hampstead. This will run Thursday or possibly Friday evenings from 6-8pm. If you can think of any clients who may be interested they would appreciate if you would bear this group in mind. The fees will be aimed at lower income clients.

PACE are advertising for a Full-Time Family Support Worker to work with Howard Delmonte. Closing date is 19th October. Contact Howard for further information: hdelmonte@pace.dircon.co.uk