Informed Consent for Mental Health Counselors Working with Transitioning Clients

Description: Informed Consent in the world of medicine relates to a patient being educated and indicating understanding of both the beneficial and the potential negative effects of a particular medication or treatment. For people transitioning from their assigned gender at birth to their identified gender, Informed Consent goes beyond the physical effects of hormone therapy or surgery and needs to cover the full spectrum of psychological and environmental effects of each step in the transition process. This presentation covers the range of issues about which a mental health provider needs to inform transitioning clients for them to be reasonable in their expectations before, during, and after transition.

CE Broker Tracking #: 20-902101

This event is sponsored by FMHCA, an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider. FMHCA NBCC Provider# 2058. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  FMHCA is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. This course is approved by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling, LMHC, LMFT, LCSW – FMHCA CE Broker #: 50-748

Learning Objectives:

1. Define “Informed Consent” from both a medical and a mental health perspective.
2. Describe the intention of “Informed Consent” from a mental health perspective.
3. Identify those areas in which a transitioning person may be uninformed or have misinformation about transition.
4. List some examples of how a transitioning person may have unrealistic expectations about their transition.

About the Presenter:

Dr. Carol L. Clark is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Board Certified Sex Therapist, Board Certified Transgender Care Therapist, and Certified Addictions Professional. She has extensive experience evaluating and treating the wide variety of therapeutic issues that arise throughout the lifespan of individuals in gender transition. In addition to psychotherapy, Dr. Clark is an approved Continuing Education provider for several boards. She is a workshop presenter for the therapeutic community and has participated in various community education projects to expand gender identity awareness and develop sensitivity to issues involving sexuality. Dr. Clark is author of the book, Addict America: The Lost Connection, which is based on the innovative premise that addiction is not limited to drugs or alcohol, but is truly about the over-the-top, out-of-control life-styles that have detached Americans from each other and their spiritual Connections. Dr. Carol Clark looks at addiction as something in and of itself, a condition rather than a substance abuse or behavioral problem. Dr. Clark is owner and president of the International Institute of Clinical Sexology, the Sex Therapy Training Institute and the Addiction Therapy Training Institute, where she provides the educational requirements and supervision to those clinicians who wish to specialize in these areas. In 2012, she realized her dream of developing a transgender care certification program in response to a deep need for clinicians knowledgeable in this field. She created a board of like-minded professionals and is now President of the Board of the International Transgender Certification Association, which is training and certifying clinicians in the U.S. and other countries.