Gender Identity and the Family Story: A Critical Analysis

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dc.contributor.authorBenson, Kristen Edithen
dc.contributor.committeechairPiercy, Fred P.en
dc.contributor.committeememberJohnson, Scott W.en
dc.contributor.committeememberHausman, Bernice L.en
dc.contributor.committeememberFowler, Shelli B.en
dc.contributor.committeememberBava, Salihaen
dc.contributor.departmentHuman Developmenten
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T20:11:16Zen
dc.date.adate2009-05-05en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T20:11:16Zen
dc.date.issued2008-12-11en
dc.date.rdate2009-05-05en
dc.date.sdate2009-04-29en
dc.description.abstractThis research explored how transgender people and their partners experience the process of disclosing their gender identity, experiences of mental health, and how couple and family therapists can be helpful to relationships involving transgender people. The purpose of this study was to better understand transgender relationships to prepare couple and family therapists to work with this population. Participants were seven self-identified transgender people and three of their partners. In-depth interviews were used to explore experiences of transgender people's relationships. Nine themes were identified: decision to disclose, the road to acceptance, perceptions of sexual orientation, change, delineating between purposes for seeking mental health services, belief that therapists are not well-informed about transgender issues, value of well-informed therapists, couple and family therapists should be well-informed, and loved ones understanding of gender identity. This study provides insight into transgender people's relational issues relevant to couple and family therapy. Phenomenological, narrative and feminist lenses provide frameworks to view these findings. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.en
dc.description.degreePh. D.en
dc.identifier.otheretd-04292009-175345en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-04292009-175345/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/27443en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartBensonDissertationFinal.pdfen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectTransgenderen
dc.subjectgender identityen
dc.subjectfeministen
dc.subjectcouple therapyen
dc.subjectfamily therapyen
dc.titleGender Identity and the Family Story: A Critical Analysisen
dc.typeDissertationen
thesis.degree.disciplineHuman Developmenten
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen
thesis.degree.namePh. D.en

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