Trans-Inclusive Therapy Practices, Part I

This is the first of two panel discussions with experienced therapists whose practices include transgender and nonbinary clients. We’ll hear from a group of therapists about inclusive practices, gender-affirming therapy, and how individual therapists approach working with transgender and nonbinary clients.

Panelists:

Kim Skerven (she/her) is a psychologist at the Center for Behavioral Medicine. She is a Certified DBT Clinician and offers a DBT skills training group exclusively for LGBTQ+ participants. She also offers psychological evaluations for transgender and nonbinary adults seeking hormones or surgery.

Jan Singer, LCSW, has been working as a psychotherapist for over 40 years, and has worked with the LGBTQI+ community from the beginning. Jan has witnessed a transformation of services and acceptance in that time that has been both heartening and disturbing. Jan worked as the psychotherapist for the only licensed feminist health center in WI during the early 1980s, and served as the social worker for SAGE/Milwaukee working with older LGBTQI+ individuals, both positions where many clients were seeking acceptance and respect for who they were. Jan’s recent focus is working with younger LGBTQI+ clients in helping individuals and families balance their love for their family members while allowing everyone to be true to themselves within the family constellation.

Travis Trott, LCSW, has been working as a psychotherapist since 2013, and in Milwaukee since 2016. He works largely with queer and trans clients specializing in identity, life transitions, trauma recovery, and spiritual/existential concerns. He takes an eclectic approach, drawing on humanistic, feminist, narrative, and multicultural therapies. He also practices Focusing, a meditative technique that allows people to better access their intuition and inner resources. He lives in Milwaukee with his husband and possibly the sweetest dog in the world.