Welcome back for the next journey of The Family Express Podcast with Kathryn de Bruin and Ronda Evans where our destination is resilient and connected families. Today’s guest is Laura Castro, LMFT, PhD. whose life passion and purpose is as a gender affirmative therapist who helps queer adolescents, adults, and families overcome trauma, complex PTSD and relational trauma, and live authentically.

All Aboard !

1:30. Laura begins with how she uncovered her life's purpose.

3:15. Laura provides the landscape of the trans community including the mental health statistics and risks for suicidal ideation, bullying, violence and victimization.

7:30. Youth/adolescent buy-in to therapy is critical.

8:40. What makes for Affirming therapy?

9:40. What makes for non-affirming therapy?

10:20. Laura underscores that systemic harm done by field of psychology and connects this to ongoing mistrust in the queer community.

13:13. Laura discusses the significance of a felt sense of emotional safety including the youth in the decision-making process of choosing a therapist. Laura explains that misgendering undermines emotional safety in the family and in the therapy room.

17:30. Laura discusses qualities of gender affirming therapists.

19:09. Laura describes how therapists can do harm now.

23:50. Laura addresses the role of transparency of the "team family" approach conveyed in individual sessions.

33:00. In EFFT, focusing on the parent in stage 1 relieves the pressure for the youth/adolescent.

34:00. How can we support trans and queer youth?

37:40. We discuss how to frame/see gender identity development and experiences.

39:00. As kids experience their own gender identity process, they need to know that they are loved and supported unconditionally for who they are at any given time on any given day.

40:00. Kathryn summarizes our goals as parents/caregivers and therapists: listen carefully and follow their lead, and they are trying things out and figuring it out, and be ready for rupture and repair.

Thank you for listening! 

Kathryn de Bruin is an ICEEFT Certified EFT Trainer. Kathryn and Ronda are both licensed marriage and family therapists, EFT supervisors and therapists, and AAMFT Approved Supervisors.

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You can follow Laura Castro here:

Affirming Journeys Family Counseling

California LMFT145842 / Florida TPMF1308

AAMFT Clinical Fellow & Approved Supervisor

Cell: 619.387.8386  [email protected]

https://www.affirmingjourneyscounseling.com/