⚠ Content note: This episode references anti-gender movements and the concepts of hate crimes and hate speech. If you’re unable to engage with these topics right now, you are welcome to skip this episode or come back to it when you feel better resourced.  

From troll farms to toxic platforms, anti-gender movements are pushing disinformation and harassment harder than ever. The result? Real harm to queer lives and mental health. But resistance is possible — and joy is non-negotiable.

In this episode of Intersectional Psychology, Aurora chats with Clinical Psychologist Pierre Brouard about the digital battlefield we’re living in and how to survive it with your sanity intact.

FREE Download of PATHSA's Brief Guide to Dealing with Anti-Trans Disinformation and Intimidation: 

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00:00:00 Land acknowledgement

Whether you’re a health provider facing harassment, a trans or gender-diverse person navigating toxic platforms, or simply an ally wanting to do better online, this conversation is a survival guide for the age of disinfo.

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This episode is a special guided relaxation practice — a Tree Meditation designed to help you release stress, ease anxiety, and reconnect with a sense of safety and grounding. Drawing on polyvagal-informed and relational approaches, this practice invites you to settle into your body, release tension, and gently root yourself like a tree — steady, strong, and supported.

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⚠️ Important note: Some guided meditation practices may not be suitable for people with dissociative conditions. If you are uncertain whether this practice is right for you, please consult your mental healthcare provider before listening.

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Cavé, J. (2025) Integrative Brain-Based Approach. Impact Therapy Training.

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Content note: This episode discusses misogynistic and queermisic legislation, language, and movements. If you’re unable to engage with these topics right now, you are welcome to skip this episode or come back to it when you feel better resourced.  

What do glossy pamphlets, moral panic, and abstinence-only sex ed have in common? They’re all part of the U.S. Christian Right’s campaign to export “pro-family” politics to Africa — and it’s causing real harm. In this episode, we expose how conservative religious groups from the Global North are funding anti-LGBTQIA+ laws, sabotaging reproductive rights, and co-opting decolonial language to disguise a new kind of moral imperialism.

Sociology postdoctoral researcher and author Haley McEwen joins us to discuss the USA and African pro-family movements. We dig into who these groups are, how they operate, and what it takes to resist their growing influence — all through a trans-inclusive, African-centred lens.

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McEwen, H. (2023) The U.S. Christian Right and Pro-Family Politics in 21st Century Africa. Palgrave Macmillan.

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Content note: This episode references transphobic arguments and objections to gender-affirming health care (GAHC) in our discussion and explanation of the guidelines for GAHC. If you’re unable to engage with these topics right now, you are welcome to skip this episode or come back to it when you feel better resourced. 

In this powerful follow-up, host Aurora Brown and Dr Anastacia Tomson, MD, dive deeper into the complexities of gender-affirming healthcare in South Africa. They tackle systemic barriers, debunk pervasive myths, and explore how institutions — from clinics to workplaces — can truly support trans and gender-diverse (TGD) communities. Dr Tomson’s insights blend clinical expertise with lived experience, offering actionable steps towards dignity-centered care.

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00:00:00 Land acknowledgement

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Tomson, A., McLachlan, C., Wattrus, C., Adams, K., Addinall, R., Bothma, R., Jankelowitz, L., Kotze, E., Luvuno, Z., Madlala, N., Matyila, S., Padavatan, A., Pillay, M., Rakumakoe, M., Tomson-Myburgh, M., Venter, W., & de Vries, E. (2021). Southern African HIV Clinicians Society gender-affirming healthcare guideline for South Africa. Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine, 22(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhivmed.v22i1.1299

McKinney, A. Among the Stars, no piano edit. ZapSplat. https://www.zapsplat.com/music/among-the-stars-no-piano-soothing-ambient-choir-portrays-panoramic-space-good-for-landscapes/ 

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Content note: This episode discusses transphobic objections to gender-affirming health care (GAHC) in our explanation of the guidelines for GAHC. If you’re unable to engage with these topics right now, you are welcome to skip this episode or come back to it when you feel better resourced. 

What if the evidence does exist — and it’s just being willfully ignored?

In this episode, clinical psychologist and PsySSA SGD executive member Thembisile Dlamini joins us to unpack the Practice Guidelines for Psychology Professionals Working with Sexually and Gender-Diverse People (2nd edition). These groundbreaking guidelines, published by the Psychological Society of South Africa and the African LGBTQIA+ Human Rights Project, are the only comprehensive, evidence-based mental health guidelines of their kind on the African continent. Together, we explore the real research behind gender-affirming care, the values that underpin the guidelines, and the very deliberate misinformation being spread by anti-trans movements.

We also discuss the role of psychology professionals in countering stigma, upholding self-determination, supporting diverse family structures, and advocating for social justice. If you’re a mental health practitioner, an LGBTQIA+ ally, or someone navigating your own identity, this conversation is for you. Thembisile brings warmth, insight, and clarity to a subject that is too often clouded by fearmongering and bad-faith debate. Spoiler: the evidence is real, the guidelines are robust, and gender-affirming care is mental health care.

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00:00:00 Land acknowledgement

Psychological Society of South Africa. (2025). Practice Guidelines For Psychology Professionals Working With Sexually And Gender-Diverse People. Johannesburg: Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA).

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Content note: This episode references transphobic arguments and objections to gender-affirming health care (GAHC) in our discussion and explanation of the guidelines for GAHC. If you’re unable to engage with these topics right now, you are welcome to skip this episode or come back to it when you feel better resourced. 

This episode kicks off a multi-part series on the health of trans and gender-diverse (TGD) communities in South Africa. Dr Anastacia Tomson — medical doctor, activist, and lead author of South Africa's groundbreaking gender-affirming healthcare guidelines — joins us to dispel myths, clarify misconceptions, and highlight the life-saving importance of evidence-based, compassionate care.

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00:00:00 Land acknowledgement

00:00:28 Title credits

00:00:43 Health disclaimer

00:01:38 Welcome and introduction

00:05:11 About the work of Dr Anastacia Tomson

00:11:16 The real values underpinning gender-affirming health care (GAHC)

00:19:27 The actual access to GAHC

00:23:32 Gender-inclusive language 101

00:27:01 Non-medical gender-affirming practices

00:33:23 What is hormone therapy actually?

00:41:38 What is gender-affirming surgery actually?

00:50:59 A future for everyone

00:56:17 End credits

Tomson, A., McLachlan, C., Wattrus, C., Adams, K., Addinall, R., Bothma, R., Jankelowitz, L., Kotze, E., Luvuno, Z., Madlala, N., Matyila, S., Padavatan, A., Pillay, M., Rakumakoe, M., Tomson-Myburgh, M., Venter, W., & de Vries, E. (2021). Southern African HIV Clinicians Society gender-affirming healthcare guideline for South Africa. Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhivmed.v22i1.1299 

Tomson, A. (2020). Always Anastacia. Jeppestown: Jonathan Ball Publishers.

McKinney, A. Among the Stars, no piano edit. ZapSplat. https://www.zapsplat.com/music/among-the-stars-no-piano-soothing-ambient-choir-portrays-panoramic-space-good-for-landscapes/

Miles, D. Shades of Orange. ZapSplat. https://www.zapsplat.com/music/shades-of-orange-a-serene-relaxing-warm-ambient-piece-with-slow-mellow-chords-perfect-for-relaxation-meditation-etc/

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Aurora drops into your feed for a brief announcement in lieu of this week's episode. 

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This episode is a gentle full-body breath awareness practice cultivating self-compassion through mindful breathing. It builds on the diaphragmatic breathing we did in our last relaxation practice to help you soften into your body, release judgment, and affirm your inherent worth.

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00:00:00 Land acknowledgement

This episode of Intersectional Psychology was researched, written, recorded, and edited by Aurora Brown.

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Aurora and Neesha delve deeper into trauma-informed counselling for children in South Africa. They discuss the lingering effects of systemic oppression, practical approaches to trauma care for young clients, and how parents and professionals can support healing. Neesha also shares essential self-care strategies for those working in emotionally demanding fields.

Download a transcript of this episode on IntersectionalPsychology.com.

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00:00:00 Land acknowledgement

00:00:28 Title credits

00:00:49 Welcome and introduction

00:01:17 Power, freedom, and difference in mental health care

00:09:36 Trauma-informed mental health care with children

00:20:11 How parents can support the mental health of their children

00:29:11 Trauma-informed self care

00:33:07 Navigating the future of child mental health care

00:34:37 End credits

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You can contribute to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund at https://www.pcrf.net/ 

This episode of Intersectional Psychology was researched, written, recorded, and edited by Aurora Brown.

Cochrane, L. and Chellan, W. (2017). "The Group Areas Act affected us all": Apartheid and Socio-Religious Change in the Cape Town Muslim Community, South Africa, Oral History Forum D’histoire Orale, 2. http://www.oralhistoryforum.ca/index.php/ohf/article/download/644/724.

DeepTheme Audio. Analog Bubbles. ZapSplat. https://www.zapsplat.com/music/analog-bubbles-dreamy-calm-and-carefree-musical-bumper-stinger-intro-outro/

Miles, D. Shades of Orange. ZapSplat. https://www.zapsplat.com/music/shades-of-orange-a-serene-relaxing-warm-ambient-piece-with-slow-mellow-chords-perfect-for-relaxation-meditation-etc/

Ngubane, N.P. and De Gama, B.Z. (2024). The influence of culture on the cause, diagnosis and treatment of serious mental illness (Ufufunyana): Perspectives of traditional health practitioners in the Harry Gwala District, KwaZulu-Natal, Culture Medicine and Psychiatry, 48(3), pp. 634–654. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11013-024-09863-7.

Perks, B. (2024). Trauma Proof. ITHAKA.

Yehuda, R. (2022). How parents' trauma leaves biological traces in children, SCIAM.

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In this episode, Aurora sits down with Registered Counsellor Neesha Chhiba to explore decolonial approaches to counselling children in South Africa. They discuss the historical, socioeconomic, and cultural factors shaping mental health challenges, the limitations of Western-centric psychology, and practical ways to integrate culturally responsive care into practice.

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 🎁 Support this podcast and access bonus content, including additional episodes and interviews, as well as more guided mindfulness sessions, go to Patreon.com/IntersectionalPsychology. As an independent media creator, I really appreciate your support.

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Download a transcript of this episode on IntersectionalPsychology.com.

00:00:00 Land acknowledgement

00:00:28 Title credits

00:00:52 Welcome and introduction

00:01:54 About the work of Neesha Chhiba

00:12:43 Factors impacting the mental health of children in South Africa

00:29:30 Decolonial practice with children

00:42:34 End credits

Cochrane, L. and Chellan, W. (2017). "The Group Areas Act affected us all": Apartheid and Socio-Religious Change in the Cape Town Muslim Community, South Africa, Oral History Forum D’histoire Orale, 2. http://www.oralhistoryforum.ca/index.php/ohf/article/download/644/724.

DeepTheme Audio. Analog Bubbles. ZapSplat. https://www.zapsplat.com/music/analog-bubbles-dreamy-calm-and-carefree-musical-bumper-stinger-intro-outro/

Miles, D. Shades of Orange. ZapSplat. https://www.zapsplat.com/music/shades-of-orange-a-serene-relaxing-warm-ambient-piece-with-slow-mellow-chords-perfect-for-relaxation-meditation-etc/

Ngubane, N.P. and De Gama, B.Z. (2024). The influence of culture on the cause, diagnosis and treatment of serious mental illness (Ufufunyana): Perspectives of traditional health practitioners in the Harry Gwala District, KwaZulu-Natal, Culture Medicine and Psychiatry, 48(3), pp. 634–654. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11013-024-09863-7

Perks, B. (2024). Trauma Proof. ITHAKA.

Yehuda, R. (2022). How parents' trauma leaves biological traces in children, SCIAM.