Relationship Transformation
Workshop Description
There can be much discussion on how to best support someone through a gender transition and often very little discussion addressing the ways we can support and nurture partners or other loved ones. A gender transition can be overwhelming and liberating for a trans person, and for the people who love them. It may result in some pretty profound changes for spouses/partners as well. The stress can be very hard on all people. Many relationships, even loving, supportive ones, often do not survive the upheaval because this support and understanding can be hard to find. Partners often find themselves in the advocate/educator role with others while providing the bulk of the emotional support to their transitioning spouse. This journey can leave them isolated, drained, and with nowhere to turn for any resulting difficulties they might be experiencing. In this workshop, we will discuss ways of offering support to partners and insights into how an individual’s gender transition is truly a transition and transformation for everyone.
Conference Track
Family
Primary Contact
cath busha
Workshop Presenters
Cath Busha
Presenter Bio
Cath Busha (she/her/they/them/he/his/Cath) is a dean of student engagement at a community college in Washington state. Prior to working in higher education, Cath worked professionally in the LGBTQ movement for 15 years, including positions at LGBTQ community centers in Tucson, Denver, and Boulder. Cath’s intersectional community organizing has included systems-level and individual work with youth, immigrants, people of color, queer people, and poor people. They hold a bachelor’s degree in secondary education (English) from Millersville University in Pennsylvania and a master’s in social work from Arizona State University.
Bevyn Rowland
Presenter Bio
Dr. Bevyn Rowland (she/her/Bevyn) is a licensed clinical psychologist and professor at an open-enrollment college in Washington State. She is passionate about helping her clients, students, and members of her community live their very best lives by embracing, honoring, and nurturing their whole selves. She holds master’s and doctoral degrees in psychology (Pacific University); she completed her post-doctoral residency at Cornell University after an APA-accredited internship at the University of Idaho.