From Pathology to Identity – The emergence of transgender and the meaning for clients

Biography

Michelle Bridgman MSc; UK Registered Psychotherapist, Consultant and Speaker on Gender Identity
http://michellebridgman.com/

Michelle is a member of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP). She’s also a member of WPATH (World Professional Association of Transgendered Health) and is currently undertaking a Doctoral programme with Middlesex University where she is researching treatment pathways for trans people.

Michelle provides counselling and psychotherapy for anyone questioning or in conflict with their gender identity. As clinicians finally realise that this is not about mental illness and they need to cease diagnosing people with Gender Identity Disorder as the phrase Gender Dysphoria is more generally used to describe someone who is unhappy with or doesn’t identify with the gender assigned at birth.

Gender Dysphoria simply means dissatisfaction with a person’s assigned gender. Not every person questioning their gender identifies as MTF, FTM, Trans, Transsexual, Transgender, Transvestite, or Gender Queer, for some people a compromise can be the best solution.

Many of Michelle’s clients come go to her for therapy because they feel stuck, confused or are questioning whether they can come to terms with remaining in the gender role they were assigned at birth. Some feel a change of gender maybe their only solution.

Michelle’s work is with male to female (MTF) and female to male (FTM) clients and she also provides counselling for children battling with similar challenges. Counselling for minors requires the inclusion of their parents or guardians.