Institute for Psychological Advancement

Transgender and Gender Nonbinary (TGNB) individuals are a growing population, with over 75% desiring mental health services at some point in their lives. TGNB individuals have a unique experience of discovering their gender identity does not align with society's prescribed expectations. They often experience discrimination, harassment, rejection, and challenges navigating healthcare as a result of their identity. Still, TGNB clients also develop increased self-awareness, establish new communities, and learn to embrace authenticity through this identity process. Clinicians will receive an introduction to basic identity terms, common experiences facing this population, how to support clients with the current standards of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), and how to create a welcoming environment for TGNB clients.

Facilitators:  Loren Bauerband, PhD (they/them) & Julie Kohlhart, PhD (she/her)

At the time the training was developed, Dr. Bauerband was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of Missouri – Columbia. They earned their PhD in Behavioral Science, with an emphasis in research methodology, from the University of Rhode Island. They have been researching transgender and gender nonbinary (TGNB) individuals for over 10 years. During this time, Dr. Bauerband has witnessed substantial shifts within the TGNB population, including language around identity, priority areas for health needs, and health behavior risks. As a result of these changes and the increasing diversity within the population, Dr. Bauerband’s primary research focuses on investigating how the process of identity realization and transition has changed across age cohorts, and how these changes affect mental health. 

At the time the training was developed, Dr. Kohlhart was director of Community Counseling and Assessment Services (CCAS), which is a training clinic for graduate students to become counselors and counseling psychologists at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC). Dr. Kohlhart is a licensed psychologist, and she teaches courses in substance use treatment and assessment, and she supervises students’ clinical work.  She also has a private practice where she works with clients who are LGBTQ+ and gender diverse. She has more than 15 years experience being a therapist in Kansas City in settings such as the VA hospital, community mental health, substance use treatment, and college counseling centers.  

Learning Level: Basic

Target Audience: This course is designed for professional counselors, school counselors, social workers, marital and family therapists, psychologists, addiction counselors, case managers, nurses, and other health care professionals.

Continuing Education: To obtain the certificate of completion for the 1.5 hours associated with this course, the participant will need to complete the online course and earn a passing score of 75% on the post-test.

Each course offered designates the number of clock hours.  Be sure to check with your professional board as they will specify how many CE/CEU hours are equal to one clock hour (e.g., 1 CE = 50 minutes, 1 CE = 60 minutes). 

This course has been approved by the Missouri State Committee for Social Workers for 1.5 hours of continuing education.

Institute for Psychological Advancement has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider™, ACEP No. 7124. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Institute for Psychological Advancement is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. This course qualifies for 1.5 NBCC hours.

The content of this course may meet requirements for continuing education for most national, state, and local licensing boards and professional organizations.  Many boards and professional organizations will accept continuing education that is relevant to each profession (i.e., for professional counselors content must be primarily related to counseling, for psychologists content must be mostly psychological, and so on) and/or that has been approved by another professional association in the human services field.  Be sure to print the event description and submit with your certificate of attendance to your professional board for consideration.  For rules governing continuing education and to confirm whether this course qualifies for continuing education, participants should contact their respective regulatory boards.  Participants may also contact IPA and we will do our best to answer your questions.

CEs by Profession and State (ipa-kc.com) 

Course Access:  You will have access to the course and materials for 120 days from the time of registration. Completion certificates are immediately available with a passing score of 75% on the post-test. 

Registration:  Registration for online courses is available on our website. For manual registration or payment by check, please contact IPA. 

We strive to represent diverse experiences thoughtfully and inclusively through the language we use. However, we recognize that language can be imperfect and may sometimes feel biased or hurtful. Please know this is never our intention, and we greatly appreciate your feedback on how we can improve. Your suggestions are always welcome as we continue to learn and grow.