Many transgender, non-binary, and gender diverse (TNGD) individuals experience a sense of incongruence between their gender identity and their body. Some choose to access gender-affirming medical care, including hormonal therapy and surgery. TNGD people seeking gender-affirming surgery must work with a mental health professional who assesses their history and readiness for care and provides them with a letter of referral indicating their readiness for surgery. 

There is a robust research base on people's experience with gender-affirming medical care. Most TNGD people report positive outcomes and satisfaction with their chosen medical interventions. However, there is little research on TNGD people’s experience with pre-surgical assessment. This study will seek to fill that gap by interviewing TNGD people who completed pre-surgical assessment with a mental health professional, using an open-ended interview to closely understand TNGD people’s experience.

• A brief demographic survey which includes information about your rights as a participant

• A 5-10 minute phone intake to confirm your understanding of the informed consent information and ensure you meet the study requirements

• Agreeing to be contacted for a single 90-minute interview via Zoom (not all participants will be selected)

• The interview will involve answering questions about your experience with pre-surgical mental health assessment with a mental health provider.

• Sharing contact information for how to reach you if you are selected for an interview.

Participants will receive a $40 gift card as thanks for participation.

If you would like to participate, the link below will lead to the online survey, which includes a consent form containing more information about the study for eligible participants.

My name is Riley Abeles (they/them). I am a doctoral student of clinical psychology at the Wright Institute in Berkeley, California. I identify as queer and non-binary and became interested in pre-surgical assessment while working with queer and trans individuals at an LGBTQ+ health center. I am interested in exploring the impact of the field of mental health on TNGD people's experience. 

The chair for my dissertation is Dr. Benjamin Morsa, Psy.D., bmorsa@wi.edu.