Reducing Cisgenderisms in Relationship and Family Therapy:

Dr Markie Blumer & Mr Gávi Ansara

When?

Thursday 9 August 2012, 13.30 to 15.30

Where?

01AC02

Open to:

Public, Staff, Students

Speaker:

Dr Markie Blumer & Mr Gávi Ansara

Assistant Professor Dr Markie Blumer, a Family Therapist and approved American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) supervisor, received a summer 2012 Greenspun College of Urban Affairs Research Support Grant to visit final year PhD Researcher Gávi Ansara in the School of Psychology for collaboration on a workshop and relevant publications. The August 9th workshop at Surrey focused on reducing cisgenderism—ideology that delegitimises people’s own designations of their genders (Ansara, 2012; Ansara & Hegarty, 2012).

Previous findings indicate that pathologising forms of cisgenderism about children are more widespread in mental health professions than in other fields (Ansara & Hegarty, 2012). People whose genders have been delegitimised by others are also ignored and marginalised in relationship and Family Therapy research and practice (Blumer & Barbachano, 2008; Blumer, Green, Knowles, & Williams, 2012). Ideological assumptions embedded in counselling practices can often perpetuate or reproduce forms of cisgenderism that adversely affect people’s relationships, families, and sexual health (e.g., Ansara, 2010; Ansara, 2012). Currently, there is little to no professional dialogue about these issues, which makes reflexive discussion crucial.

The workshop was attended by a small but dedicated group that included a trainee counselling psychology doctoral student, a PhD researcher studying masculinities, an experienced counsellor who is also a PhD researcher, and three highly experienced gender-focused therapists who travelled from other regions of the UK to attend. Gávi introduced the cisgenderism framework and explained how different forms of cisgenderism can manifest in clinical and counselling settings, using evidence both from research and from his past professional experiences. Markie explored the often hidden forms of cisgenderism in both mainstream and feminist understandings of counselling practice and family therapy. Both Gávi and Markie discussed the negative effects of cisgenderism on families, family therapy, relationships, and the therapeutic alliance. The group discussed examples of cisgenderism in Family Therapy and reflected together on ways to reduce cisgenderism in participants’ own practices with families, parents, partners, and supervisees.

Wales-based psychotherapist Alex Drummond, who includes couples counselling and gender-focused counselling among her multiple areas of specialisation, described the event as “a thought-provoking and stimulating workshop that worked at the cutting edge of academic and cultural thinking”, noting that “consideration was given to the exploration of  how language structures present both explicit and implicit modes of oppression and certainly this workshop went some way to illustrate the way language could both intentionally (or unintentionally) negate an individual's sense of self or afford a validation.” She noted that the workshop “offered participants the opportunity to explore and consider new ideas around how we engage with clients and how existing modes of engagement may unwittingly be leaving unspoken harm...” According to Drummond, “the workshop was both timely and in many ways ahead of its time as we recognised the gulf between rank and file therapists, emerging from colleges with minimal awareness of gender and sexual diversity issues and those of us who attended the workshop, who brought considerable experience to the room.”

Surrey PhD candidate Lisa Wake had similarly positive feedback. Lisa described the event as a “powerful and insightful workshop that facilitated an embodied experience of validity and respect for the many faces of gender. Gavi and Markie provided an excellent backdrop to enable open discourse around this much ignored issue. Future events should be longer which would enable greater exploration of this subject.” Lisa also noted that “the lack of representation from the psychology community was a shame”. Psychologists who missed this opportunity to engage with Markie and Gávi’s work will have future opportunities to do so. As part of the grant, Gávi and Markie will be preparing two journal articles for peer-reviewed publication based on the workshop topic. As Alex Drummond observed, “the workshop was a valuable starting point to explore new discourses in therapy and further workshops could no doubt take these ideas forward in the future." Accordingly, Gávi and Markie plan to collaborate on future workshops for therapists and counsellors internationally.