Gender-Affirming Care in Professional Counseling

Episode

In this episode, The Thoughtful Counselor welcomes Drs. Anneliese Singh (she/they) and Sand Chang (they/them) to discuss their new book A Clinician's Guide to Gender-Affirming Care (2nd ed.). Anneliese, Sand, and contributing host Dr. Theo Burnes discuss unique strategies and tips for integrating gender-affirming care and liberation into the multiple work domains of professional counseling. Topics addressed include centering the deconstruction of the gender binary in practice, writing books as a professional counselor, and tips and strategies for counseling practice.

Guests

Dr. Anneliese Singh, PhD, LPC (she/they) is a Professor at Tulane University in the School of Social Work with a joint appointment in Psychology. Dr. Singh’s scholarship focuses on racial healing, racial trauma, and the psychological processes that support individual and collective liberation, as well as gender-affirming care with transgender and nonbinary adults. Their research and scholarship examine the intersections of identity, systemic healthcare inequities, resilience, thriving, and liberation, with particular attention to translating research into transformative clinical practice, education, and community engagement. Dr. Singh is the author of The Racial Healing Handbook and The Queer and Trans Resilience Workbook, and co-author of A Clinician’s Guide to Gender-Affirming Care (with Sand C. Chang) and Affirmative Counseling and Psychological Practice with Trans and Nonbinary Clients (with Rafe McCullough). Across their scholarship, teaching, and leadership, Dr. Singh advances interdisciplinary approaches to addressing structural healthcare inequities, fostering resilience, and cultivating more culturally-responsive communities. Dr. Singh is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA) and American Counseling Association (ACA), Past-President of the Society of Counseling Psychology (APA Division 17), and a licensed professional counselor and psychologist. Born and raised in New Orleans, Anneliese finds deep joy with their partner, family, and friends - as well as in their beloved city where culture, music, food, festivals, second lines, and the city’s extraordinary spirit of community make everyday life a celebration and remind us of the critical social change needed for freedom and liberation.

Dr. Sand Chang (they/them) is a Chinese American nonbinary psychologist, author, and trainer with 20+ years of experience working with individuals and organizations. Dr. Chang’s work is rooted in social justice and body liberation for all, with a special focus on gender affirming care. Dr. Chang’s writing includes All Parts Welcome: The Queer and Trans Internal Family Systems Workbook (2025), A Clinician's Guide to Gender Affirming Care (2018, 2026), and APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Clients (2015). Dr. Chang has served as a board member and editor for Trans Bodies, Trans Selves, co-author of WPATH SOC8, co-founder of The Gender Affirming Letter Access Project (The GALAP), member of Harvard Medical School Sexual and Gender Minority Health Equity Initiative Professional Advisory Council, and Chair of the APA Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity (CSOGD). Dr. Chang’s clinical work is focused on eating disorders, trans health, and trauma healing through Internal Family Systems, Somatic Experiencing, and EMDR. They are a Co-Lead Trainer with the IFS Institute and Queer and Trans Internal Family Systems (QTIFS).