Shifting Families
Towards Acceptance
Missy Sturtevant, LCSW
MaeBright Group, LLC
Goals
1. Review gender identity and development
2. Up-to-date research on effects of family
acceptance and rejection
3. Build skills for meeting family where they are and
shift to acceptance
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Agreements
1. Learning and growing space
4. Don’t get caught up in language
2. What’s said here stays here,
5. Take care of yourself
What’s learned here leaves here
6. Share the air
3. Have an open mind
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Introductions
Name
Pronouns
He, She, They, etc.
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Role
Romantic Orientation/
Assigned Sex at Birth/
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Adapted from original concept: González, Prell, Rivas, Schwartz
Sexual Orientation
Gay/Lesbian
Bisexual/
Pansexual
Straight
Assigned Sex at Birth
Male
Intersex
Female
Gender Identity
Man
Non-Binary
Woman
Gender Expression
Masculine
Androgynous
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Adapted from: itspronouncedmetrosexual.com
Feminine
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Family Acceptance Project
Does family acceptance/rejection
effect a child’s health and wellbeing?
What messages work for shifting
families towards acceptance?
What is are shared goals
between parents and children?
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•
English
•
Spanish
•
Chinese
•
LDS
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Research Findings
•
Accepting vs. Rejecting
•
Effects of family rejection/acceptance on health
and mental health
•
Responses from family to learning how their
behavior affects their child’s risk
•
Effect of uncertainty and concern
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What is Accepting or
Rejecting?
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Effects of Rejecting Behavior
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Effects of Rejecting Behavior
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Effects of Rejecting Behavior
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Research Findings
•
Some rejecting behaviors can be just as harmful
as physical abuse
•
Behavior with intentions of protection from harm,
high risk for suicide, depression, health problems
•
Reducing rejecting behaviors reduces risk
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Be sure to tell your child
you love them
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Effects of Accepting Behavior
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Effects of Accepting Behavior
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Which of the rejecting
behaviors is the most
difficult for you?
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Practice
•
What is the behavior?
•
How long have you been meeting?
•
What does empathy look like in this meeting?
•
Is research useful here? How?
•
What does a plan look like?
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What strategies and skills
did people use?
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Questions
Missy Sturtevant, LCSW
[email protected]
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