Using Emotion to Foster Acceptance: A Treatment Approach for Family Therapists Working with Transgender Adolescents and their Families

Currently, there is limited research and clinical focus on family therapy with transgender adolescents. When an adolescent discloses his/her transgender identity to his/her family, the family can experience an array of emotions, such as fear, distrust, anger, and sadness, along with confusion and invalidating behavior that can threaten secure attachment among family members. The purpose of this paper is to present a family therapy treatment approach for therapists working with transgender adolescents that is both culturally sensitive to the needs of these families as well as based on a systemic family therapy model. Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) is a systemic model that is grounded in attachment theory and focuses on using emotion as a key tool in restructuring problematic relational patterns and fostering more secure family bonds. Through the use of a hypothetical case study, this paper aims at illustrating how EFFT can help family members process feelings related to the transgender identity of an adolescent family member and restore their attachment in a manner that strengthens family relationships and bonds.

Child Centered Play-Therapy with a Child Diagnosed with Kabuki Syndrome

Kabuki Syndrome (KS) is a rare genetic disorder first diagnosed in 1981 (Matsumoto & Niikawa, 2003). It's clinical presentation and treatment is unknown by most clinicians the mental health fields. Children with KS present with unique facial characteristics, mental retardation, health problems and socio-emotional delays that are often mistaken for other diagnostic problems. Literature detailing the psychological and psychosocial features of this disorder is scant, and psychotherapeutic approaches have not been described. In this article we present a brief review of Kabuki Syndrome, highlighting its signs and symptoms. Differential diagnoses are identified to aid the clinician in better understanding this unique and relatively unheard of syndrome. Finally, a client-centered play therapy and parent consultation approach is described that addresses the many child and family challenges that may accompany KS.