Mihael MacBeth, a fourth-year graduate student in the ecological-community psychology research area, first authored an article that was selected as an Editor’s Choice Article in the July issue of the Journal of Counseling Psychology. The paper analyzed therapy experiences of transgender and nonbinary clients over the course of a year.
Mihael recently shared about their research, what it means to be recognized with an Editor’s Choice Article, and what impact they are hoping this research has.
Congratulations! What does it mean to you to have your paper named the Editor’s Choice Article?
Editor’s choice articles are selected based on their potential for significant impacts on the field or their likelihood of elevating important future directions for science. It’s such an honor for this work to be recognized as adding to the field in these ways. Every day, I’m inspired and encouraged by how many people are continuing to produce incredible trans research. Having our team’s work uplifted is a reminder that we aren’t alone in the work we do, and that reminder is really powerful. To be able to contribute to such an amazing field is something I’m grateful for.
What are the key findings of the research?
The study looks at the quality and dynamics of therapy experiences for trans and nonbinary clients and how these change over time. We found that, for therapy to really thrive, three ingredients were needed: the therapist’s respect and affirmation for trans people; the therapist’s use of strong clinical skills; and the therapist offering forms of practical support, like resources for gender-affirming health care. For example, a therapist who’s very supportive of trans people is helpful, but without clinical skills or insight, the relationship tended to fizzle out. Similarly, being able to address current events and issues that were relevant to the trans community was important to keeping the relationship strong and beneficial.
We also found that being gender-affirming as a therapist opens the door for the relationship to grow in a lot of cases. If their relationship was built on a foundation of being trans-affirming, clients who came in wanting to talk about trans-related issues would often feel more comfortable to open up about their mental health. The opposite was also true – clients who initially wanted to talk about their mental health as unrelated to their gender experiences tended to feel more comfortable discussing gender when their therapist consistently showed up as someone affirming.
What impact do you hope this study will have?
Everyone deserves therapy that can meaningfully better their lives. Psychology as a field has a rocky history with trans people, and it’s really important to me as both a trans person and a researcher that we take steps to make therapy accessible and affirming. This is a modest contribution towards such a lofty goal, but I hope that it’s a step in the right direction towards healthier, longer-lasting relationships between trans folks and their therapists.