Gender Doula Program
Gender exploration is an exciting and illuminating process that can also bring new stresses, questions, and uncertainties. If you need help navigating difficult conversations, exploring your options for transition, talking through your questions, or just knowing where to start, consider signing up to work one-on-one with Spectrum Center’s Gender Doula.​
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This program is offered at no cost, but registration is required.
What a Gender Doula Can Do For You
The purpose of a Gender Doula is to help you navigate the exciting but sometimes overwhelming process of exploring and affirming your own gender identity. This can take the form of helping you work through the ‘questioning’ stage, giving you tools and advice on how to navigate difficult conversations with family members, friends, or employers, assisting you in finding your personal style, or just helping you answer the question “what’s next?” in regards to your journey. Just as there is no one way to transition or live your authentic life, everyone’s path will look different. My goal as a Gender Doula is not to take your challenges away from you or tell you the “right way” to face them, but to answer questions, give support, and help you develop your own set of tools to make your own way. Your goals will be ones developed and set by you (with my support) to help you accomplish what you want for yourself.
What a Gender Doula is NOT
The work of a Gender Doula is an emerging field, and as such, there is no governing body to license or certify individuals. It’s important for me to state upfront that I am not a licensed behavioral health provider, nor should our work together be seen as a form of or substitute for therapy, counseling, or other behavioral health care.
As mentioned in the previous section, a Gender Doula is not a final authority when it comes to gender exploration or transitioning. I cannot tell you the “right way” to transition, definitively answer for you what your gender identity is, or give you a guaranteed-to-succeed script for talking to your unsupportive relatives, because everyone’s goals, journey, and life are different. What worked for me or for another client may not work for you. While I have the life-experience of being the trans person I am, I am not the “expert” at every possible path or way to transition. As such, I will often need to research answers for you. In many ways, we will learn together in a collaborative, conversational process rather than me providing you a set of one-size-fits-all instructions. I cannot guarantee that you will have accomplished all of your goals by the end of our time working together, but my aim is to give you the tools to continue working towards them even after we part ways.
What Does the Process Look Like?
The first step to starting our work together will be for me to learn more about you and your goals. After you register and are accepted as a client, I will have a brief questionnaire for you to answer. When we meet for the first time, I will go over your answers with you and together we will begin setting a plan for which of your goals to address and how we will approach them. After your initial intake, we will meet (either in-person, virtually, or over the phone) for five more sessions, either weekly or biweekly, to check in, evaluate how things are going, and for you to share any concerns, changes, or new areas of support you might need
What Does This Program Cost?
There is no cost to the client for Gender Doula services, thanks to the grants which fund our program. However, we cannot cover the cost of incidental expenses incurred. For instance, if you would like help finding a hair dresser and setting up an appointment, we can absolutely do so, but the client will be responsible for paying for the services provided by the hair dresser.
How Can I Register?
Please fill out the form at the link below to start the process. We only see a set number of clients at one time, so you may need to be put a waitlist. We will contact you via email to let you know when you've been accepted.
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