Transforming Practice: Life Stories of Transgender Men that Change How Health Providers Work

by Marcus Greatheart

Transforming Practice is an exploration of life satisfaction, health and wellness among transgender men, as told in their own words. While many focus on what is wrong with trans people, trans-ally Marcus Greatheart asked satisfied, post-transition trans men what worked well in order that health providers might better support those questioning or struggling with gender transition. Grounded in a strengths-based model, he explores the contexts and implications of both social and medical transition in the lives of trans guys from the US and Canada. They discuss how peers and service providers alike perpetuate a “negative transition story” that falsely assumes all trans men struggle with mental health problems, life-long gender dysphoria, and endure endless healthcare waitlists to conform with normative gender standards to eventually become heterosexual. Despite these challenges the men describe having positive, even enjoyable, transition experiences while demonstrating resilience and self-efficacy. Coping strategies and impacts on mental health and substance use are discussed, as well as implications for mental health practice. Greatheart also proposes a new assessment tool for health providers to assist trans clients unpack and process potential transgender-related stress and trauma.

178 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 8, 2013

About the author

Marcus Greatheart MD, MSW, RSW is a community-based social worker, radical therapist and resident physician. In the early 1990s he co-founded Canada's first youth-for-youth AIDS service organization and went on to specialize in LGBT health and HIV education. His graduate research for a Master of Social Work at the University of British Columbia led to the publication of Transforming Practice: Life Stories of Transgender Men that Change How Health Providers Work (2013, Ethica Press).

Together with Robert Birch, a community health activist and doctoral candidate at the University of Victoria, Greatheart co-edited The Contemporary HIV Zeitgeist from the series Annals of Gay Sexuality (2015, Ethica Press).

Greatheart is currently completing his specialty training in Family Medicine in Vancouver at the University of British Columbia.