Trans and Sexuality: An existentially-informed enquiry with implications for counselling psychology

141 Pages·2018·1.072 MB·English

by  Christina Richards

Trans and Sexuality
Grounded in cutting-edge qualitative research, T rans and Sexuality explores the
sexuality of people who do not identify with the gender that they were assigned
at birth. Arguing that whilst splitting members of the trans community into
distinct groups might seem like a reasonable theoretical procedure, the pervasive
assumption that group membership impacts on the sexuality of trans people
has unduly biased opinions in this highly contested, yet dramatically under-
researched, area. Moreover, whilst existing literature has taken a purely posi-
tivistic standpoint, or relies on methodology that could be seen as exploitative
towards trans people, Richards is careful to place the real-life experiences of trans
research participants at the heart of the work.
Showing that sexuality extends beyond the bedroom, this forward-thinking
book touches on topics such as identity, sexuality, and the intersections between
the two. Richards takes a cross-disciplinary approach and considers the sexual-
ity of trans people within the contexts of psychiatric and psychological settings,
including Gender Identity Clinics, as well as in the broader contexts of cul-
tural and community settings. The implications of the research at hand are also
explored with respect to counselling psychology and existentialist philosophy.
Trans and Sexuality will appeal to academics, researchers, and postgraduate stu-
dents in the fields of gender and sexuality, counselling, sociology, psychotherapy,
psychology and psychiatry. It will be of particular interest to those seeking an
in-depth and up-to-date overview of ethics and methodologies with people
from marginalised sexualities and genders.
Dr. Christina Richards BSc (Hons), MSc, DCPsych, CPsychol, MBACP
(Accred.), AFBPsS is an HCPC Registered Doctor of Counselling Psychol-
ogy, Chair Elect of the Division of Counselling Psychology, and an Associate
Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS). She is also an accredited
psychotherapist with the British Association for Counselling and Psychother-
apy (BACP). She represents the East Midlands to NHS England’s Clinical
Reference Group (CRG) on Gender Identity Services, and is one of the few
psychologists recognised by HM Courts and Tribunals Service as a Specialist
in the field of Gender Dysphoria, thus allowing her to prepare medical reports
for the Gender Recognition Panel.
She is a Senior Specialist Psychology Associate at the Nottinghamshire
Healthcare NHS Trust Gender Clinic and a Clinical Research Fellow at West
London Mental Health NHS Trust (Charing Cross) Gender Clinic. She works
in this capacity as an individual and group psychotherapist and psychologist
conducting psychotherapy, assessment, and follow-up clinics as part of a mul-
tidisciplinary team, as well as conducting research, supervision, and service
improvement plans. She lectures and publishes on trans, sexualities, and critical
mental health – both within academia and to third-sector and statutory bodies;
and is a co-founder of BiUK and co-author of the Bisexuality Report.
She is the Editor of the journal of the British Psychological Society’s Division
of Counselling Psychology: C ounselling Psychology Review . Her own publications
consist of various papers, reports, and book chapters and she is the co-author of
the B PS Guidelines and Literature Review for Counselling Sexual and Gender Minor-
ity Clients ; first author of a clinical guidebook on sexuality and gender published
by Sage – Richards, C., & Barker, M. (2013). S exuality and gender for mental health
professionals: A practical guide . London: Sage; first editor of the P algrave Handbook
of the psychology of sexuality and gender; and is the first editor of a multidisci-
plinary book about people who identify outside of the gender binary of male
or female – Richards, C., Bouman, W. P., & Barker, M. J. (2017). Genderqueer
and non-binary genders . Basingstoke: Palgrave-Macmillan. She is also sole editor
of Richards, C. (2017) A view from the other side: Therapists’ art and their internal
worlds . Monmouth: PCCS Books.

Explorations in Mental Health
For a full list of titles in this series, please visit www.routledge.com
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Edited by Christine Valentine
Trans and Sexuality
An Existentially-Informed Enquiry with Implications for Counselling Psychology
Dr. Christina Richards
Trans and Sexuality
An Existentially-Informed Enquiry with
Implications for Counselling Psychology
Dr. Christina Richards
First published 2018
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2018 Christina Richards
The right of Christina Richards to be identified as author of this
work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77
and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted
or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN: 978-1-138-90356-2 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-69682-9 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
When I think about how trans people are represented in terms of our sexuality
we are very, very dehumanised.
(Mr Fox – a Participant)
This does represent . . . a confusion. But not a confusion for what I feel like and
what how I see myself, but external society’s assumptions about me, can just be
too, too heavy sometimes and it’s just . . . yeah psychologically it can be very
demanding. That’s it.
(Cee Cee – a Participant)

Contents
Acknowledgements xi
1 Introduction 1
2 Literature review 6
Literature search method 6
A history of trans people 8
Rates and ratios of trans people 10
The relation of trans people to the psy professions 11
Sexuality and gender 17
Trans people’s partners 21
Sex work and HIV risk 23
Community discourses 23
Existential literatures 25
The need for the present research in the area
of trans sexuality 29
3 Method 31
Epistemological framework 31
Design 34
The use of visual methodologies and the use of a group 35
Analytic method 38
Reflexivity 39
Ethical, moral, and legal considerations 42
Recruitment and procedure 44
Adaptation after pilot study 45
Participants 46