Gender Identity and Expressions

Gender Identity and Expressions
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1 How might you create space for your clients to explore their gender identities and expressions?
Nowadays, there are already many organizations that help raise awareness regarding gender identities and gender expression. It is now expected that the biological sex assigned at birth does not align with how a person identifies themselves and expresses it to society. When there is a conflict between these three critical concepts, the person experiencing this may be in distress, possibly negatively affecting their mental health. Although many people are now becoming aware and more educated about the importance and sensitivity of gender identity and gender expression, there should still be a conscious effort in creating a space that would promote gender identities and expression, especially in the clinical setting.
As a clinician, one of the most critical parts of dealing with clients who are experiencing issues with gender identities and expressions is to start identifying possible biases, stereotypes, and prejudices that we may consciously or unconsciously have regarding gender and the issues that coexist with it in our society (Feeney et al., 2019). This is important because it will enable us to approach the cases professionally and in an unclouded view which will also have a significant impact on how we communicate with our clients, mainly because there will be many instances where our clients may have different views from what we think or practice as “acceptable.” In addition to this kind of self-assessment, competent nursing communication should be demonstrated during interviews and interactions with the client, which includes both verbal and non-verbal cues that also show core values of the clinician such as respect and integrity, which will help in building trust in the client and clinician’s professional relationship.
The physical setting should also be considered to promote gender identities and expression exploration. Similar to other cases, confidentiality and privacy of the client should be prioritized. This can be shown by having the interview in a professional but private place where the client may discuss his/her thoughts with the health professional. Active listening should be practiced so that the client will also feel heard while the clinician gathers vital information. It should also be emphasized that even though sensitive topics are expected to arise in the conversation, the client’s privacy should always be respected. There will be helpful information that will enable the clinician to understand the client’s case better. However, the clinician should also consider whether the client is already ready to discuss it or not. Establishing how to address the client correctly will be a good start, and this will help accomplish many things, such as showing the client some sensitivity re...