Our Research Project
The health of transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) individuals is often overlooked as non-essential in larger society. This marginalized community suffers from discrimination on a daily basis, facing invalidation from those who cannot accept their gender identities. The lack of resources for TGNC folk is alarming when this population suffers constant stigmatization and persecution within a generally heterosexual/cisgendered-majority society. We offer this website as an outlet for TGNC people in need of mental healthcare, a resource for therapists and counselors wishing to gain knowledge in helping this vulnerable population, and argue that affirmative therapy is the best route to take when addressing the specific needs these individuals need in order to feel validated and fulfilled internally.
Affirmative therapy is a great resource for TGNC folk considering its focus centers on the wholeness and self-fulfillment of the person struggling with their gender identity. These gender identities can compound with diverse sexual identities, creating a complex nature to individuals identifying within this community. This increases the need for therapists to identify their own shortcomings in therapeutic settings when confronting these complex human identities. This website attempts to relay the superior factors of affirmative therapy in TGNC populations in comparison to non-specific counseling.
​
This is the first research project conducted and completed by Mern Hogarth and Jade Riedel. This website is the culmination of hours of research and an immense, incredibly in-depth research proposal written last semester in relation to this same topic.
Contributors
Mern Hogarth and Jade Riedel developed a research proposal for the Fall 2020 semester in hopes of bringing awareness to the lack of affirmative mental healthcare services for TGNC folk. The combination of hours of research, countless discussions, professional advice, and tireless work ethic led to the development of this website in hopes of providing an essential resource for TGNC individuals in need of affirmative care and as a guide for mental health professionals looking for tips and methods to effectively practice affirmative therapy with their LGBTQ+-identifying clientele. This is the fruit of their efforts.
Mern Hogarth
Senior Researcher
Hello! My name is Mern Hogarth and I am one of the senior researchers on this project. I'm a graduating senior at Loyola University Chicago, majoring in Women's and Gender Studies with minors in Political Science and Global & International Studies. I identify as non-binary and struggled immensely to find fulfilling mental healthcare. After discovering LGBTQ+-affirmative healthcare services, I realized people like myself needed to have access to this information in a world seemingly built on heterosexual ideology. What was once a written proposal to fulfill course requirements has now turned into a resource for people like me who have nowhere else to turn. I could not be prouder of Jade and mine's collaborative effort.
Jade Riedel
Senior Researcher
Hello everyone! My name is Jade Riedel and I have had the pleasure of working on this project alongside Mern! I am a graduating senior double majoring in Women's Studies and Gender Studies and Psychology. This project combines my interest in mental health treatment and therapy and my passion for creating a safe space for all individuals within the practice. Mental health resources for trans/non-binary folks are vastly under representative of the care that they deserve and need in order to have happy and healthy lives. I am excited to be conducting this research and happy to be able to put a resource out into the world to help make information about affirmative care more available!
Learning Objectives
GET IN TOUCH
We'd love to hear from you!
Hogarth: (636) 358 - 5910
Riedel: (816) 726 - 4138
Mern Hogarth
​
​
Jade Riedel