Standards vs. Guidelines
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Standards: required to be followed by all psychologists; mandated
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Guidelines: recommended to be followed by all psychologists; not technically required, but strongly encouraged
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The following APA policies are guidelines and thus are not required for mental health professionals to follow, but are still recommended. This information is important to know if there is a complaint about a psychologist. These guidelines are put in place to "assist psychologists in the provision of culturally competent, developmentally appropriate, and trans-affirmative psychological practice with TGNC people" (American Psychological Association, 2015). The compilation of information comes from the APA Task Force who conducted an extensive review of scholarship as well as sought support and accuracy from TGNC community members in order to create these guidelines for psychologists and mental health professionals.
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APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Trans and Gender-Nonconforming People
Guideline #1
"Psychologists understand that gender is a nonbinary construct that allows for a range of gender identities and that a person's gender identity may not align with sex assigned at birth"
Guideline #5
"Psychologists recognize how stigma, prejudice, discrimination, and violence affect the health and well-being of TGNC people"
Guideline #9
"Psychologists strive to understand both the particular challenges that TGNC elders experience and the resilience they can develop."
Guideline #13
"Psychologists seek to understand how parenting and family formation among TGNC people take a variety of forms."
Guidelines #2
"Psychologists understand that gender identity and sexual orientation are distinct but interrelated constructs"
Guideline #6
"Psychologists strive to recognize the influence of institutional barriers on the lives of TGNC people and to assist in developing TGNC-affirmative environments."
Guideline #10
"Psychologists strive to understand how mental health concerns may or may not be related to a TGNC person's gender identity and the psychological effects of minority stress."
Guideline #14
"Psychologists recognize the potential benefits of an interdisciplinary approach when providing care to TGNC people and strive to work collaboratively with other providers."
Guideline #3
"Psychologists seek to understand how gender identity intersects with the other cultural identities of TGNC people."
Guideline #7
"Psychologists understand the need to promote social change that reduces the negative effects of stigma on the health and well-being of TGNC people."
Guideline #11
"Psychologists recognize that TGNC people are more likely to experience positive outcomes when they receive social support or trans-affirmative care."
Guideline #4
"Psychologists are aware of how their attitudes about and knowledge of gender identity and gender expression may affect the quality of care they provide to TGNC people and their families"
Guideline #8
"Psychologists working with gender questioning and TGNC youth understand the different developmental needs of children and adolescents, and that not all youth will persist in a TGNC identity into adulthood."
Guideline #12
"Psychologists strive to understand the effects that changes in gender identity and gender expression have on the romantic and sexual relationships of TGNC people."