San Diego, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 06/28/2016 --Sovereign Health announces the publication of a new article in Psychology Today profiling its new Gender Diversity and Transgender Identity service being offered at Sovereign Health's Rancho San Diego facility. The service, which was launched to meet the needs of the growing number of transgender youth, provides a safe and accepting treatment milieu for adolescents with a mental health or dual diagnosis who identify as gender diverse or transgender. The July/August edition of Psychology Today, on newsstands Tuesday, July 5, spotlights Sovereign Health of Rancho San Diego's Gender Diversity and Transgender Identity service that supports adolescents with nonconforming gender identity, while they receive treatment for primary substance abuse, dual diagnosis, eating disorder or mental health issues.
"Because of the extraordinarily high suicide rate among transgender youth, it is essential that we provide support for these adolescents and their families with affirming psychotherapeutic practices," says Marilee Maki Wasell, Ph.D., Sovereign Health of Rancho San Diego's Site Training Director. "Gender-diverse youth may experience shame and fear around their identities. Affirming psychological interventions for the youth and their families are essential in mediating the potential of depression, suicide, self-harming behaviors or addiction."
Sovereign Health of Rancho San Diego's Gender Diversity and Transgender Identity service follows the guidelines for Transgender Affirmative Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TA-CBT), which is targeted at depression and suicidality, and is founded on a trans-affirming perspective. TA-CBT retains the core components of cognitive behavioral therapy and focuses on three domains: psychoeducation, challenging transphobic negative self-beliefs and encouraging trans-affirming social connectedness. In addition, the multifaceted transgender service includes neurofeedback, individual, group and family psychotherapy sessions, and experiential treatments, such as yoga, music, art and equine therapy.
According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, transgender youths face challenges from their peers at school and at home. In addition, many transgender youths also face challenges from school officials who single out these youths by refusing to respect their gender identity and punish them for expressing that identity. A national survey by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), founded in 1990 to end discrimination, found that 75 percent of transgender youths feel unsafe at school. Moreover, the study found, that many of those who were able to persevere had significantly lower GPAs and were more likely to miss school out of concern for their safety, and were less likely to plan on continuing their education.
Dr. Wasell is a clinical psychologist and the Site Training Director at Sovereign Health of Rancho San Diego. She has over 10 years of licensed clinical experience. Her professional interests include: clinical supervision, ethics, trauma, severe mental illness, psychological assessment, LGBTQ and the psychological impact of social media.
About Sovereign Health Group
The Sovereign Health Group's mission has been to provide a broad spectrum of high-quality behavioral health treatment services. Sovereign Health's treatment programs specialize in addressing underlying mental health conditions by utilizing innovative and cutting-edge cognitive testing, rehabilitation and evidence-based treatment modalities. One factor that differentiates Sovereign from other treatment providers has been the company's ability to offer separate mental health and addiction or dual diagnosis treatment programs at its nine facilities in Arizona, California, Florida, Texas and Utah. For more information, go to www.sovhealth.com.
Media contact: Wendy Allen, Public Relations Manager: 866-948-9688