Guide to Transgender and Gender Counseling Degrees and Schools
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If you aspire to work with trans and nonbinary people as a mental health professional, there are many trans-focused career paths to explore, depending on your area of focus and level of training and certification.
It is important to select the right academic setting for you to hone your skills. The colleges, universities, and organizations mentioned in this article are just some of the many programs taking progressive steps to help you on your way. So let’s take a look at the benefits of having an undergraduate degree, a graduate degree focused on gender counseling, and some of the available trans-focused continuing education opportunities.
Undergraduate Degrees and Programs
Those with a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a bachelor’s in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies (WGSS) may meet their state requirements to be a social worker, health clinic coordinator, LGBTQ+ ally trainer, or trans rights advocate.
While many undergraduate psych programs may include an elective course about sexuality and gender identity, most classes will focus on the broader strokes of psychology. Because of this, undergraduate psych majors who want to work with transgender populations and undergraduates looking to earn a graduate degree in counseling psychology may want to consider a minor in WGSS, if not complete a double major. This will provide them with a solid psych foundation and the framework necessary to conceptualize the many issues facing trans and nonbinary people.
To accomplish this, research which colleges and universities offer LGBTQ+-inclusive curricula, as well as degrees in psychology and WGSS. It’s also worth looking up where each school lands on the Campus Pride Index and if there are any LGBTQ+ resource centers on campus. LGBTQ+ resource centers are an excellent place to expand your knowledge, grow your community, and build your resume through volunteer opportunities and workplace scholarships.
Wells College
Location: Aurora, NY
Wells College currently offers both a major and a minor in women’s transgender and queer studies (WTQS). The program takes a deep dive into sociopolitical issues relating to gender, while expanding critical thinking, and communication skills in discussion-based classes. It also offers several internship and study abroad opportunities to help broaden your multicultural understanding of gender through real-world experiences. Well’s College also offers a bachelor’s in psychology, making their WTQS minor an excellent complement.
Portland State University
Location: Portland, OR
Portland State University (PSU) provides both a major and a minor in sexuality, gender, and queer studies. PSU is the only school in Oregon to combine women’s studies, sociology, biology, psychology, literature, and cultural studies to examine issues connected to sexuality, gender and queer politics. PSU’s integrative approach allows students to incorporate electives from other departments, including psychology, sociology, Black studies, Chicano/Latino studies, Indigenous Nations and Native American studies, as well as history, film studies and public health. As a minor, this program also meshes well with PSU’s bachelor’s degree in psychology.
UC Berkeley
Location: Berkeley, CA
UC Berkeley’s Department of Gender and Women’s Studies has rolled out a unique minor in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) studies. Intertwining psychology, sociology, and anthropology, UC Berkeley’s LGBT studies minor explores the complex living history of the LGBTQ+ community to understand the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people.
While their coursework emphasizes same-sex relationships, it also delves into ethnicity, gender, and sexuality, alongside electives like gender, sexuality, and culture in the ancient world, language and gender, and special topics in psychology. This minor is an excellent addition for those who enroll in UC Berkeley’s bachelor’s in psychology. For additional resources, UC Berkeley is also home to the Gender Equity Resource Center (GenEQ).
UCLA
Location: Los Angeles, CA
UCLA offers a minor in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) studies to provide students the opportunity to study sexuality from varied cultural and disciplinary perspectives and engage with recent, cutting-edge research in LGBTQ+ studies. The program is designed to familiarize students with theoretical tools of different disciplines to study topics related to the community.
Required courses include introduction to LGBTQ studies, LGBTQ institutions and organizations, variable topics in queer diversities, and variable topics in queer subjectivities/theories/histories. Students in this minor will also select three pre-approved electives in addition to these courses.
University of Colorado Boulder
Location: Boulder, CO
University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) offers an undergraduate certificate program on LGBTQ studies aimed to help students explore queer and trans issues through an intersectional lens. The program encompasses over 30 courses throughout a dozen departments, allowing students to further delve into related topics in fields like literature, history, ethnic studies, theatre, law, medicine, economics, sociology, anthropology, political science, and the arts.
The program is meant to deepen individual understanding of the interdisciplinary and intersectional academic study of LGBTQ+ topics and allows students to work alongside award-winning faculty who research this field. The program is open to any CU Boulder undergraduate and requires the completion of 18 approved credit hours, including two required courses: intro to LGBTQ studie and queer theory.
Chapman University
Location: Orange, CA
Chapman University’s Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences has a minor in LGBTQ studies, offering students the opportunity to analyze history, theories, research, and the current realities related to the LGBTQ+ community. The program takes an intersectional approach and examines the ways that other dimensions of identity, such as race as class, can affect LGBTQ+ people, histories, and politics.
The program has a broad focus on topics surrounding the scientific, socio-cultural, political, and artistic context of the LGBTQ+ community and experience. While the minor complements all majors across all disciplines, it pairs especially well for students preparing for careers in health and social services. It also acts as a solid foundation for students looking to focus their graduate work on LGBTQ+ studies.
Graduate Degrees and Programs
Since the field of gender-affirming counseling is still evolving, there is no set path, which can be somewhat confusing for aspiring mental health professionals wanting to help trans and gender-diverse people.
An MA, PsyD, or PhD in counseling, clinical social work, or clinical sexology will adequately train you to be a mental health practitioner, yet to fully comprehend the array of issues facing trans and nonbinary people, you may have to go further than the coursework provided. Colleges and universities are not uniform in their coverage of LGBTQ+ mental health, and even progressive campuses that provide whole psych courses on gender identity may not give aspiring counselors the full comprehension they’re looking for.
Currently, there is no diploma in gender-diverse mental health or LGBTQ+ mental health, making it important to augment one’s graduate degree with a concentration or certificate focused on gender diversity. A concentration is for students who want to take a deep dive into a specific area of study, whereas a certificate is available to both students and mental health counselors who want to expand their awareness, knowledge, and skillset.
Additionally, when researching graduate schools, make sure to map potential internship opportunities in the area. Look at how many LGBTQ+ mental health organizations, non-profits, or gender-affirming practitioners are listed around the campus since mentorship will be paramount.
To graduate, most psych programs require students to have an internship experience, creating a great opportunity for aspiring counselors to work in a trans-focused organization. Not only this, but to become a licensed counselor, many states also require a set number of supervision hours and client contact hours. Finding a clinical supervisor with experience and training in gender counseling can take time, making it important to network before you graduate.
Not all gender-affirming therapists want to provide internships or supervision, meaning there’s competition for those who do.
Southern Oregon University
Location: Ashland, OR
Southern Oregon University has a unique certificate in transgender studies, which centers trans voices and the lived experiences of gender-diverse people. Focusing on social change efforts, this certification program not only addresses the intersectional forms of inequality, it decolonizes the transgender experience by addressing the broad array of diversity within the trans community.
Southern Oregon University also offers both a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in clinical mental health counseling
Antioch University
Location: New England
As part of its master of arts in clinical psychology, Antioch offers an LGBT-affirmative psychology specialization for students to develop the knowledge, attitudes, skills, and self-awareness to best serve as mental health professionals for the LGBTQ+ community. Now in its second decade, the program explores intersections between social justice and LGBTQ+ resilience and liberation, addressing the impact of minority stress that can be underlying causes of mental health issues for LGBTQ+ individuals.
Recognizing the need for trans-focused mental healthcare, Antioch University also developed a gender-affirming therapy certificate program for counselors and those enrolled in an MA counseling track. The course provides training on how best to help trans and gender-nonconforming people, as well as their families, given that lbtqit’s offered by Antioch University’s couples and family therapy program.
Fairfield University
Location: Fairfield, CT
Fairfield University’s School of Education & Human Development offers a queer and trans mental health graduate certificate, tailored for mental health professionals to better serve a diverse range of LGBTQ+ youth and adults. The program emphasizes the minority stress model to understand the impact of stigma on mental health, examining a range of issues from health disparities to theoretical and evidence-based approaches for treatment. The program consists of one year of flexible online learning meant for working professionals.
New York University
Location: New York, NY
NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development offers an advanced post-master’s certificate in LGBTQ+ Health, Education, and Social Services. Students can pursue this program after already earning their master’s degree or as a dual degree program while working on their master of arts in counseling for mental health and wellness. The program acts as an additional credential for professionals interested in serving LGBTQ+ individuals, conducting research on LGBTQ+ issues, engaging in policy analysis and reform, and more effectively managing or directing organizations and agencies serving the LGBTQ+ community.
Continuing Education Credits
Having earned your degree and passed your licensure exam, you may need to accrue Continuing Education (CE) credits to maintain your licensure. The number of credit hours needed differs per state and license, so make sure to check in with your local licensure board.
The number of LGBTQ+ mental health courses becoming available has exploded in recent years, providing many opportunities to learn about gender counseling in person and online. These continuing education courses are a great way to stay informed and up to date, not only on the best practices and latest research but also on the socio-political climate impacting the trans and nonbinary community, the nuances of multicultural gender identity, as well as the ever-evolving expansion of language and terminology.
The Gender U
The Gender U is an online organization partnered with the National Register of Health Service Psychologists. Dedicated to uplifting the skills of mental health counselors, their unique courses include understanding and preventing suicide in the transgender community, supporting patients with intersex traits, and how to use the gender-affirmative supportive surgery evaluation tool to write letters for clients in need of gender-affirmative surgery.
Modern Sex Therapy Institute
The Modern Sex Therapy Institute provides several comprehensive certificates complete with CE credits, including gender-affirming mental healthcare, supporting autistic trans and nonbinary clients, sex therapy with trans and gender-nonconforming clients, and transgender clients and addiction.
Transgender Training Institute
The Transgender Training Institute is an excellent and affordable resource for mental health practitioners. They provide introductory courses, like their foundation of awareness: an intro for clinicians working with transgender and nonbinary clients, to more in-depth courses like working with transgender and nonbinary clients: integrating therapeutic models of care, anti-transgender microaggressions and how to intervene, and trans and Black: loving our trans Black fam.
Alex Stitt, LMHC
Writer & Contributing ExpertAlex Stitt is a nonbinary author, queer theorist, and licensed mental health counselor living in Hawaii. As a proud Queer Counselor, they work to educate professionals in the mental health field interested in working with LGBTQ+ populations. Their textbook, ACT for Gender Identity: The Comprehensive Guide, demonstrates how to apply Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to gender self-actualization.