Due to the poor mental health outcomes experienced by transgender young people, there is a greater need for this population to access effective mental health services. This is particularly apparent within the secondary school environment where transgender young people experience a high prevalence of victimization, bullying, and harassment. However, no research to date has investigated the experiences of transgender young people in school counseling. To address this gap in the literature, the current study explored the school counseling experiences of transgender young people in an Australian sample. Eleven transgender participants completed individual semistructured interviews and the data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Four superordinate themes were identified: the transgender young person, the role of the therapeutic relationship, the counseling space, and the school environment. The findings demonstrate the importance of a strong therapeutic relationship, informed and knowledgeable school psychologists and counselors, acts of support and advocacy, and a safe counseling space for the school counseling experiences of transgender young people. Additionally, the findings highlight the impact transgender identities and school environmental factors have on these counseling experiences. The article provides practical implications for school psychologists and counselors working with transgender young people, including the need for transgender-specific training and education and suggestions for ways to advocate and support transgender young people in the school environment. Limitations of the current study and relevant directions for future research are also discussed. Public Significance StatementThe current study demonstrates the impact of transgender identities and queer positioning on the school counseling experiences of transgender young people. The significance of professional transgender knowledge and education for school psychologists and counselors, as well as the role of a strong therapeutic relationship were highlighted as important contributions toward these school counseling experiences. Additionally, professionals providing access to a safe and nonjudgmental school counseling space and a safe, comfortable and inclusive school environment were crucial to transgender young people's school counseling experiences.
Historically, the professional structure of higher education has provided restricted employment, career, and leadership opportunities for women. This is exacerbated where there is an intersection between gender and race, culture, religion, or age. Women continue to be underrepresented in senior leadership positions across a range of disciplines, and this lack of representation of women within the professional structure of higher education itself acts as a barrier for more women reaching senior levels within institutions. More women are needed in higher positions to increase representation and visibility, and to encourage and mentor others to then aspire to follow a similar path. This critical review examines gender equity across the major career benchmarks of the academy in light of the impact of the personal contexts of women, systemic processes, and cultural barriers that hinder career progression. Research-based systemic solutions that work towards improved gender equity for women are discussed. The findings from this critical review highlight the need for global systemic change in higher education to create ethical equities in the employment, career, and leadership opportunities for women.
Young people have emerged as one of the most impacted groups from the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions to daily activities, with disruptions to schooling, social interactions, and connections. Simultaneously, students’ access to school mental health professionals were restricted or modified. The aim of this paper was to identify how school mental health professionals supported and addressed the mental health needs of young people during COVID-19 restrictions in Australia. School mental health professionals were surveyed during the 2020 lockdowns using a questionnaire designed by researchers in the United States of America. The innovations school mental health staff adopted to support students during lockdowns and remote learning were presented, including telehealth services, digital resources, and the online training and support they received/provided. The barriers and facilitators to providing counselling and assessment services during lockdowns were identified, including issues with providing psychometric assessments during remote learning, and ethical concerns when delivering remote counselling to students. Recommendations have been included, which address how school mental health professionals could be supported to assess and treat young people during future pandemics and school restrictions.
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