Meet Luca Valentine (aka Lucia Caltabiano) (they/them). They have over eight years’ experience in mental health, with five years post masters. They have most of their experience in substance use and eating disorders, and have been working almost exclusively within their community for two years providing individual, group, and family therapy. Luca received their Bachelors of Psychology at GC&SU and their MSW at UGA.
Their passion and love for their community led them to pursue a career helping transgendered individuals and their families through transition. Ridgeview is proud to have them train staff and others in the mental health field who serve the transgendered population on how to best support them.
They discuss 3 Objectives during this virtual event:
- Walk through the 5 stages of grief that parents/caregivers often identify after a child comes out and how to process that grief with their own provider and not with the adolescent in transition.
- Learn three common examples of transphobic language and provide three exercises for parents to practice affirming language as well as practice validation even when they cannot understand the transgender experience.
- Cover three psychodynamic theories that can help facilitate empathy within parents/caregivers for child’s experience: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Minority Stress Model, and Polyvagal Theory.
According to Luca, family therapy is an exceptionally complex undertaking and different modalities approach this type of care from different angles. The need of immediate family of a transgender child or adolescent are unique and informed by both the coming out/transition process and culture within the home. They designed this continuing education course to cover the finer points of what to, and not to ask during the assessment period, within treatment, and how to help inform a safer space for the youth in transition.
Thanks to providers and educators like Luca, we are closer to bridging the gap of understanding between transgendered individuals and their families. Join us Friday, 6/3/22 for this dynamic learning event.
Register here:
https://ab144.infusionsoft.com/app/manageCart/addProduct?productId=235