Trans, Two-Spirit, Nonbinary, and Gender Expansive Counseling Advocacy Research and Education
To our knowledge, this study is the first large-scale psychotherapy study specifically for Black, Brown, and POC Two Spirit, trans, and nonbinary people—by a team and community mostly made of Black, Brown, and POC Two Spirit, trans, and nonbinary (2STNB) people!
By participating, you are contributing to making psychotherapy more accessible to Black, Brown, and POC 2STNB folks.
What is the study’s goal?
Our main goal for this study is to make psychotherapy more accessible to Black, Brown, and POC Two Spirit, trans, and nonbinary (2STNB) folks. We hope to achieve that by providing free psychotherapy to participants in the study, as well as by learning about what makes psychotherapy most effective and accessible to Black, Brown, and POC 2STNB folks. By participating in this study, you help bring us one step closer to making our collective dream of healing and liberation a reality.
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How do I join the study?
We care about your well-being. And we know your time is valuable. That’s why, after filling out an interest form online, if you qualify, you will be invited to participate in an initial interview with one of our scholar-activists to determine what resources would be best for you (you will be compensated for your time).
If participating in psychotherapy in this study is a good fit, we will match you with a therapist to get you started on your healing journey, with healers who are also Black, Brown, and POC 2STNB folks.
What does it mean to join the study?
For this study, you will have access to 15 free psychotherapy sessions! As is common with many psychotherapists, at every session, you will complete some brief surveys to monitor your progress. We may also ask to interview you along the way so that you can help us understand what’s working, what’s not working, and how we can make psychotherapy better for you and other Black, Brown, and POC 2STNB people.
At the end of your sessions, if needed, we would like to help you continue accessing services by providing you with resources to make sure you have access to high-quality mental health services and supports.
Who is conducting the study?
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This study is being conducted by activists, community members, scientists, therapists, and professors across the U.S., through the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Questionnaires and surveys used in the study have been designed and selected with you in mind—we feel it’s important to only ask you questions that might be relevant to you!
How is my information kept safe?
As activists and researchers, we understand that information you share through therapy is personal—this is why it’s our top priority to keep the information you share private and secure.
Our data storage centers are physically and digitally secured, and all contact and communication is kept confidential. However, there are some exceptions to confidentiality—if you report that you are in imminent danger of hurting yourself or another person, or if you report that there is abuse happening to someone who can’t advocate for themselves, we might need to break confidentiality to make sure that everyone is okay. We care deeply about you and your well-being, so making sure everyone is safe is our top priority.
Our study has been reviewed by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Additionally, we obtained a Certificate of Confidentiality (CoC) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that prohibits disclosure of identifiable, sensitive research information to anyone not connected to the research.
How is my information shared?
Your participation in this study is very important to us because it will help us learn more about how to make psychotherapy more relevant and accessible for Black, Brown, and POC Two Spirit, trans, and nonbinary people. That’s why results will be shared with study participants, healthcare professionals, scientists, policymakers, and community organizations. Only de-identified, pooled data about groups of people will be shared—your personal identifying information will never be shared.
How is this study funded?
Financial support for this study has been provided by the Understanding and Reducing Inequalities Initiative at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services via the LGBTQ+ organization Diverse and Resilient.