Date of Award

Summer 8-23-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology

Organizational Unit

Morgridge College of Education, Counseling Psychology

First Advisor

Maria T. Riva

Second Advisor

Keiko M. McCullough

Third Advisor

Ruth Chao

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved.

Keywords

Transgender individuals, Gender diverse individuals, Group therapy, Rupture

Abstract

As the political climate across the United States worsens for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals (Harmon, 2025), it has become increasingly important to attend to the mental health needs of this population (James et al., 2016). Group therapy is a widely used treatment modality that is often more accessible than individual therapy (Burlingame & Strauss, 2021) and provides unique interpersonal opportunities (Burlingame et al., 2016). While it is expected that TGD individuals face unique challenges in group therapy due to their gender identities (Chen et al., 2020), very little is actually known about the experiences of TGD individuals participating in therapy groups.

This study used a phenomenological approach to better-understand experiences of TGD individuals who have participated in a therapy group not specifically designed for TGD persons and who experienced a gender-related rupture during their time in group therapy. The sample included 6 TGD individuals between the ages of 19 and 24. Participants completed a semi-structured interview that focused on their experience in group therapy, the rupture(s) they experienced, how it impacted their time in group, and how it was resolved, if at all. Interview transcripts were analyzed to identify common themes amongst participants. Four themes were found: (1) Navigating TGD identities in group psychotherapy, (2) Types of ruptures, (3) Impact of ruptures, and (4) TGD experiences of repair in group psychotherapy. Additional subthemes were identified for each theme. Participants also completed the Group Questionnaire (Krogel et al., 2013) to provide greater context for their experiences, the findings of which highlighted low positive bond and high negative relationships with other group members. By gaining an understanding of microaggressions towards TGD individuals in group therapy, this study provides information to better equip group facilitators when these missteps arise, and, in turn, promote the efficacy of group therapy for TGD individuals.

Copyright Date

8-2025

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Gabrielle W. Kaufman

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

130 pgs

File Size

1.1 MB

Download

Available for download on Friday, September 18, 2026



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