The Application of Dialectical Behavior Therapy to Transgender and Gender-diverse Patients

The transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) community faces multiple challenges, including higher rates of chronic invalidation, societal rejection, and mental health burden in comparison to cisgender peers, which is crucial for clinicians to be aware of when caring for this population. As one avenue of treatment, this article explores the use of Dialectal Behavior Therapy (DBT) as an evidence-based treatment to support TGD individuals. Examples of specific DBT skills are highlighted through a clinical vignette with the goal of providing clinicians with brief interventions that can be incorporated into clinical practice to aid TGD individuals in navigating the unique stressors that they experience.