YES Institute continues to receive inquiries from schools and families looking for ways to support their children. We have seen a 69% increase of intake calls and requests, as compared to the first quarter of 2022. A majority of the calls are families looking for mental health practitioners that specialize in gender, orientation, and can provide inclusive care for their child navigating being gay and/or transgender. 

YES Institute has a mental health referral list with trained therapists that have completed our courses. Due to an increased demand for mental health services, a couple of our therapists have shared with our team that they are inundated, have a three to six month waiting list, and are facing burn out due to the increased demand. 

A therapist in Miami was searching for resources to support her teenage client in the coming out process when she came across YES Institute and called our office for more information. After learning more about our courses, referrals, our youth leadership council, and family support, she expressed deep gratitude for YES Institute while also stating “I need to learn more because whether I like or not, gay and trans is here on my couch, on my screen, and I need to find ways to help my clients.” 

While YES Institute provides courses for mental health professionals who are practicing in their field, our team also trains budding psychologists. We recently led a training for the Council of Directors of School Psychology Programs. These are leaders overseeing a university or college psychology, therapy, and mental health, programs. Since that one training we have been invited by professors across the country to speak to their students .

Our team led a session with the University of Massachusetts Amherst and their psychology doctoral students. The young professionals stated that the training allowed them to connect the conversation around gender and orientation to their work as a school psychologist, thereby impacting the students directly. 

“Best training I’ve attended in a long time! I learned so much about the transgender experience and how I can better support my students in general. I am looking forward to using all of the resources I have just uncovered! The presenters were AMAZING and did such a wonderful job making everyone feel safe.” 

“This was so helpful. I really appreciated practicing courageous conversations.”

“I was reassured that we are all human beings able to self-reflect, learn, and apologize when we make a mistake.” 

Our education team was invited to lead another training for the University of Miami’s therapy students. TJ, one of our lead facilitators, pointed out that the students were really confronted with the messages that they personally received around gender and orientation. 

Students were led through a discussion around what femininity and masculinity meant to each of them. An international student shared that she was really into hockey growing up and it was a popular sport in her country, however she had trouble finding a female team because it wasn’t considered a feminine activity here in the US. 

Participants responded that this conversation really gave them the opportunity to examine the messages that they heard growing up and they were able to decide for themselves whether or not those messages were relevant today. One of the students said that they never talked about gender or orientation before; they only heard negative messages about gay and transgender people and it wasn’t a conversation that was had at home.

After each dialogue our team asks the participants to fill out a quick anonymous evaluation. The surveys continue to show that our educational dialogues are often the first time that individuals are able to reflect on their own personal upbringing and dissect the messages around gender and orientation for themselves. 

YES Institute continues to lead from the context of discovery & inquiry for mental health professionals, both in the field and those in the midst of their studies. Part of bridging the gap around gender and orientation for practitioners and their clients is the secret sauce of YES Institute’s work, to lead participants to their own discoveries of their personal experiences with gender and orientation to better connect and understand those around them, especially our young people. 

How can we ensure all young people feel included and safe? The distinctions in our communication series connect people to a common purpose, even when they strongly disagree. In this course participants will gain practical tools for relating authentically, working across lines of difference, and cultivating environments where all feel seen, heard, and included.

Join us for our Communication Toolbox course on Saturday, April 29, 2023

9am-2pm ET (Delivered In-person and via Zoom)