Social Justice Speaker Series Presents
Holding Space in Crisis: Caring for Trans and Non-Binary Youth When the System Fails Them
Presenter: Tony Ferraiolo
Date & Time: Â Thursday, March 26th, 2026 from 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Eastern Time
Location: Live Via Zoom (Zoom Link: Emailed with ticket)
Webinar will be LIVE only and NOT recorded.
Cost:
FREE to attend
FREE CE for CPA Members (Log into account to access discount!)
$15.00 CE Processing Fee for Non-members
Continuing Education: Â Eligible for 1 CE
Abstract:
Trans and non-binary youth are navigating an unprecedented moment in healthcare, where shifting policies and institutional barriers are increasingly limiting access to gender affirming care. As systems struggle to respond, these young people are still showing up in emergency rooms, psychiatric settings, outpatient clinics, and inpatient units, often in crisis.
This presentation explores what it means to provide meaningful, ethical care when providers cannot change the policies shaping a young person’s reality. Through storytelling, lived experience, and practical guidance, participants will learn how to hold space for trans and non-binary youth experiencing fear, grief, anger, and uncertainty. The session will focus on relationship centered approaches that reduce harm, build trust, and affirm identity, even in the absence of desired medical interventions.
Attendees will leave with concrete language, grounding strategies, and compassionate frameworks for responding to youth who may not know what they need, but know they are hurting. This training invites providers to move beyond problem solving and into presence, recognizing that while we may not be able to prevent policy changes, we can still be a stabilizing, affirming force in a young person’s life.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of the presentation, participants will be able to:
1. Identify at least 3 emotional and/or clinical impact that policy-driven barriers to gender affirming care can have on trans and non-binary youth who present in crisis.
2. Apply relationship-centered language and grounding approaches when supporting youth who are experiencing distress but are unable to clearly articulate their needs.
3. Integrate presence-based, identity-affirming practices into psychiatric care settings to reduce harm and support trust when systemic limitations prevent access to desired interventions.
Research Citations
Coleman, E., Radix, A. E., Bouman, W. P., Brown, G. R., de Vries, A. L. C., Deutsch, M. B., Ettner, R., Fraser, L., Goodman, M., Green, J., Hancock, A. B., Johnson, T. W., Karasic, D. H., Knudson, G. A., Leibowitz, S. F., Meyer-Bahlburg, H. F. L., Monstrey, S. J., Motmans, J., Nahata, L., Nieder, T. O., … Arcelus, J. (2022). Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People, Version 8. International journal of transgender health, 23(Suppl 1), S1–S259. https://doi.org/10.1080/26895269.2022.2100644
Rafferty, J., COMMITTEE ON PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF CHILD AND FAMILY HEALTH, COMMITTEE ON ADOLESCENCE, & SECTION ON LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER HEALTH AND WELLNESS (2018). Ensuring Comprehensive Care and Support for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics, 142(4), e20182162. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-2162
American Psychological Association. (2015). Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People. American Psychologist, 70 (9), 832-864. doi: 10.1037/a0039906
Presenter Biography
Tony Ferraiolo is internationally recognized as a compassionate and empowering Life Coach, thought-provoking speaker, and trainer. Since 2005, he has worked with individuals, groups, and educational institutions, reaching thousands of people worldwide. In 2008, he founded multiple support groups for transgender and nonbinary youth and their families, witnessing firsthand how simple gender affirmation can transform lives from hopelessness to hopefulness.
Tony has also contributed to several influential publications, including “Ten Things Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Youth Want Their Doctors to Know” in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (2017), “Pediatric Gender Identity: Overview and Terminology” in Pediatric Gender Identity (Springer, 2020), The Real Lives of Transgender and Nonbinary Humans (Publish Your Purpose, 2021), and “Evaluating Structural Barriers to LGBTQIA+ Healthcare Access” in the American Journal of Medical Quality (2025).
He is the subject of the award-winning documentary A Self-Made Man, the author of the book series Artistic Expressions of Transgender Youth, and his award-winning memoir Finding My Way Out of the Darkness: How I Found Self-Love and Acceptance. Beyond his writing and advocacy, Tony is the Co-Founder of the Jim Collins Foundation, a nonprofit that provided financial assistance to transgender people for gender-affirming surgeries, where he also served as Board President for 10 years.
Post-Webinar Evaluation Form:
Post-webinar evaluation form will be provided during the event and must be completed to receive a Continuing Education (CE) certificate.
Closed Captions:Â Live audio captions are accessible for this event. If you need additional disability-related accommodations, please contact us by email us at info@connpsych.org or by phone (860) 404-0333. Requests should be made at least two weeks in advance of workshop date.
Refund Policy: Participants may direct questions to CPA by email at info@connpsych.org or by phone at (860) 404-0333. Registrants may cancel and receive a full refund up to two-weeks in advance of workshop date. Â An administrative fee of $30 will be charged for cancellation of registration within two weeks of the workshop date (Social Justice events will not be charged an administrative fee). Please note, no refunds will be granted within 24 hours of workshop date.
Continuing Education Approval:
The Connecticut Psychological Association (CPA) is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to offer continuing education for psychologists. CPA maintains responsibility for the program and its content. CPA will issue certificates of completion. APA CE rules require that we only issue credits to those who attend the entire workshop. Those logging into the Zoom webinar more than 15 minutes late or logging off before the entire workshop is completed will not receive CE credits (i.e., partial CE credit will not be issued).
CPA GRIEVANCE POLICY:
The Connecticut Psychological Association (CPA) is fully committed to conducting all activities in strict conformance with the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists. The CPA will comply with all legal and ethical guidelines for non-discrimination in promotional activities, program content, and in the treatment of CE participants.  While the CPA strives to assure fair treatment for all participants and to anticipate problems before they occur, occasionally grievances may be filed. In cases where a participant files a written or oral grievance, the following actions are taken:
If the grievance concerns the content of the workshop, a CPA representative will mediate and will be the final arbitrator. If the participant requests action, the CPA will either provide a credit for a subsequent CE offering or provide a partial or full refund of the CE fee already paid. Â Actions involving a credit or a refund will require a written note documenting the grievance for record-keeping purposes. The aggrieved individual need not sign the note. If the grievance specifically concerns the CPA, the CPA will attempt to arbitrate.
Direct correspondence to: The Connecticut Psychological Association, P.O. Box #1167, Old Saybrook, CT 06475 or by email to executivedirector@connpsych.org.
