2021 TransFormations: Presenters

Heidi Breaux

Heidi Breaux, LCSW-BACS received their BASW from Rutgers University in 2004 and their MSW from New York University in 2005. Since then they have worked in in substance abuse, for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, at APICHA CHC (formerly the Asian and Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV and AIDS), and as Associate Director of Adult Services at the New York City Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center (The Center). Most recently Heidi was an Adjunct Professor at New York University’s Silver Graduate School of Social Work and Tulane University’s School of Social Work, and managed a team of clinical social workers in the Sexual Health Clinics for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Recently they were the Online Program Manager for Field Education at Tulane University School of Social Work. Currently, Heidi is the Clinical Therapist at Tulane Center for Brain Health and Tulane Center for Sport and will be conferred with their Doctorate in Social Work in December 2021 from Tulane University. Heidi is also the Founder of Heidi Breaux Consulting, LLC, a training company that provides LGBTQIA+ competency education that focuses on best practices working with transgender and non binary clients to agencies, schools, and organizations in the deep South. Heidi has authored scholarly journal articles, presented at national conferences, and even did a TEDx talk on issues related to the transgender community. They are a fierce advocate, fighter, teacher, community member, spouse, and parent, centering trans voices and fighting for trans justice.

www.heidibreaux.com

Cadyn Cathers, PsyD

Marty A. Cooper, PhD

SUNY Old Westbury

Marty A. Cooper, PhD., is an Assistant Professor of Mental Health Counseling in the Department of Psychology at State University of New York (SUNY) Old Westbury. Dr. Cooper received his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Seton Hall University. His primary research focuses on intersectionality of multiple minority statuses with an emphasis on LGBTQ+ identities.

Dr. phil. Martin J. Goessl

Prof. (FH) Dr. Martin J. Goessl, born 1983, graduated 2007 as a Masters in historical anthropology (Gender and Queer Studies) at the Karl-Franzens University Graz (Austria). 2010 he completed his dissertation in the field of Gender and Queer Studies.

Since October 2017 Professor at the Institute of Social Work at FH  JOANNEUM – University of Applied Sciences Graz. Since 2015 Network Representative at SSHA (Social Science and History Association) for the Women, Gender and Sexuality Network.

Scientific CV: martinjgoessl.jimdo.com

Jamie Gordon, MS
Northwell Health’s South Oaks Hospital

Jamie L. Gordon, MA, MHC-LP, is an Assistant Counselor at Northwell Health’s South Oaks Hospital. Jamie received her Master’s degree in General Psychology at Adelphi University and an additional Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling at State University of New York (SUNY) Old Westbury. Her primary research focuses on identifying under researched populations, while providing therapeutic guidelines and interventions for clinicians to refer to.

Mauro Cabral Grinspan

Mauro Cabral Grinspan is an activist and researcher from Argentina. He co-founded GATE in 2009 and has served as GATE’s Executive Director since 2017. His advocacy work has been focused on trans, gender diverse and intersex issues and, particularly, on articulating gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics and other bodily issues within human rights frameworks. Mauro participated in the elaboration of the Yogyakarta Principles and the Yogyakarta Principles+10, and he is a signatory of both. He holds a Degree in History from the National University of Córdoba and pursued postgraduate studies in the fields of Philosophy and Gender Policies. His research work has been centered in normative approaches to sex, gender and biotechnology and, particularly, on torture in healthcare settings and the right to truth. Mauro edited the book Interdicciones. Escrituras de la Intersexualidad en Castellano, and he is one of the co-authors of the Argentinian Bill on the Comprehensive Protection of Sex Characteristics. Mauro has been distinguished with the Bob Hepple Equality Award.

Avery Heimann, MA, MEd, MSW

Avery Heimann, MA, MEd, LSW (they/them) is a sex educator, LGBTQ+ advocate, social worker, and healthcare worker. They are vocal in their passions around bodily autonomy, youth welfare, disability justice, and anti-oppressive pedagogy. They are a member of the Phi Alpha Honor Society for Social Work, the Gamma Eta Rho Honor Society for Sexuality Education, and the Triota Honor Society for Gender and Sexuality Studies. Avery infuses their praxis within academia and on the ground, teaching with the Newark-based Masakhane Center for 14 years, working with Princeton-based HiTOPS for two years, and working as a Patient Service Representative and Support Group Facilitator at the Babs Siperstein PROUD Center Robert Wood Johnson Somerset. They were one of the first certified trainers from the Transgender Training Institute and published in the first edition of the Trans Sex Zine.  Avery is a firm believer in accessibility, accountability, and intersectionality in action and apply their lifelong punk DIY ethics to challenge kyriarchy in all realms of life.  Avery has recently received the Service to Community Recognition Award from Rutgers University Rainbow Graduation, has been named a Sex Ed Superhero by SheVibe studios with their own trading card (https://twitter.com/SheVibe/status/1355621822310588417), and runs a blog about sexuality, ThePalimpsex.com. They were featured as a local activist on a 75 foot mural as part of Somerville, New Jersey’s Pride month and have recently provided LGBTQ+ competency trainings at the National Organization for Women.  For further information, their LinkedIn is http://www.linkedin.com/in/avery-heimann-a6758b17

Seojung Jung, PhD
SUNY Old Westbury

Seojung Jung, PhD., is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at State University of New York (SUNY) Old Westbury. Dr. Jung received her Ph.D. in Applied Developmental Psychology from Fordham University. Her primary research focuses on psychosocial resources and mechanisms associated with optimal aging with emphasis on individuals’ subjective experiences of aging across the life span.

Elana Lancaster

Elana Lancaster is a trainer, health educator, and technical assistance consultant, with 15 years of experience specializing in LGBTQ health, equity and inclusion, healthcare self-advocacy, and sexual and reproductive health. He currently works as an independent consultant specializing in curriculum development and training, partnering with government agencies, non-profit organizations, companies, medical and mental health providers, and healthcare institutions. He is a trainer for the Gender and Family Project at The Ackerman Institute, has served as a transgender health consultant to the NYC Department of Health, and has presented on best practices in teaching about trans health and inclusion at national and regional conferences. Elana is a member of TPATH, and a contributor to The Reproductive Justice Briefing Book Volume 2.

S.J. Langer, LCSW

S.J. Langer is a writer and psychotherapist in New York City, where he maintains a private practice. Along with psychotherapy, he provides clinical supervision and mentorship as a WPATH GEI SOC7 Certified Mentor. He is on faculty at School of Visual Arts in both the MPS Art Therapy and Humanities & Sciences departments. His research lab studies embodiment and trans phantoms. He is also involved in collaborations on interdisciplinary teams working on gender embodiment scales. One of his articles, Trans Bodies and the Failure of Mirrors, was the co-winner of the Symonds Prize from Studies in Gender and Sexuality. He is included in the edited volume Sex, Sexuality and Trans Identities: Clinical Guidance for Psychotherapists and Counselors and Intersectionality in the Arts Psychotherapy. His first book Theorizing Transgender Identity for Clinical Practice: A New Model for Understanding Gender was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in 2020.

D. M. Maynard, M.S., M.A.

D. M. Maynard, M.S., M.A. is an author, veteran educator, and the Founder/Director of Maynard’s W.I.S.D.O.M., Inc.-an educational service, who presents internationally to honor the voices and needs of partners, parents, families, and educators of trans and/or non-binary individuals. She is the co-author of the chapter Interviews with Partners of Transgender People: On Sex and Intimacy in the book Sex, Sexuality and Trans Identities: Clinical Guidance for Psychotherapists and Counselors. Her books, The Reflective Workbook for Partners of Transgender People: Your Transition as Your Partner Transitions, The Reflective Workbook for Parents and Families of Transgender and Non-Binary Children: Your Transition as Your Child
Transitions, and The Reflective Workbook for Teachers and Support Staff of Trans and Non-Binary Students: Your School’s Transition as Your Students Transition are published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. D. M. Maynard’s article Moving Forward: Giving Voice to Partners in a Relationship with Those in Gender Transition will appear in Studies in Gender and Sexuality in early 2022. Her monthly series on YouTube is titled Reflective Conversations on Gender Transition: An Educational Interview Series with D. M. Maynard which spotlights the journeys of partners, parents, and educators of transgender and/or non-binary folx as they navigate the transition of their loved one or student for themselves.

Kit Rachlin, PhD

Katherine Rachlin (Kit) is a clinical psychologist, a WPATH GEI-certified gender specialist, and  AASECT-certified Diplomate of sex therapy in private practice in New York City. She has served on the board of directors of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and on the Board of FTM-International. She was Cochair of the taskforce to launch USPATH, and Cofounder of the WPATH Student Initiative. She is one of the authors of the WPATH Standards of Care (SOC) V. 7 (2011) and is currently on the committee to develop the SOC V. 8.

Dr. Rachlin earned her doctorate in applied psychology from Hofstra University and a    postdoctoral respecialization in clinical psychology at Teacher’s College, Columbia University.

She has devoted her career to working towards social justice and access to health care for transgender people by actively supporting TGD community, conducting transpositive research, taking a leadership role in professional organizations, creating forums that elevate the voices of TGD professionals, and mentoring the next generation of researchers and clinicians.

Her writing and research interests aim to answer questions that are central to the quality of life of transgender people and their families. Her many book chapters and papers cover subjects such as Factors Which Influence Individual’s Decisions When Considering FTM Genital Surgery; Hysterectomy and Oophorectomy Experiences of Trans Masculine Individuals; Medical Without Social Transition: Expanding Options for Privately Gendered Bodies; Flexible Use of the Standards of Care; and The Experience of Parents of Transgender People Who Transition in Adulthood..

Chris Straayer, PhD

Chris Straayer is an associate professor in the Department of Cinema Studies at New York University, where he teaches interdisciplinary courses such as Gender and Madness, Structures of Passing in Film and Literature, The Body: Sex/Science/Sign, and Trans/Queer Studies. He is the author of Deviant Eyes, Deviant Bodies (Columbia University Press), and his articles and reviews have appeared in numerous anthologies and journals. His most recent publications are “Trans men’s stealth aesthetics: navigating penile prosthetics and ‘gender fraud’” (Journal of Visual Culture, 19.2, 2020) and “Phantom Penis: Extrapolating Neuroscience and Employing Imagination for Trans Male Sexual Embodiment” (Studies in Gender and Sexuality 21.4, 2020). Straayer has served as Curator, Program Advisor, and Co-organizer for a variety of programs and exhibits including “Lesbian Genders” at the Whitney Museum of American Art, Transmutation: International Transgender Festival in London, and Gender Reel NYU: Transgender Film Festival. Straayer has sat on the editorial boards of Postmodern Culture, Velvet Light Trap, GLQ: Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies, and, most recently, Transgender Studies Quarterly, for which he co-edited (with Eric Plemons) TSQ 5.2 The Surgery Issue. Straayer’s research combines trans and queer studies with interests in science, social science, art, and cultural studies. He is currently engaged in two works in progress: Trans Phantom Penis: A Qualitative Analysis of 113 Interviews with Trans and Gender Non-Conforming Individuals, and Trans-Physicalities, which addresses transgender desire for a biological basis, neurological renditions of sexual corporeality, and trans-future medicine.

Karalyn Violeta, LCSW

Karalyn Violeta completed their B.S. in Psychology at CUNY Brooklyn College and their MSW at New York University. She earned her 3-year certificate in LGBTQ-affirming psychodynamic psychotherapy at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy’s Center for Gender & Sexuality. Karalyn is a member of WPATH and the APA’s Division 44 (Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity) and has presented their work at international conferences, in peerreviewed journals, and as co-editor of the book, ‘Sex, Sexuality, and Trans Identities: Clinical Guidance for Therapists and Counselors’ (2019). A forthcoming second book, discussing advanced topics in clinical work with trans and non-binary psychotherapy clients, is currently in press with Jessica Kingsley Publishers (2022). Karalyn’s private practice is based in Brooklyn, NY.

Tobias Wiggins, PhD

Tobias Wiggins is an assistant professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at Athabasca University (AU). His research centers transgender mental health, queer visual culture, clinical transphobia, community-based wellness, and psychoanalysis. Broadly, Wiggins’ work aims to address the continued psychiatric pathologization of gender variance and to support the efficacy of trans-competent medical care. At AU, he coordinates the University Certificate in Counselling Women, an interdisciplinary program which applies feminist theory to the practice of counselling. His upcoming article “Do Psychoanalysts Dream of Polymorphous Sleep?: Clinical Desiring with Transgender Subjects” (2021) will be published in Studies in Gender and Sexuality. Other recent writing can be found in the Transgender Studies Quarterly and the anthology Sex, Sexuality and Trans Identities: Clinical Guidance for Psychotherapists and Counselors.

Julian Wolfe, LMHC

Julian (he/him) began his career working with LGBTQ+ youth in 2006. His experience includes working as a shelter manager and counselor at Sylvia’s Place. He then worked in intensive prevention for The Family Center. In 2012, he completed a second master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling at Brooklyn College. Julian worked and trained for six years at The Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy in the Psychotherapy Center for Gender and Sexuality (PCGS). In 2013, Julian joined SCO Family of Services, working in the capacity of program therapist, serving LGBTQ+ youth living in congregate care. Until 2016, he conducted Functional Family Therapy, using a unique model modified and developed (Family Therapy Intervention Pilot) to address the needs of NYC-based families who have an LGBTQ-identified child. Julian has a private practice, specializing in helping TGNC adults and families. He is a Reiki II practitioner and integrates Eastern and Western traditions into his work as a holistic therapist.