Given the notable lack of psychotherapeutic services tailored to the needs of Two Spirit, transgender, and nonbinary (2STNB) people of color (POC), this open clinical trial aimed to develop and implement the Healing through Ongoing Psychological Empowerment (HOPE) intervention, a psychotherapy intervention explicitly designed for 2STNB POC clients.
Methods:
Forty-nine 2STNB POC clients started and completed the HOPE intervention. Participants were provided with 15 free virtual therapy sessions by nine 2STNB POC therapists. Assessments were conducted at baseline, during the intervention, immediately following completion, and 6 months following completion. Surveys measured internalized transnegativity (IT), working alliance, and mental health symptoms and functioning.
Results:
The HOPE intervention demonstrated initial clinical efficacy, with significant improvements observed in both mental health symptoms and IT from pretreatment to post-treatment; improvements were sustained at the 6-month follow-up.
Conclusions:
These findings propose HOPE as an exciting culturally specific therapeutic approach for the 2STNB POC community. Future randomized controlled trials comparing HOPE to existing evidence-based treatments are needed.
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