written by young people. It suggests, while participants were aware of how stigma and discrimination can impact on the mental health of those in minority positions, they still positioned those with a non-binary identity as problematic and suggested separation from mainstream society as a solution. These findings suggest that the identity has some way to go before it is socially accepted. Mainstream gendered identities are
thus constructed as being binary and therapists are at risk of reinforcing this dominant discourse in therapy. Hare- Mustin (1994) proposes that, “discourses associated with groups on the margins of society are excluded from influence” (p. 20). She warns this is particularly troubling in the context of therapy, which she describes as like a mirrored room that “reflects back only what is voiced within it … if the therapist and family are unaware of marginalised discourses … those discourses remain outside the therapy room” (p. 21). The consequence of this is that a binary-gendered reality as the norm is constructed that both oppresses those who define as outside of this, but also limits the options of gendered expression for those who define within the gender binary (Butler, 1990). As systemic therapists, we are in a
strong position to notice and unpick these ideas with our emphasis on multiple perspectives and belief in the usefulness of bringing in silenced discourses that can offer an alternative perspective to question and open up oppressive dominant-discourses. Indeed, Turner and Avis (2003) assert that it is our responsibility to question and challenge oppressive discourses when they arise in training and supervision, which could extend to therapy. To do so, we need to be alert to the subtle and pervasive ways discourses about binary-gendered norms enter conversation, both within family
and professional systems, hold onto our curiosity and use it as a tool to break up limiting and oppressive ideas and rhetoric.
Acknowledgements Thanks go to Jay Stewart, CEO of
Gendered Intelligence, for his help constructing the story stem and distributing the call for participants, and to Iduna Shah-Beckley for her help in talking through the analysis.
References Barker, M. (2012) Rewriting the Rules. London: Routledge. Beckett, S. (2010) Azima ila Hayati – An invitation into my life: Narrative conversations about sexual identity. In L. Moon (ed.) Counselling Ideologies: Queer challenges to Heteronormativity. Farnham: Ashgate. Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006) Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2): 77-101. Butler, J. (1990) Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. New York: Routledge Cass, V. (1979) Homosexual identity formation: A theoretical model. Journal of Homosexuality, 4: 219-235. Clarke, V., Hayfield, N., Moller, N. & Tischner, I. (2017) Once upon a time… story completion methods. In V. Braun, V. Clarke & D. Gray (eds.) Collecting Qualitative Data: A Practical Guide to Textual, Media and Virtual Techniques. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Feinberg, L. (1996) Transgender Warriors: Making History From Joan Of Arc To Dennis Rodman. Boston: Beacon Press. Foucault, M. (1976/1998) The History Of Sexuality Vol 1: The Will To Knowledge. London: Penguin. Harrison, J., Grant, J. & Herman, J.L. (2012) A gender not listed here: Genderqueers, gender rebels and otherwise in the national transgender discrimination survey. LGBTQ Policy Journal at Harvard Kennedy School, 2, 13-24. Hare-Mustin, R.T. (1994) Discourses in the mirrored room: A postmodern analysis of therapy. Family Process, 33: 19-35. Lev, A.I. (2004) Transgender Emergence: Therapeutic Guidelines For Working With Gender Variant People And Their Families. New York: Haworth McNeil, J., Bailey, L., Ellis, S., Morton, J. & Regan, M. (2012) Trans Mental Health Study. Retrieved from Scottish Transgender Alliance
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https://www.metrocentreonline. org/pdfs/Experiences_LGBTQ_Intergrated%20 Report2015.pdf. Richards, C., Bouman, W.P., Seal, L., Barker, M.J., Nieder, T.O. & T’Sjoen, G. (2016) Non-binary or genderqueer genders. International Review of Psychiatry, 28: 95-102. Savin-Williams, R.C. (1998) “…And Then I Became Gay”. Young Men’s Stories. New York: Routledge. Tajfel, H. & Turner, J. C. (1979) An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W.G. Austin & S. Worchel (eds.) The Social Psychology Of Intergroup Relations. Chicago: Nelson-Hall Publishers. Turner, J. & Avis, J.M. (2003) Naming injustice, engendering hope: Tensions in feminist family therapy training. In L.B. Sliverstein & T.J. Goodrich (eds.) Feminist Family Therapy: Empowerment In Social Context. Washington: American Psychological Association.
Catherine is the founder of the foundation and intermediate systemic courses at the University of Bath, where she currently works as the clinical director on the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Catherine’s preferred gender pronoun is ‘she’, and she identifies as a queer white British woman. Catherine hopes systemic therapists will harness their curiosity to continue to challenge and stretch the heteronormative constructions of gender expression and role within systemic teaching, writing and practice.
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Context 155, February 2018
The social construction of non-binary gender identity
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