Photo: Bonn Wade, who is a licensed clinical social worker, consultant, trainer and psychotherapist with Chicago Counseling Associates & Beverly Therapists, will lead the group. Photo Pidgeon Pagonis.
Carrie Maxwell of the Windy City Times announced the expansion of the Gendernauts program to the Beverly community, located on the far south side of Chicago.
“In order to create a safe space for transgender and gender-expansive youth, clinicians from Chicago Counseling Associates & Beverly Therapists and The Juniper Center formed a support group, Gendernauts, for Chicago area youth ages 14-21.
As for how they see the group in the future, Margo Jacquot—founder and director of The Juniper Center, licensed clinical psychologist, certified supervisory behavioral issues counselor and board certified expert in traumatic stress—noted that for right now they are excited to have created this group.
In the best of all worlds there might be Gendernauts groups in other locations,” said Jacquot. “My wish would be that we will be able to help others set up safe, informed spaces in the hinterlands beyond Chicago, where resources are few.”
“We’re excited for all the possibilities that Gendernauts will bring to Beverly and the surrounding neighborhoods and the youth who participate,” said Wade. “Tell your young friends and family members who identify as transgender and/or gender expansive that we’re here and ready to build community.”
Read the full article on Gendernauts here.
Gendernauts began last June at The Juniper Center in Park Ridge, as an eight-session social support group that welcomed high school students, “Who identify as transgender (male-to-female; female-to-male), androgynous, gender non-conforming, gender-queer, or those teens who are simply questioning their gender.”
The pilot program was a collaboration between the Juniper Center in Park Ridge and Chicago Counseling Associates..
“[Juniper] and CCA share a welcoming, affirming ethos, and clinicians on both staffs have specialties that led to us identifying a need in the community out in the suburbs,” Simon Weismantel, LSW, of the Juniper Center said in an article on the Edge Media Network, about this program that provides healthy options to high schoolers coming out.
To RSVP for the free meeting on Dec. 13, contact Wade at 773-330-2544 or wadebonn@gmail.com .
Source: http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Youth-trans-group-announces-launch-on-South-Side/53562.html
