Maureen Morrissey Claim

My work as a therapist is to help people move beyond their emotional pain and limiting beliefs toward their own vision of the life they are meant to live. As one of the founding therapists of the Los Angeles Gender Center I have been seeing transgender and gender non-conforming clients for more than 25 years. In the early years, I learned more about gender diversity by listening to the stories and struggles of individual clients rather than the pathologizing psychological theories of the day. Now I continue to learn from working with people whose identity is not limited by the binary conception of gender. This work inspires me to grow in compassion and to continually expand my own understanding of gender. I take my cues from my clients and work in a collaborative way to help them clarify, express and celebrate who they really are. My clients are the authors of their own lives and I see my role as accompanying them on the journey in a supportive and affirming way. For clients who are already clear about what is next on their path, I can provide the tools and support to move forward. I counsel spouses, family members and friends who may need help supporting and understanding their loved ones. I also conduct seminars and trainings on gender for employers, mental health professionals and the public.