In her 25 years as a gender therapist, Dr. Kathleen Ferrell has seen a lot of changes in the way the world views transgender individuals. But one thing she may not have seen is the direct and powerful impact she’s had on the T-community.
But in December, during a special celebration honoring the career of Ferrell, she heard first-hand how influential she has been during her quarter-century of service. Patients spoke about their experiences with Farrell—including her creation of a free group therapy session that was recently passed onto Dr. Tristan Byrnes.
“Those therapy groups emerged as part of my practice,” Ferrell remembered. “There were no support groups in the Tampa Bay area back then. I did not facilitate that first group, I only started it.”
And what she started changed the lives of countless transgender people in Tampa Bay and beyond. Many stood during the celebration to thank Ferrell for her guidance during the complex and often difficult transition from one gender to the other.
Ferrell said she was overcome by the love and support of the T community showed during the celebration.
“I was quite emotional,” Ferrell said. “I was very grateful that I could be present when I was eulogized—most people don’t get that opportunity. The individuals I’ve worked with over the years are amazing people because of course gender change is the Everest of human change. I think that they are just incredible people and in the face of a lot of obstacles in society, careers, in their families, they have persevered and they are just incredible.”
Since she began her practice 25 years ago, Ferrell has seen options open up to the transgender community and she credits those advances to education and the fostering of an understanding of what it means to be transgender. Society as a whole is becoming educated on the subject and the gay and lesbian community has become more embracing of transgender people, she said.
“Embracing really is the key word here,” Ferrell said. “We are grateful that the gay and lesbian community has embraced the trans community so much.”
While Ferrell has passed the therapy group onto Byrnes, she said she plans to continue her practice, but she is focused more now on transgender youth and their families. More and more children are coming out as transgender—much like gay and lesbian children are doing. Ferrell wants to be there to help.
“I am continuing to work with one family in particular whose child went from being a 7-year-old-male in second grade to a female attending the third grade in the same school,” Ferrell said. “I feel I have the education and expertise to work with these families who are experiencing this situation with their children.”
The confidence in which children are coming out—whether as transgender or gay or lesbian—is based in the educational opportunities that are now available, Ferrell believes. That, in turn, has helped more transgender people counter the effects of puberty, thus making the transition into a more comfortable adulthood easier.
Ferrell is not leaving her older patients behind, however. She still has a full client list and will continue to practice for as long as she is able. She is excited about passing the torch onto a younger doctor.
“I have a really, very staunch philosophy about those of us older in the community moving on to make room for younger people to join the workforce and offer their contributions,” Ferrell said. “Dr. Byrnes is a talented doctor who just finished his Masters Degree. He will be an asset to the community.”
For more information on Byrnes and the therapy groups, call 813-919-6185 or e-mail TWolfeByrnes@gmail.com. For information on Dr. Ferrell and her practice, visit TGTherapist.com.
