Christina Richards

How do we pray with faith that God will answer our prayer? We all know someone who never received the healing they prayed for, or the job they asked for. We know God can perform miracles, but it can be difficult to believe that He will. God answers prayers, yes, but He doesn't always answer them in the way we expect or want. Sometimes the answer feels like it will never come and we begin to doubt instead of holding on to our faith. When the Sun Doesn't Rise reveals a deeply personal journey through the pain and devastation of infertility and loss. It is a true story of how God used a period of waiting to instill essential truths about His love for us, and how we learn to trust in Him and be content and at peace in the waiting.

Grounded in cutting-edge qualitative research, Trans and Sexuality explores the sexuality of people who do not identify with the gender that they were assigned at birth. Arguing that whilst splitting members of the trans community into distinct groups might seem like a reasonable theoretical procedure, the pervasive assumption that group membership impacts on the sexuality of trans people has unduly biased opinions in this highly contested, yet dramatically under-researched area. Moreover, whilst existing literature has taken a purely positivistic standpoint, or relies on methodology that could be seen as exploitative towards trans people, Richards is careful to place the real-life experiences of trans research participants at the heart of the work. Showing that sexuality extends beyond the bedroom, this forward-thinking book touches on topics such as identity, sexuality and the intersections between the two. Richards takes a cross-disciplinary approach and considers the sexuality of trans people within the contexts of psychiatric and psychological settings, including Gender Identity Clinics, as well as in the broader contexts of cultural and community settings. The implications of the research at hand are also explored with respect to counselling psychology and existentialist philosophy. Trans and Sexuality will appeal to academics, researchers and postgraduate students in the fields of gender and sexuality, counselling, sociology, psychotherapy, psychology and psychiatry. It will be of particular interest to those seeking an in-depth and up-to-date overview of ethics and methodologies with people from marginalised sexualities and genders.

Gender diversity is now recognised as simply part of human diversity, rather than being pathological. This shift calls for a need for mental health professionals to adapt their practice when working with trans and non-binary people. Written by two clinicians with significant experience in this field, this book provides practical, everyday advice on what to do when seeing gender-diverse people in both inpatient and outpatient settings. It avoids focusing on academic theory or being overly political and, instead, offers straightforward, useful guidance on common issues clinicians may face, such as which ward to accommodate someone on or which name to use when. Topics include common drug interactions, differential diagnoses, complex case formulation, autistic spectrum conditions, the spectrum of sexualities, surgeries, legal and religious matters, forensic assessment, psychotherapy and mental health diagnoses. Fully relevant to contemporary practice, this is a much-needed guide for busy clinicians seeking immediate, practical and authoritative answers.

Grounded in cutting-edge qualitative research, Trans and Sexuality explores the sexuality of people who do not identify with the gender that they were assigned at birth. Arguing that whilst splitting members of the trans community into distinct groups might seem like a reasonable theoretical procedure, the pervasive assumption that group membership impacts on the sexuality of trans people has unduly biased opinions in this highly contested, yet dramatically under-researched area. Moreover, whilst existing literature has taken a purely positivistic standpoint, or relies on methodology that could be seen as exploitative towards trans people, Richards is careful to place the real-life experiences of trans research participants at the heart of the work. Showing that sexuality extends beyond the bedroom, this forward-thinking book touches on topics such as identity, sexuality and the intersections between the two. Richards takes a cross-disciplinary approach and considers the sexuality of trans people within the contexts of psychiatric and psychological settings, including Gender Identity Clinics, as well as in the broader contexts of cultural and community settings. The implications of the research at hand are also explored with respect to counselling psychology and existentialist philosophy. Trans and Sexuality will appeal to academics, researchers and postgraduate students in the fields of gender and sexuality, counselling, sociology, psychotherapy, psychology and psychiatry. It will be of particular interest to those seeking an in-depth and up-to-date overview of ethics and methodologies with people from marginalised sexualities and genders.

Questions of sexuality and gender affect everyone and therefore have an inevitable relevance in the consulting room. Yet with interpretations and manifestations of both varying greatly from person to person, understanding the inherent complexities of sexuality and gender can be a daunting task for the health professional. Breaking down these complexities this practical guide familiarises the reader with all of the common and many of the less common sexualities, genders and relationship forms, and explains experiences and issues relating to each. The book contains: -Explanations of various forms of sexuality, gender and relationship structures -Common concerns relating to specific groups -Key practises relating to specific groups -The treatment of specific groups in contemporary Western society -Details of some rules and ideals that are commonly found within specific groups -Suggestions for professional practice with these groups Ideal for all members of the multidisciplinary team, this accessible book is relevant to practitioners across theoretical backgrounds. Whether you are a trainee or qualified psychotherapist, counsellor, nurse, medic, psychiatrist, social worker or applied psychologist, this is a vital text for your professional practice. CHRISTINA RICHARDS is Senior Specialist Psychology Associate at the West London Mental Health NHS Trust (Charing Cross) Gender Identity Clinic. MEG BARKER is a senior lecturer in psychology at the Open University and a sex and relationship therapist.

Questions of sexuality and gender affect everyone and therefore have an inevitable relevance in the consulting room. Yet with interpretations and manifestations of both varying greatly from person to person, understanding the inherent complexities of sexuality and gender can be a daunting task for the health professional. Breaking down these complexities this practical guide familiarises the reader with all of the common and many of the less common sexualities, genders and relationship forms, and explains experiences and issues relating to each. The book contains: -Explanations of various forms of sexuality, gender and relationship structures -Common concerns relating to specific groups -Key practises relating to specific groups -The treatment of specific groups in contemporary Western society -Details of some rules and ideals that are commonly found within specific groups -Suggestions for professional practice with these groups Ideal for all members of the multidisciplinary team, this accessible book is relevant to practitioners across theoretical backgrounds. Whether you are a trainee or qualified psychotherapist, counsellor, nurse, medic, psychiatrist, social worker or applied psychologist, this is a vital text for your professional practice. CHRISTINA RICHARDS is Senior Specialist Psychology Associate at the West London Mental Health NHS Trust (Charing Cross) Gender Identity Clinic. MEG BARKER is a senior lecturer in psychology at the Open University and a sex and relationship therapist.