Trans and Non-Binary Youth Support Group

I offer a weekly support group for trans, non-binary, and gender-expansive teens. This group is a collaborative space where members can share about their experience and build community with peers. Together we discuss topics related to gender and transition, engage in creative activities, and develop resiliency skills.

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Trans, non-binary, and gender-expansive teenagers face unique challenges. Having a dedicated space to share about their experience, connect with others, and receive support is a critical resource.

Our group helps participants:

  • Explore their identities

  • Be seen and affirmed as they are

  • Build community

  • Develop resiliency

  • Experience belonging, playfulness, and fun

Our group is a space where everyone’s uniqueness is celebrated and where gender exploration is considered both a challenge and an adventure.

Details and Fees

  • This group for teens aged 14–19 meets once a week for 90 minutes on Sundays.

  • Our group space is at 4531 SE Belmont Ave in Portland

  • This group runs continuously, and we invite new members in as current members are ready to move on.

  • The fee for this group is $25–$55 per session (sliding scale) or free with OHP.

What Group is Like

We gather around a table strewn with art supplies and snacks. Paint markers, polymer clay, DIY stickers and patches, and a button maker, among other things. There is no expectation that members work on anything creative, but the option is always there. Our group is small (6-8 folks), so members can build friendships and get to know one another.

We start with a round of check ins and everyone shares highlights and updates from their week. Next we open the floor for topics, and members can propose anything that’s coming up for them that would feel good to share about and hear other folks’ perspectives on. Common topics include: navigating gender at school, relationships with siblings and parents, experiences with hormones, friendships and dating, and self-care practices.

While we discuss the topics we have settled on for the day, members can make art if they choose. Everyone is encouraged to share, but this group also works to be a welcoming space for both introverts and extroverts. On any given day, we might follow a few tangents - including sharing funny moments from the week, our favorite thing we’ve seen on the internet recently, or what we’ve been reading/watching/listening to. I also bring in articles and skill-building tools to support our discussions and learning.

This group balances discussion and skill-building with space to be playful and spontaneous, appreciate each other’s company, and have a good time. As the weeks unfold we celebrate wins, milestones, and birthdays. We support each other through discussion and sharing, but also through developing caring relationships and being in community with each other.

GET IN TOUCH

If you want to learn more about group and see if it is the right fit for you, reach out!

Call 503-662-8316, email me, or complete the contact form here. Looking forward to hearing from you!