Skylar Hawthorne, LMSW (she/her), is a transgender psychotherapist and academic researcher based in New York City. Her clinical work focuses on neurodivergence, including ADHD, OCD, and autism. As a researcher, she has presented at the World Professional Association for Transgender Health conferences on psychosocial development following gender-affirming surgery. Overall, she is dedicated to advancing transgender mental health.
This presentation offers an informative guide for individuals considering gender-affirming surgery. It covers all the gender-affirming surgeries that are available (from vaginoplasty to rib reduction), what each entails, and realistic expectations around aesthetic outcomes, support needs, and recovery timelines. Additionally, this presentation also covers important mental health implications throughout the journey, from pre-surgical preparation and working with affirming therapists to coping strategies during recovery.
This presentation offers a practical and compassionate framework for cultivating contentment as a transgender person. Through a combination of feminist theory and evidence-based therapeutic approaches (including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)), this presentation explores how understanding gender as socially constructed can help alleviate internalized transphobia and then translates these insights into actionable strategies to increase psychological flexibility, clarify values, regulate emotions, and tolerate distress. Attendees will leave with both a conceptual lens and concrete tools to build authentic, connected, and sustainable lives.