Implementation and evaluation of the gender resilience, resistance, empowerment, and affirmation training (GREAT) pilot program.

Abstract

This article reports program evaluation findings of the effectiveness of a pilot training program integrating key principles from the psychological framework for radical healing (French et al., 2020) and models aimed at decreasing internalized stigma (Israel et al., 2021). Our main goal of the training program was to increase psychotherapists' knowledge and skills related to competent and affirming practice with two-spirit, transgender, and nonbinary clients who are Black, Brown, and people of color adults. Pre- and posttraining qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 82 psychotherapist attendees to assess the acceptability of the training for learning goals and to provide preliminary evidence of training effectiveness for the training's learning objectives. Descriptive content analysis of qualitative data was used to assess the degree to which the training addressed psychotherapists' goals and increased knowledge and skills. Regression analyses of quantitative data found significant increases in psychotherapists' self-reported knowledge of key concepts and frameworks and confidence to apply new learning to psychotherapy practice. Program evaluation results largely support the acceptability and effectiveness of this training for increasing self-rated competency for psychotherapy practice with two-spirit transgender, and nonbinary Black, Brown, and people of color adult clients. Implications are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).