Both Sides of the Mountain: Trans 101 for Acupuncturists & CM Practitioners

Trystan Reese

Founder & Principal Consultant

Dr. Wilder Rose

Dr. of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine

Trans patients want to work with you... are you ready to support them?

So many transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people are called to seek treatment from sources outside of Western modalities. But are these practitioners ready to welcome them?

Unfortunately, many practitioners rely on binary ways of thinking about bodies, systems, and people. Whether you're an herbalist, an acupuncturist, or a Chinese Medicine practitioner, you may find yourself thinking about the world in black-or-white ways... missing the rich, beautiful grays woven in between.

This three-hour workshop, which qualifies for three Professional Development Activity hours through NCBAHM (approval pending), equips acupuncture, herbal medicine, and CM providers with the foundational knowledge, language, and clinical skills needed to create affirming, safe, and effective care environments for transgender and nonbinary patients.

Interactive and engaging, this session is particularly relevant for providers who are working in fertility and reproductive care, with patients who have chronic pain and somatic conditions, focus on trauma-informed care, or are practicing in holistic and integrative health settings.

What you’ll learn

You'll emerge from this session with a deeper understanding of how to support transgender and nonbinary patients in your day-to-day work.

Shift from binary to spectrum thinking
Master an understanding of gender diversity
Learn a three-step tool for becoming fluent in gender-neutral language

Hear specific examples of provider mistreatment
Dig into the data
Solidify safety concepts

Learn and practice scripts for engaging with patients
Replace gendered language
Apply a specific tool for rebuilding trust

Understand body dysphoria
Identify consent practices
Demonstrate trauma-informed framing

Examine various hormone treatment pathways
Recognize diverse family-building goals
Focus on pattern diagnosis, constitution, and individual presentation

Workshop agenda

Module 1 — Foundations: Understanding Transgender Identities
Avoid assumptions based on presentation.
Module 2 — Why This Matters in Acupuncture & CM Settings
If the nervous system is bracing, treatment efficacy is reduced.
Module 3 — Language & Communication in the Treatment Room
The language you use can build trust, empower, and create collaboration between you and your patient.
Module 4 — Touch, Consent, and Reducing Dysphoria
By using trauma-informed care, you'll build stronger relationships with patients and ensure stronger outcomes from your work.
Module 5 — Clinical Considerations for CM Providers
Focus on pattern diagnosis, constitution, and individual presentation.
Module 6 — Building an Inclusive Clinic Environment
Use evidence-based practices.
Module 7 — Professional Allyship for Bodyworkers
Allyship radiates out from the self.