Spiritual Care of Transgender Persons

Spiritual care is increasingly recognized as an essential component of healthcare delivery. Professional chaplains play a specialized role in meeting the religious/spiritual (R/S) needs of patients. This chapter focuses on the provision of spiritual care to transgender populations and introduces key concepts, terms, and related research. The authors describe screening and assessment tools that may assist clinicians in identifying the R/S needs of transgender patients. The authors also present case studies that demonstrate how clinicians and chaplains might address the R/S needs of transgender adults and adolescents. Given that R/S can play significant, complex, and varying roles in the coping and decision-making of transgender patients, clinician sensitivity to R/S needs and familiarity with supportive resources, including chaplains, are recommended.