Dr. lore dickey: Making a Difference on the National Stage

Dr. lore m. dickey, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology & Behavioral Sciences, represented his department and the College of Education well as the co-chair of a task force of the  American Psychological Association (APA). The task force was charged with developing guidelines for psychologists who work with transgender or gender nonconforming (TGNC) people. In an early-morning text to his department chair, Dr. Donna Thomas, dickey wrote "The Guidelines are APA policy," a humble statement that doesn't nearly capture the time, effort, and devotion he dedicated to the task.

Dr. dickey and co-chair Dr. Anneliese Singh, Associate Professor from the University of Georgia's Department of Counseling and Human Development Services, learned that the “Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People” were adopted by APA’s Council of Representatives at its meeting August 5, during the APA's 123rd annual convention in Toronto, Canada. The guidelines fill a gap that was exposed by a 2009 APA survey, the results of which demonstrated less than 30 percent of psychologists and psychology graduate students surveyed understood many issues of concern for TGNC individuals. In addition to establishing protocols for psychological practice, the guidelines address research, education, and training. They provide a complementary resource for the APA's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct.

Regarding the task force and its important work, Dr. dickey said, "The work of the guidelines task force is a culmination of over four years of effort to create some practice guidelines that address the need for affirming psychological practice with transgender and gender nonconforming clients. We hope that the work that we have created will be readily implemented by psychologists in every area of practice, be it clinical, teaching, research, or service, in an effort to help improve the quality of life for transgender people everywhere."

Back home at Louisiana Tech, the guidelines will immediately become a valuable resource for Counseling Psychology doctoral students in their Professional Issues and Ethics course, alongside other APA guidelines such as those related to working with girls and women; older adults; and lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients. Thank you, Dr. dickey, for leading the charge on this groundbreaking effort!