A Safe Space - Conversation With Dayne Bachmann
Let’s talk about therapy —
This past year I had the privilege of meeting Dayne Bachmann, a licensed social worker, gender therapist, author, and so much more. We wanted to work together on a project to help uplift our community by focusing on this idea of creating a safe space for trans folk. Dayne is the founder of Twin Peaks Counseling, LLC so we did this shoot there to honor that idea. We want to empower and encourage other trans folk with our shared experiences and education. To have a trans therapist as a trans client, is a privilege. You deserve to have a therapist who is educated enough to understand your struggles. Therapy, when you find the right one, can be very beneficial to a trans person’s journey and can very much be that safe space for them.
When I met Dayne, I had the honor of presenting The People’s Choice Award to him at the CT Voice Honors in September. I read a quote that stuck with me. “For a transgender person, finding a good therapist who is knowledgeable about their issues is like striking gold. Finding an excellent one? That’s like hitting a whole 24 karat vein.” As a trans person myself, I’ve had a hard time with therapy because I’ve never felt that anyone could relate to the things I’ve gone through. I often found myself having to teach my therapist more than anything. But you don’t really realize how helpful it is to talk to someone who’s had a similar journey and understands the hardships that you’ve been through as a trans person. Especially when that person is a licensed therapist, it could make things a lot easier for you and your journey.
I spoke with Dayne and asked him a few questions about his job and what it’s like…
What’s the most rewarding thing about your job?
“The most rewarding part of my job is when I am sitting with a client and they realize I fully understand how they feel and what they are going through. When I share with them I am a trans man the smile that brightens their face is priceless and I can see the weight they are carrying melt off their shoulders as they know 1. They are not going to be judged 2. They know they will not have to educate me on what it is like to be trans, they know I know how they feel being trans in this world today, they know I understand what dysphoria is and how it can affect a person.”
It’s impressive for any therapist to be able to separate their own issues and focus on their clients. Have you ever had a hard time with that? Especially with your trans clients?
“Absolutely, I am human. In the session if this happens I hold my bottle of water it is usually cold water so holding the bottle keeps me present.
I seek supervision and I also see my own therapist which definitely keeps me centered.”
What’s the hardest thing about your job?
“The hardest part of my job is that I don’t have more time in my day to see more people in the LGBTQ+ community. There is so much going on in the world today so many people are hurting. The other thing that is hard about my job is working with trans individuals that have seen another therapist prior to me that state they are accepting and affirming and have had training and actually used the client to teach them. This has caused more harm than good.”
Do you have a particularly large trans client base?
“In private practice seeing 25 clients a week is considered full time. My case load is 98% working with transgender individuals. Depending on the week I see between 20-25 clients.”
Dayne is also the author of SHE HE ME: A Transgender Man's Journey of Hell, Healing and Helping. “Dayne Bachmann’s book offers relief to those who are questioning their gender and sexual orientation, allowing them to embark on a journey of finding honesty, hope, understanding and guidance in the complexities and challenges those in the LGBTQ+ population face. He also provides resources for individuals and families who are facing this challenge.”
I hope that if you’re questioning your own identity to look into therapy as an option. Look into finding a trans therapist if that’s an option for you. If you’re in the CT area, Dayne is located in Derby, CT. I included all of his social links below as well as a link to purchase his book if interested!
Purchase SHE HE ME: A Transgender Man's Journey of Hell, Healing and Helping
