Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev)
Conscience Month Originator

“Today’s problems were born in the human mind, and their solutions are now waiting to be born through the human mind’s conscience.” — Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev)

AVERILL PARK, N.Y. (PRWEB)
December 27, 2022

The American Meditation Institute (AMI) announces that the fourth annual National Conscience Month will be observed throughout January 2023 with the goal of encouraging people of all ages to understand how their Conscience really works and to experiment with using it’s unerring wisdom to guide both their personal and professional relationships. Since 1996, AMI has provided comprehensive training in the world’s oldest holistic mind/body medicine centered around one revolutionary principle: Your Conscience is the undiscovered key that unlocks humanity’s limitless wisdom and creativity to solve all of life’s challenges.

According to AMI founder and Conscience Month originator Leonard Perlmutter, “A satellite orbits the earth with no inner guidance to determine its destiny. You, however, have the capacity and the freedom to escape the failings of the culture and your own past mistakes, and to thrive in every relationship, simply by experimenting with letting Your Conscience be your guide in thought, word and deed.”

This month-long observance is an auspicious time to raise awareness about the value of experimenting with the Conscience as an inspired guide to making better choices every day and in every relationship. In his latest book, YOUR CONSCIENCE, Leonard Perlmutter clearly explains how the mind can be trained to harmoniously and rewardingly reduce inner mental conflict, which is the first step in ameliorating external conflict and pain. Always emphasizing a kind and scientific approach, Perlmutter asks people not to blindly believe him, but rather to experiment with time-tested practices.

As an integral component of National Conscience Month’s January 2023 observance will, AMI will be hosting two important webinars live on Zoom to help increase understanding and confidence of how Your Conscience really functions, and how to optimize its use in every relationship. The first free webinar, Your Conscience: It’s Not What You Think It IS! will be held on January 8 from 7:30 – 8:30 pm ET. The second free webinar, “Your Conscience: Everywhere, Every Day,” will be aired on January 15 from 7:30 – 8:30 pm ET. A separate registration is required for each webinar.

Leonard Perlmutter, originator of National Conscience Month and founder of The American Meditation Institute for Yoga Science and Philosophy is available for interviews.

About the American Meditation Institute

The American Meditation Institute (AMI), a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization devoted to the teaching and practice of Yoga Science and AMI meditation as holistic mind-body medicine. In its approach to wellness, AMI combines the healing arts of the East with the practicality of modern Western science. Throughout the year, The American Meditation Institute presents Leonard Perlmutter’s AMI MEDITATION Foundation Course for solving all of life’s challenges, and publishes Transformation a quarterly journal of Yoga Science that contains helpful news and a complete upcoming calendar of classes.

To schedule an interview, please contact:

Media Contact:

Robert Washington

American Meditation Institute

60 Garner Road

Averill Park, NY 12018

Tel: 518.674.8714

Fax: 518.674.8714

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BRICK, N.J. (PRWEB)
December 28, 2022

Jeffrey Demitrack, earned his master’s degree in counseling psychology from Cambridge College and has enjoyed many careers, including participating in the family business, sales, and IT work for the New York Department of Education, has completed his new book “Dating in the Dark: A Memoir About Dating Disasters with Epilepsy, Anxiety, and Psychotic Breaks”: a powerful memoir that details the authors experiences in trying to find a romantic partner while dealing with epileptic seizures that have often derailed his dating plans.

“My story isn’t easy to tell. It’s hard to put into words exactly what I’ve felt or experienced, and some moments are simply too graphic to describe,” writes Demitrack. “I still thought I’d give it a try because epilepsy is something I’m stuck with for life, and that’s something I can’t escape. I hope my story helps open up a dialogue about this disorder and gives people a chance to relate to it in a way they might not have previously. Epilepsy hasn’t gotten the attention or funding it deserves, but as the public hears about how common it is and sees famous people whose lives it has touched, there have gradually been more and more people taking notice.”

Demitrack continues, “This book is about a unique subset of the seizures I’ve had while suffering from intractable epilepsy while exploring my sexuality. The word ‘intractable’ is stuck in front of my diagnosis because it means that my epilepsy doesn’t respond well to medicinal treatment. I’ve had thousands of seizures, of different types, but I wanted to describe to you some that were traumatic not only for me but for other people in my life at the time. Whether it was with an exclusive girlfriend, a first date, or others, an epileptic seizure thwarted any plans I had for the evening.”

The author finishes by sharing, “I hope you will enjoy this deeply personal story with an open mind. As you read, you will see I lost many meaningful relationships on top of other components that would have contributed to a higher quality of life. The more I lost, the harder it was to find relationships. If this book helps one person to understand epilepsy and relationships better, the time and effort to write it was well worth it.”

Published by Page Publishing, Jeffrey Demitrack’s enthralling story invites readers to experience what life is like for those who live with epilepsy and find themselves in the dark and having no control over when a seizure occurs. In this raw and honest approach, Demitrack details the complexities of being a lover and romantic partner, along with the confusion and loneliness that can be felt by those afflicted with epilepsy.

Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase “Dating in the Dark: A Memoir About Dating Disasters with Epilepsy, Anxiety, and Psychotic Breaks” at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors’ books, including distribution in the world’s largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Page’s accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.

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“Black men I know often find themselves in a situation where they have to be strong for their family and community and do more to get ahead, which creates a lot of pressure to hide what might be perceived as weakness. As men we can move too fast in an effort to survive to address mental health.”

PLANO, Texas (PRWEB)
December 23, 2022

The holiday season can be difficult for many people, particularly those struggling with mental health issues. Vontoba Terry, the co-founder of the Black-owned brand Urban Hydration, is calling for more attention to be paid to the mental health of Black men in our community year-round. This need has been made all the more urgent by the recent loss of beloved dancer Stephen “tWitch” Boss.

Urban Hydration is a Black-owned brand dedicated to promoting wellness and self-care. Vontoba, along with his wife Psyche, has built a successful company around the gentle healing of our bodies. Now, they’re using their platform to give back to another type of healing by openly discussing mental health, eliminating the stigma associated with Black men particularly.

“I think it’s important to identify why there is a stigma in the first place,” says Vontoba. “Black men I know often find themselves in a situation where they have to be strong for their family and community and do more to get ahead, which creates a lot of pressure to hide what might be perceived as weakness. As men we can move too fast in an effort to survive to address mental health.”

With the heartbreaking news of tWitch’s suicide, Vontoba says more can be done to improve mental health awareness.

“We need to talk about mental health in the workplace, in the barbershop, at the frat meeting and in our family gatherings,” he says. “All men struggle in some way at some time.”

“We have watched tWitch since early in his career and even recently with his amazing performance with his wife in the Hip Hop Nutcracker. I only wish that he had the opportunity to make a different choice and receive the help and support he needed to keep going. His death is heartbreaking and his family is in my thoughts. Our primary care providers and doctors should be asking us questions about our mental health and providing quality mental health resources.”

In his journey as an entrepreneur who also balances family and business, Vontoba says he has learned ways to cope with challenges and deal with them when they arise.

“My wife Psyche and I are best friends who also run a business. It took time to learn how to balance our personalities and goals, but we figured it out. This journey required faith, purpose and communication. We are okay with telling each other, ‘I’m tired, I’m not okay or this is a problem for me.’ Communication also includes honesty. Lies create a snowball. It’s best just to tell the truth from the beginning so that secrets don’t fester in the silence.

“There was a time when we built up a significant amount of debt in our business, and I felt that the weight of the pressure was squeezing me on all sides. This led to a lot of anxiety. I saw a counselor to talk about what I was feeling and he helped me understand the root of my issues. As a result of prayer, reflection and counseling, I now understand how important it is to not make business success or financial success part of my identity. Whether the business succeeded or failed, I still had a responsibility to be a great father and husband, surround myself with good advisors and make the best decisions possible.”

To highlight the importance of men’s self-care, the Terrys created a Black Men’s Mental Health Wellness Bundle. This includes its Castor & Shea Face Wash, Castor & Shea Face Lotion and Aloe Toner with proceeds going towards its WATERisLIFE program that provides safe drinking water to those in need.

For more information on Urban Hydration and its give-back initiatives, visit http://www.urbanhydration.com.

About Urban Hydration:

Founded by Psyche and Vontoba Terry in 2009, the couple was challenged to create a clean beauty line that addressed dry skin and hair that wasn’t just fun and affordable, but healthy. Most importantly, these products are safe for the entire family to use without compromising gluten, polybeads, parabens, phthalates, paraffins, and silicones. Today, Urban Hydration is sold in more than 32,000 retail stores nationwide and the brand is committed to giving back. With the “1 product = 1 gallon of water” promise, Urban Hydration dedicated its first clean water drinking well to 300 Kenyan school children in 2018. Follow them on Instagram @urbanhydration.

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Research from Koa Health reveals organizations are more openly and visibly practicing mental wellbeing habits in the workplace.

“Emotional resilience, awareness and destigmatization, better relationships—these are all preventative measures in mental health that make employees feel secure, and that they have purposeful longevity at their organization. And those are the outcomes that will ultimately impact your bottom line.”

BOSTON (PRWEB)
December 21, 2022

Koa Health, a leading global provider of digital mental healthcare solutions, today published new survey results on 2023 mental health trends, revealing HR’s perceptions of employee mental health in the US amid continued socio-economic uncertainty and their supporting organizational investments and strategies for next year.

Koa Health’s research, conducted in partnership with https://3gem.com/3Gem Research and Insights, found that more than half of employers say they plan to talk more about mental health in company communications and a further 58% say they will openly and visibly practice mental wellbeing habits in the workplace. Nearly all (94%) of US organizations are offering their employees mental health benefits of some kind and 75% of respondents report that their employees are using mental health benefits more than last year. With increased benefit utilization and momentum to destigmatize these issues in the workplace, businesses are optimistic about employee mental wellbeing as they go into the new year, with 79% believing mental health will improve in 2023.

When asked about the desired outcomes of such support, quality of life (65%), workplace productivity (64%) and workplace safety (48%) were cited as the top three.

Despite an evolving appetite to support mental health and an optimistic sentiment toward the outcomes of such programs, the research also found that although nearly all companies offer mental health benefits, mental health is not a cultural priority for more than a third (37%) of US organizations. Further, only 45% of executive leadership teams are expected to authorize additional spending on employee mental health in 2023.

With recent Gallup research showing that 57% of employees that report their workplace has a negative impact on their mental health are unable to confirm the existence of easily accessible mental health support services in their workplace, it becomes apparent that despite ongoing efforts and clear intentions to better support employee mental health, there continues to be a gap between employer perception and employees’ lived experience.

While there is misalignment on priorities at the highest levels of organizations, HR leaders have a strong pulse on what is affecting mental health at work the most.

Almost two-thirds (65%) of employers feel personal financial concerns currently have a significant negative impact on employee mental health, closely followed by workplace culture (50%), which nods to the work environment, workload, flexible hours and relationships with managers. A hopeful majority of organizations (94%) do have in place plans to equip managers to recognize and deal with employee mental health issues next year, with 64% planning training on mental health awareness and half (51%) providing access to aggregated data to help them understand their team’s mental wellbeing.

Jenn Gendron, CCO of Koa Health comments “It’s great to see the focus of employee wellbeing initiatives shift to results that are more aligned with how people live and work, as well as long-term success for individuals and companies. Emotional resilience, awareness and destigmatization, better relationships—these are all preventative measures in mental health that make employees feel secure, and that they have purposeful longevity at their organization. And those are the outcomes that will ultimately impact your bottom line.

Gendron advises that “When there is a disconnect or gap in understanding, it’s difficult for employees to feel heard and access support. If you have them in place, you may start getting signals in engagement surveys or in interactions with employees that they need mental health programs to mitigate these feelings. However, not everyone has a diagnosable mental health condition, and therapy and traditional approaches are not always the right solution. To build a culture of wellbeing, you need to provide space for them to reflect and talk about their experiences and feelings to better understand them. They can benefit from accessible digital tools that help them learn about and understand feelings, teach them good self-care habits and help build resilience.”

Read the executive summary to gain more insights on 2023 workplace mental health trends.

Key takeaways:

• 
  Protecting employees’ quality of life is the #1 reason employers are investing in mental health support
• 75% of respondents say that employees are using their mental health benefits somewhat or substantially more than last year
• While 79% of US employers expect mental health to improve in 2023, only 45% of executive leadership teams are expected to authorize additional spending on employee mental health
• Almost all (94%) of organizations have in place plans to equip managers to recognize and deal with employee mental health issues next year

*Results are based on an independent online survey conducted by 3Gem Media Group Ltd on behalf of Koa Health; n=250 senior HR managers in The UK and n=250 senior HR managers in the US, in organizations of 10+ employees, were surveyed from 18th to 24th November 2022.

About Koa Health

Koa Health is the leading global provider offering evidence-based, personalized, integrated solutions and services that deliver mental health for everyone. Available to more than 3 million users worldwide, Koa Health addresses a vast spectrum of mental health needs – from improving wellbeing to supporting treatment for the most prolific disorders. Backed by investors such as Telefónica, a consortium advised by Ancora Finance Group, Wellington Partners Life Sciences, and MTIP, Koa Health leverages deep clinical expertise, research and technology to deliver effective and accessible care that adapts to users’ unique circumstances, leading to lasting behavior change and positive health outcomes. Koa Health partners with employers, health plans, health systems and providers around the world with its headquarters in the Netherlands and operations in Boston, London and Barcelona.

For more information, please visit http://www.koahealth.com

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Dr. Richmond Hill, Provost of NOVA-Woodbridge

“Dr. Hill’s commitment to cultivating a student-centered culture of care truly represents NOVA’s values,” said Anne M. Kress, president of NOVA. “His vision for the Woodbridge Campus and his relationships within the Prince William County community will bring economic opportunities to the region.”

WOODBRIDGE, Va. (PRWEB)
December 20, 2022

Dr. Richmond Hill has been named provost of Northern Virginia Community College’s (NOVA) Woodbridge Campus. Hill has served as interim provost since June 2022 and brings a wealth of education and counseling experience to the role.

“Dr. Hill’s commitment to cultivating a student-centered culture of care truly represents NOVA’s values,” said Anne M. Kress, president of NOVA. “His vision for the Woodbridge Campus and his relationships within the Prince William County community will bring economic opportunities to the region.”

Mental health and student success have been driving forces throughout Dr. Hill’s career in education. He has designed and implemented several successful mentoring and leadership development programs intended to foster the personal, social and academic development of boys and men of color. His contributions have been recognized with the Xi Alpha Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.’s Man of the Year Award and Counselor of the Year Awards from both the Prince William Regional Counseling Association and the Virginia School Counseling Association. He also received the Prince William County Human Rights Commission Award.

“I’ve always had a passion for developing educational programs, providing students with the tools they need and having a direct impact on student success,” said Hill. “I’m honored to serve as provost of the Woodbridge Campus, and I look forward to working with the incredibly talented faculty and staff to make sure we provide the educational and career opportunities that our students deserve.”

Hill began his career as a school counselor at Prince William County Schools (PWCS) and rose through the ranks to become director of counseling, supervisor of prevention programs and family assistance, and supervisor of secondary counseling and student support services—a position in which he was responsible for more than 180 counselors and administrators. He has also held roles of increasing responsibility at NOVA, where he previously served as a counselor and coordinator of student success on the Woodbridge Campus and then as associate vice president for student support services.

Noting the importance of engaging directly with students, Hill said, “one of the most important things I have learned during my 22 years of working in education is that degrees, titles, publications and awards don’t matter to students as much as knowing that the professionals surrounding them genuinely care about their well-being.”

A 22-year Prince William County resident, Hill is a member of the current Leadership Prince William class and has served as past-president of the Prince William Regional Counseling Association. He has also served as a member of the PWCS Career and Technical Advisory Council, PWCS Growing Our Own Advisory Council, PWCS Safe Schools Advisory Council, the Greater Prince William Trauma-Informed Care Network and The Good News Community Kitchen Scholarship Committee. At the state level, he has served on the advisory board of Project Hope-Virginia, a program that ensures the enrollment, attendance and school success of children and youth experiencing homelessness.

Hill holds a doctorate in higher education administration from The George Washington University, a master’s in counselor education from North Carolina State University and a bachelor’s in psychology and human development from North Carolina State University.

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Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) is the largest public institution of higher learning in the Commonwealth of Virginia and one of America’s largest community colleges. NOVA enrolls nearly 75,000 students at its six campuses in Alexandria, Annandale, Loudoun, Manassas, Springfield (Medical Education Campus) and Woodbridge, through NOVA Online and high school dual enrollment. We offer more than 100 associate degree and certificate programs to help our students reach their academic and professional goals through university transfers and access to the most in-demand careers. At NOVA, we strive to ensure that every student succeeds, every program achieves and every community prospers. For more information about NOVA and its programs or services, visit our website, http://www.nvcc.edu, or call 703.323.3000.

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“We are losing far too many of our young people, especially those representing Black and Brown communities,” said Valerie Rochester, chief health equity officer at CHC.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (PRWEB)
December 19, 2022

Today, CHC: Creating Healthier Communities and the Steve Fund announced a new partnership to promote equity and address the country’s mental health crisis. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, mental health challenges are the leading cause of disability and poor life outcomes in young people. Unfortunately, in recent years, the country has seen significant increases in mental health disorders in youth.

“We are losing far too many of our young people, especially those representing Black and Brown communities, due to limited awareness and lack of tailored responses to address their specific needs, issues and concerns,” said Valerie Rochester, chief health equity officer at CHC. “The Steve Fund provides mental health resources and research to support both institutions and young people of color themselves.”

To raise awareness and resources for mental health equity, CHC will include the Steve Fund as a national workplace giving partner in hundreds of campaigns, create a customized “Mental Health Equity” cause fund to build capacity for organizations providing youth mental health equity services, and promote mental health equity to its network of thousands of private and public sector partners.

“As the nation’s leading organization focused on mental health and wellbeing for young people of color, the Steve Fund has a strong track record and unique resources,” said Thomas G. Bognanno, president and CEO at CHC. “We’re proud to partner with the Steve Fund in a shared commitment to advance equitable approaches to improving health across all communities.”

In 2022, the U.S. Surgeon General declared a public health crisis in mental health due to significant increases in youth depression, suicidal ideation, anxiety and stress. Young people of color are facing additional challenges, academically, emotionally, and in some cases more serious risks, not just due to biological factors but also social and environmental factors, including substance abuse, economic and other inequities, discrimination, bullying, adverse child experiences, trauma, violence and toxic stress. Black children are now nearly twice as likely to die by suicide than other children.

“Partnerships are key to helping the Steve Fund get critical mental health resources into the hands of the young people and communities that need them most,” said Evan Rose, co-founder and president of the Board of the Steve Fund. “We are partnering with CHC because the organization has worked diligently to remove barriers to good health and equity for communities of color. We look forward to working with CHC to continue to make a positive impact on the lives of young people of color.”

To support Mental Health Equity, visit: https://give.chcimpact.org/p/mentalhealthequity

ABOUT CHC: CREATING HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES

CHC: Creating Healthier Communities brings nonprofits, businesses, and communities together around a shared commitment to health equity and wellbeing. For more than 65 years, CHC has worked with partners to address the barriers to good health and equity and create resilient communities where everyone can thrive. CHC’s role is to advance equity, enhance the capacity of nonprofit organizations, connect and convene diverse stakeholders, and harness collective resources and programs to activate collaborations that address root causes, increase impact, and improve the health of our communities. Join us at https://chcimpact.org/ or @chcimpact.

About The Steve Fund

The Steve Fund is the nation’s leading organization dedicated to supporting the mental health and emotional well-being of young people of color. The Steve Fund works with higher education, nonprofits, researchers, mental health experts, families, and young people to promote programs and strategies that build understanding and assistance for the mental and emotional health of the nation’s young people of color. Learn more: http://www.stevefund.org

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The grants support a large diversity of basic and clinical research conducted by the best primary investigators on the globe committed to find a cure for MSA.

MCLEAN, Va. (PRWEB)
December 14, 2022

The Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) Coalition, the leading nonprofit funder of global MSA research, announced that the organization has reached the milestone of investing more than $3.5 million in total MSA research funding since 2013.

The Multiple System Atrophy Coalition distributes funds to encourage and finance critically important MSA research leading to the identification of causes, improved diagnostic methods, and more effective symptomatic and disease modifying treatments.

The funds have gone toward more than 55 projects at 35 research centers in 12 countries, which continues the history of alignment with the vision of the Global MSA Research Roadmap established in 2014.

“The grants support a large diversity of basic and clinical research conducted by the best primary investigators on the globe committed to find a cure for MSA,” said Gregor Wenning, MD, PhD, and Research Liaison on the Board of Directors of the MSA Coalition. “Let`s continue on this highly successful path.”

In 2022, the MSA Coalition supported seven new clinical, pre-clinical, biomarker, and pathogenesis studies at institutions around the world.

“We are so grateful for every dollar that the MSA Coalition has raised and are proud of the amazing work that is being done,” said Joe Lindahl, MA, CAE, Executive Director of the MSA Coalition. “MSA patients and their families depend on research that is being done to eventually improve their lives with more effective treatments. Every project that we fund brings us closer to finding a cure for this detrimental disease.”

MSA is a rare neurodegenerative disorder that can cause a multitude of symptoms in any combination including impairments to balance, difficulty with movement, poor coordination, bladder dysfunction, sleep disturbances and poor blood pressure control. There is currently no cure for MSA.

The Seed Grant application for 2023 will open February 1.

For more information on MSA or the work that the MSA Coalition is doing, visit multiplesystematrophy.org.

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There is a growing body of evidence showing that people who desire gender-affirming care but are not able to access it experience psychological distress.

BOSTON (PRWEB)
December 14, 2022

A Viewpoint published in JAMA Surgery asserts that requiring gender-affirming surgical adult patients to obtain an assessment letter prior to surgery is an unnecessary barrier to care and that moving toward an informed consent model, which is in place for nearly all other surgical procedures, would benefit such patients. The prior standard requiring assessment of suitability for surgery by a mental health care professional was designed to prevent regret about undergoing surgical procedures. In practice, patient regret for gender-affirming surgical procedures is very rare, and there is no evidence that presurgical mental health screening reduces rates of regret.

The requirement for presurgical assessment for patients seeking gender-affirming surgery differs markedly from the informed consent model that is used for nearly all other surgical procedures. With informed consent, surgeons talk with patients about their goals for surgery as well as the benefits and risks of surgery.

“Cisgender adults routinely undergo hysterectomies, breast augmentation or reduction, and rhinoplasty without a requirement for separate assessment by a mental health clinician,” said senior author Dr. Alex S. Keuroghlian, who directs the National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center at The Fenway Institute and the Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Gender Identity Program. “Rather than keeping these disparities between cisgender and transgender patients in place, we should trust transgender people to know their own identities and health care priorities in the same way we trust cisgender people.”

Transgender adults seeking gender-affirming surgery have typically already engaged in other forms of affirmation, such as changing name and gender markers on government-issued forms of identification, chest binding, genital tucking or packing, and gender-affirming hormone therapy.

“There is a growing body of evidence showing that people who desire gender-affirming care but are not able to access it experience psychological distress,” said Dr. Keuroghlian. “Moving toward a model of informed consent for gender-affirming surgery will increase access to this medically necessary care, while also minimizing the harm caused by psychiatric gatekeeping.”

The Viewpoint offered five recommendations for taking an informed consent approach to gender-affirming surgery:

• 
  Surgeons should assess a patient’s suitability for surgery by obtaining a gender history, evaluating the patient’s goals and expectations for surgery, and determining the patient’s capacity to consent to surgery. This assessment should be performed in conjunction with other presurgical assessments for medical readiness.
• Surgeons should obtain informed consent by discussing the process and likely results, benefits and risks of surgery with patients.
• If there is concern that uncontrolled mental health problems in patients may interfere with a patient’s capacity to consent to surgery, the surgeon should require evaluation by a mental health provider prior to surgery.
• Surgeons should receive standardized and robust training in gender-affirming care.
• More centers of excellence in gender-affirming surgery are needed in geographically diverse regions, with integrated access to mental health professionals who can support transgender patients and surgical teams as needed throughout the gender-affirming surgery process.

“Moving Beyond Psychiatric Gatekeeping for Gender-Affirming Surgery,” was published online by JAMA Surgery on December 14, 2022. It is available here.

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