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Nicola Brown and transgender people

Nicola R. Brown is a Canadian psychologist who has worked at Toronto’s CAMH gender clinic. Brown has published resources and consumer information for transgender people, as well as published psychological research, including a book chapter with fired sexologist Kenneth Zucker.

Background

Nicola Ruth Brown was born in 1976. She attended York University, earning a master’ss degree in 2001 and a doctorate in 2006. Brown then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University in the Victims of Violence Program. Brown has served as staff psychologist in the Gender Identity Clinic for adults at CAMH. Brown also has a private practice.

According to a profile of Brown on the 2018 CAMH website, “Clinical interests include sexual orientation and gender identity concerns. Research interests include clinical decision-making and best practice models for working with trans people, adaptive processes of the significant others of trans people, and the social determinants of health.”

While working at Central Toronto Youth Service, Brown published the first edition of Families in TRANSition in 2008. This guide provides information and resources for families with a gender-diverse or transgender member.

Collaboration with Ken Zucker

Brown and Zucker published the chapter “Gender Dysphoria” in the 2014 book Principles and Practice of Sex Therapy, edited by Yitzchak M. Binik and Kathryn S.K. Hall. The chapter heavily favors Zucker’s point of view on pathologization and cures of trans youth, devoting only one paragraph in the chapter to affirmative care for children. They claim affirmative care that is the consensus among pediatricians is merely the model “that receives the most media attention, and it certainly dominates Internet discourse.” Zucker was fired from CAMH a year after publication.

References

McIntosh C, Brown NR (2023). Psychotherapy with trans and gender diverse people. In H. Crisp & G.O. Gabbard (Eds.), Textbook of Psychotherapeutic Treatments (2nd ed), pp. 667-680. American Psychiatric Association Publishing. ISBN 9781615373260

Brown NR. (2021). Intimate partner violence. In A. Goldberg & G. Beemyn (Eds.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Trans Studies. SAGE Publishing. ISBN 9781544393841

Kallivayalil D, Levitan J, Brown NR, Harvey MR (2013). Preliminary findings from a qualitative study of trauma survivors in treatment: Changes in personal narratives. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 22 (3), 262-281. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2013.743942 

CAMH (2018). CPA Accredited Clinical Psychology Residency Program 2018-2019 Academic Year. http://www.camh.ca/-/media/files/camh-psychology-residency-brochure-20182019-academic-year—october-18-2017-version-pdf.pdf

Zucker KJ, Brown NR (2014). Gender Dysphoria. In Principles and Practice of Sex Therapy, Fifth Edition. Binik YM, Hall KSK, eds. Guilford Publications. ISBN 9781462513895

Brown NR, Kallivayalil D, Mendehlson M, Harvey MR (2011). Working the double edge: Unbraiding pathology and resiliency in the narratives of early-recovery trauma survivors. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024969

Brown NR (2011). Holding tensions of victimization and perpetration: Partner abuse in trans communities. In J. Ristock (Ed.), Intimate Partner Violence in LGBTQ Lives. Routledge. ISBN 9780415998796

Brown NR (2010). The sexual relationships of sexual-minority women partnered with trans men: A qualitative study. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 39, 561- 572. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-009-9511-9

Brown NR (2009). “I’m in transition too”: Sexual identity renegotiation in sexualminority women’s relationships with transsexual men. International Journal of Sexual Health, 21, 62-78. https://doi.org/10.1080/19317610902720766

Brown NR, Miller L (2008). Families in TRANSition guide. Second edition (2016): https://ctys.org/wp-content/uploads/Families-in-TRANSition.pdf

Brown NR (2005). Queer Women Partners of Female-to-Male Transsexuals: Renegotiating Self in Relationship. [unpublished doctoral dissertation], York University, UK. https://bac-lac.on.worldcat.org/oclc/191239034

Brown NR (2001). Women’s passionate friendships. Typescript Masters Thesis, York University.

Resources

Dr. Nicola Brown (nicolabrown.ca)

Rainbow Health Ontario (rainbowhealthontario.ca)

CAMH (camh.ca)

Central Toronto Youth Service (ctys.org)

  • Y-GAP health (PDF)