Dr. Banu Ünsal (the Netherlands)
Case Discussion Questions
- How do structures of domination, institutional systems, and socio-structural processes produce inequities in the lives of trans individuals?
- How do the worldview and social positions of clinicians affect their clinical decisions?
- How can clinical practice centre the voices, situated knowledge, and perspectives of the trans populations of focus?
Bio
Dr. Banu Ünsal is a postdoctoral researcher at the Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, affiliated with the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Amsterdam University Medical Centers. Her research focuses on structural stigma, gender minority stress, and mental health of trans individuals, with particular emphasis on psychological outcomes of gender-affirming medical care for trans adolescents.
Dr. Ünsal holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. She earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from ELTE Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary. In addition to her academic work, she is a committed advocate for the rights and well-being of trans communities and has taught courses in psychology and clinical psychology at universities in both Turkey and Hungary.
Alongside her research and advocacy, Dr. Ünsal works as a psychotherapist in private practice, providing psychological counselling and psychotherapy to transgender and gender diverse clients, as well as their partners and family members.