Gender-Affirming Care
Health Services has a wide variety of gender-affirming services, including:
- Age-appropriate cancer screening (gender-affirming PAP testing)
- PrEP
- STI screening
- Hormone therapy (feminizing, masculinizing, coordination of care, and outside referrals)
Each person has a different story and may be at a different stage in their transition. We suggest you make an appointment with one of the Gender-Affirming Care Team clinicians. This allows us to get to know you, review your medical history, and work with you to provide the assistance you need.
If you are considering hormone therapy, we strongly recommend viewing the introduction to hormone therapy videos Masculinizing* or Feminizing* before your medical visit to help you identify topics to discuss with your clinician.
Counseling Services has several therapists who specialize in supporting gender identity exploration and concerns that transgender, non-binary, and gender-expansive students commonly experience. Affirming services we offer include:
Counseling Services also provides mental health counseling around a wide range of other concerns including anxiety, depression, disordered eating, trauma, and many other concerns while concurrently providing a gender-affirming space.
Wellbeing Services is housed within Campus Health & Wellbeing and aims to provide inclusive, accessible, and timely services to support student success through a variety of resources. These services include proactive health education promotion, crisis advocacy, basic needs services, and other support to ensure students have the skills, knowledge, and abilities to thrive at Cal Poly.
Specific areas where gender-affirming care is offered include:
Professional Health Educators and Peer Wellness Educators offer individualized trainings based on the needs of the organization or group. Our team of professional Health Educators hold special expertise in gender- and power-based violence, alcohol and other drugs, communications, and more, and are available for consultations and presentations. To request a presentation, fill out this form and we will work with you to ensure that the information is tailored to your needs.
Our Peer Wellness Programs are student-led and aimed to meet the needs of our campus population – from comprehensive sexual health education, to mental health resources, to substance use. Our certified student Peer Health Educators are continually trained on inclusive best practices and are expected to create & maintain a culture of equity.
We offer several specific gender-affirming spaces:
- In partnership with the Pride Center, Mustangs for Recovery hosts weekly LGBTQ+ centered open recovery meetings. All genders and sexualities are welcome; however, these meetings center the experiences of LGBTQ+ folx and their recovery.
- EROS, the sexual health team, presents regularly on the fluidity of gender identity & expression, sexuality, and healthy relationship communication for queer individuals.
Safer
Safer is Cal Poly’s primary confidential resource regarding all forms of gender- & power-based violence. We provide survivor support and prevention education, and all services are individualized, trauma-informed, healing-centered, and inclusive of all identities.
- Make an appointment with a confidential Campus Advocate.
- Request a presentation from Safer.
Self-Care
We recognize that self-care, both what it is and the way our society views its application, are inherently influenced by norms, expectations, and social standards. We believe that everyone has a right to practice self-care in such a way that replenishes and refills them, incorporating the nuances of marginalized identities and lived experiences. The following resources speak to self-care and wellness specific to the transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) communities.
- Self-Care Tips for Trans Folx on TDOR and Beyond
- Cooperative Care: Queering Self-Care
- 5 Self-Care Tips to Start Trying Today
Self-identify through your portal
Students have the option to edit their chosen name, pronouns, and gender identity within the student portal. Visit IDefineMe to learn more about voluntarily self-identifying and updating your sexual orientation and gender identity through the Cal Poly portal.
Students can also change their personal information in person at the Registrar office in the Administration Building (Room 211) from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Students must complete the Name, ID, Date of Birth, Address Change form and submit it in-person at the walk-up window. For additional information, please call 805-756-2531.
Terminology
Visit the MyPronouns website for information on pronouns and commonly used terminology.
On Campus
Local Resources
For Clients
Websites
Apps
Books
- The Gender Quest Workbook: A Guide for Teens and Young Adults Exploring Gender Identity by Rylan Jay Testa, Ph.D.; Deborah Coolhart, Ph.D.; Jayme Peta, M.A.
- You and Your Gender Identity: A Guide to Discovery by Dara Hoffman-Fox
- Trans Bodies, Trans Selves Edited by Laura Erickson-Schrot
- Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation by Kate Bornstein and S. Bear Bergman
- Some Assembly Required: The Not-So-Secret Life of a Transgender Teen by Arin Andrews
- Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
For Family/Loved Ones
Websites
Books
- Transgender Teen: A Handbook for Parents and Professionals Supporting Transgender and Non-Binary Teens by Stephanie A. Brill, Lisa Kenney
- Transgender 101: A Simple Guide to a Complex Issue by Nicholas Teich
- He/She/They - Us: Essential Information, Vocabulary, and Concepts to Help You Become a Better Ally to the Transgender and Gender Diverse People in Your Life
Videos
- Ted Talk: How to talk (and listen) to transgender people by Jackson Bird (TED RESIDENCY)
- Youtube: Trans 101 (The Trans Literacy Project) videos by Honest Accomplish Theater
Crisis Resources
Aaron Baker, M.D.
He/Him/His
Dr. Baker serves as the medical director for Campus Health and Wellbeing's Health Services and is board certified in emergency medicine. He is a graduate of University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, and completed his emergency medicine residency with the UCSF Fresno program. He was first employed by CH&W in 1984 as a corpsman in the Health Center.
Kimberli Andridge, Psy.D.
She/They
Dr. Andridge is the co-chair of the Gender-Affirming Treatment Team and Associate Director of Operations and Quality for Counseling Services. Kimberli is a licensed psychologist who has worked with students for nearly a decade. Her primary areas of training and experience are in gender and sexual identity development, including their research on the impact of geographic space on the experiences of trans women. Kimberli is committed to intersectional exploration of our identities and brings humor and warmth to therapy.
Jennifer Bobell, M.D.
She/Her(s)
Dr. Bobell is a primary care physician for Campus Health and Wellbeing and has been in practice for 19 years. She is a 2000 graduate of the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine where she also completed her family medicine residency in 2003. In September, Dr. Bobell attended Principles in the Care of Transgender and Intersex Patients, a three-day multidisciplinary conference at the Mayo Clinic which provided a comprehensive review of current standards of care for transgender and gender-expansive patients.
Sarah Colwell, Psy.D.
She/They(s)
Dr. Colwell is an Early Intervention Specialist and the Outreach Coordinator for Counseling Services. Working with students that identify as trans/non-binary/two-spirit has been a passion for Dr. Colwell since 2015 and she is committed to staying current with trans care trends. As a mental health ally, Dr. Colwell is devoted to creating a safe, respectful place for students to explore their needs while encouraging self-compassion and self-acceptance.
Elisa Feingold, D.O.
She/Her(s)
Dr. Feingold graduated from the UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine in 1989; she completed her Internal Medicine internship at USC in 1990 and her psychiatry training at UCSD in 1993. She had a long career in private practice in San Luis Obispo treating adults for all types of mental health problems. She was a Certified Medical Review Officer and a trained acupuncturist as well. She joined CH&W part-time in 2013, and was pleased to join the team on a full-time basis in 2018.
Rebecca Gillis, Psy.D.
She/Her/Hers
Dr. Gillis is a licensed psychologist, who completed her doctorate in 2007 at Pacific University in Oregon. She has had experience working in university counseling centers around the country since 2008. She has a passion for and commitment to working with and supporting gender and sexual identity development. Dr. Gillis combines an active, supportive, strength-based approach with a sense of humor and a deep belief in social justice. She values building a safe, accepting, respectful environment for students to be heard, seen, and empowered.
Richard Luciano, MSN/F.N.P.-C
He/Him/His
Rich is a family nurse practitioner who graduated from Samuel Merritt University in 2008 with an MSN FNP-C. He has over 11 years of experience in family medicine, urgent care, oncology, otolaryngology (ENT), and osteoporosis care. In each setting he approaches his care with evidence-based practice that is holistic, caring, and patient-centered.