From Transition to Detransition: a Nuanced, Evidenced-based Discussion About Discourses and Experiences
Topic(s): 
2SLGBTQIA+
Anti-Oppressive Practice
Health
National Social Work Month
Youth
Webinar event date: 
Mar 20, 2026 12:00 pm EDT
Webinar link

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Webinar Presenters: 
Annie Pullen Sansfaçon, BSW, PhD

Annie Pullen Sansfaçon is a Full Professor at the School of Social Work at the Université de Montréal and holds the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Partnership Research and Empowerment of Vulnerable Youth. She is also the co-director of the Interdisciplinary Research Center on Intersectional Justice, Decolonization, and Equity (CRI-JaDE). Her research explores how various environments impact the well-being of trans and gender-diverse youth, including detrans youth, and is especially interested in understanding the intersection of multiple forms of marginalization and their impacts on young people. Using anti-oppressive and gender-affirming approaches, she develops participatory methods that support empowerment and social change. Dr. Pullen Sansfaçon earned her PhD in Ethics and Social Work from De Montfort University and is an affiliate researcher at Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

Description

Social workers play a critical role in supporting young people navigating identity, belonging, and wellbeing. This webinar will equip practitioners with research-informed insights to better understand youth detransitioning and its implications for ethical, compassionate practice.

To better understand the phenomenon of “detransition,” we conducted a three-part study that included: a qualitative investigation of the life experiences of youth identifying as detrans (N=25); an online questionnaire-based study evaluating the perceptions and experiences of healthcare professionals (N=61); and an analysis of the discourse conveyed in both social and traditional media. In this presentation, we will summarize the main findings from the three components, as well as from other emerging evidence, showing that discontinuation and detransitions experiences are diverse and associated with a range of experiences that cannot be reduced to a simple notion grief, or regret.  Implication for social work practice will conclude the presentation.

In this webinar, participants will: 

  • learn key concepts to understand transition and detransition; 
  • examine recent research evidence on detransition and discontinuation among youth;
  • and develop a nuanced understanding of the experiences of discontinuation and detransition and how to best support young people.