Taipei City Hospital said its Songde branch plans to introduce a specialized outpatient clinic for gender minorities and offer self-paid Chinese and English counseling sessions from next month.
Outpatient sessions are scheduled on Wednesday evenings to accommodate those with work or academic commitments during the day, said Matt Hung (洪研竣), an attending physician at the hospital’s Department of Psychiatry.
The hospital said that it would also offer counseling in English to account for Taiwan’s increasing demand for bilingual services.
Photo: Tsai Shu-yuan, Taipei Times
It hopes to create a respectful, gender-inclusive environment for gender minorities, delivering services with cultural sensitivity and professional understanding, the hospital said.
Gender minorities often face psychological issues due to discrimination, prejudice and identity struggles pertaining to their gender or sexual orientation, both growing up and in their everyday lives, it said.
These pressures can lead to increased rates of depression, anxiety and sleep disorders, it said.
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