120: The Umbrella Hour with Dr. An Goldbauer & Zander Keig LCSW - Episode 120120: The Umbrella Hour with Dr. An Goldbauer & Zander Keig LCSW - Episode 120
UK Health Radio Podcast
Dr. An and Zander Keig speak with Dr. Elvina Louie about her research into what transgender individuals and couples want from premarital counselling. The conversation covers counsellor competence, discrimination, marriage expectations, conflict skills and how relationships adapt around transition.
43:56•26 Oct 2026
Premarital Counselling Needs of Trans Couples: What Dr. Elvina Louie Found
Episode Overview
- Trans participants strongly preferred premarital counsellors who are familiar with transgender issues and minority stress, including issues affecting people of colour and queer communities.
- Many couples wanted counsellors to help educate partners about dysphoria, hormone-related emotional changes and the specific realities of transition.
- Views on marriage shaped counselling needs: those who saw marriage as a major legal and relational shift were more likely to seek support on family planning and potential discrimination.
- Communication skills and conflict resolution ranked as top requested topics, alongside guidance on maintaining emotional closeness after the honeymoon phase fades.
- Existing premarital programmes rarely address trans or LGBT couples directly, leaving individual therapists to adapt materials and advocate for more inclusive, informed practice.
“75% of the participants said that they really would like the counsellor to be familiar with transgender issues.”
What insights can experts and survivors share about addiction? Here, the focus shifts slightly, zooming in on relationships, identity and long-term commitment for transgender people considering marriage. The Umbrella Hour brings back Dr. Elvina Louie for a second round with hosts Dr. An and licensed clinical social worker Zander Keig. This time, she breaks down more findings from her research on premarital counselling needs of trans individuals and couples.
Rather than theory-heavy jargon, you’ll hear real themes drawn from twelve participants’ lived experiences. One of the most striking findings? As Dr. Louie puts it, “75% of the participants said that they really would like the counsellor to be familiar with transgender issues.” Yet none of their wishes for counsellors matched existing premarital research on the general population.
Participants wanted professionals who could educate partners about dysphoria, hormone-related emotional shifts and minority stress, and who understood issues affecting people of colour and queer communities. The conversation also covers how views on marriage shape what couples want from counselling. Some see marriage as “just a piece of paper,” while others frame it as a major shift in legal rights, family dynamics and long-term commitment.
Those who viewed marriage as a serious qualitative change were more likely to ask for support around family planning, discrimination and the realities of marrying a trans partner. Zander and Dr. An bring in their own clinical experience, chatting about conflict resolution models, the fading of the honeymoon phase, and how hormones and memory shape attachment. They also raise the often-ignored topic of grief and loss around transition—for trans people themselves as well as their partners and families.
If you’re a therapist, a trans person in a relationship, or simply curious about how couples can stay strong under social pressure, this conversation may get you thinking: what would you want from premarital counselling in your own life?
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