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(Scroll down to see about support groups for transgender coming out in marriage and committed intimate partner relationships).

On hold in 2025, the Q & A.
Live Q & A: Coming Out Trans in Marriage.
Drop in Q & A via Zoom so anyone from around the world (English speakers) can pop in and get ideas for positive next steps, supportive ideas, and education.​

Want to be on my VIP list for getting advance notice of the Q & A?
​

    If you want an email with the date and time of each Live Q & A (or just email [email protected]):

Send to Shannon
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​Many partners of someone coming out trans have been contacting me (Shannon Batts, in the purple hair) needing more support than a book or a hotline. 



Residents of OR and CA can apply to the Spouses Group held virtually. Just email me (see "connect with Shannon" at top of the website) to inquire about a prescreening phone call.


Consider being extra kind and patient with yourself and others.
The pandemic as well as world events and catastrophes have amped up the stress on most of us, many grief stricken, many disabled by Long COVID. That's just the background. You and your relationship still need care -even more so with that level of background.

Start seeing your relationship as a garden that can be intentionally cared for every day with love. Being part of a support group helps not just the one person-but the relationship they are in. This is especially important if you or your partner aren't out to anyone yet. Groups can give you that place to be your authentic self, express your feelings and dreams, and figure out how to navigate through the hard parts.
I especially like that they transform isolation into community.

​Come expand your resources, community, and your hope for nurturing your safe place to land.

GROUPS 


SPOUSES Group, Oregon meets online via Zoom
for eligible Oregonians from anywhere in the state of Oregon.


SPOUSES Group, California meets online via Zoom
for eligible Californians from anywhere in the state of California.

These groups may be combined.




COUPLES Group
​Spouses Group opens the door to apply to join Couples Group-where spouses and their partners who are interested join a group of similar couples to further support the growth of the relationship through transition, and building a supportive community of similar families.

​This few week series is for OR or CA couples that have a cis partner previously or currently attending Spouses Group and is an exclusive perk of being in Spouses and in a mutually supportive relationship.  This community building group is to grow calmer and closer as a couple and connect to others where you can be totally your true selves. Gems of Gottman relationship research and relationship success strategies are discussed as needed.

After the initial series of Couples Group, couples may be invited to register for the Advanced Couples Group. This group had a fabulous reunion at our beach retreat.
More resources coming soon for spouses of partners coming out transgender in the relationship all across the USA and beyond.
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SPOUSES' Group for Oregonians and Californians is active and ongoing for when your partner comes out to you as transgender, non binary or questioning gender, and you want a place to talk in person with other supportive spouses who are going through similar things as you.



 Hello Spouse! Are you a cisgender (your gender that you were assigned at birth is the one you still identify as) spouse of a partner who came out to you as transgender, or nonbinary? Maybe your partner announced that they don't know what their gender is but they do know it is not the one assigned at birth. Perhaps your partner is questioning their gender. 

Do you want to find a way forward together in a mutually supportive relationship? 


When your partner comes out as transgender or nonbinary, it's not easy finding supportive resources for you as a couple to make it through the transition connected and moving forward together. Now you found some!!!

Spouses Group, a support group with a professional leader (guess who?), is more than a group-it is 
a positive community that understands the mixed feelings in being the cisgender spouse of someone questioning gender.  You have your own transition too!

Spouses Group provides an opportunity for members to move through grief if there is some, all the while 
remaining supportive of their partner.
Spouses Group also inspires ways to honor and celebrate yourself, and your relationship when you are ready. 

Spouses Group members can drop in whichever weeks they wish to join the meeting and when ready to stop coming to the group, move on over to the Graduates list to be notified of new offers or resources.

Spouses Group members create a community of caring, some sprouting in person friendships, and family gatherings outside of groups.


If you can manage a confidential space at your location (members have even gone to their car for privacy!) to log on for online video group meetings, contact Shannon for the registration phone call that will fill you in on what is required to start Spouses Group.
​
Group fees are by donation, suggested $25.



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Read the BLOG post on the supportive Spouses' Group, who gets in and how, what does the group focus on here: 
https://relationshipgardening.com/blog/transgender-coming-out-in-marriage-spouses-group
email Shannon
New Enhanced Relationship Check-Up now available with streamlined 30% less questions, an easy way to reassess progress if we'd like, and plenty of information about strengths and what to repair. Available for $39 (to Gottman Institute) for clients of Approved Member therapist Shannon Batts.
DONATE to "Relationship Gardening by Shannon Batts" by clicking here to go to the checkout Square site where you can enter your donation of any amount and support resource redirection of free services to
​marginalized clients. 

​Or donate via Paypal.me/shannonbatts
​Thank you!
 
Gottman Approved Member



​TESTIMONIALS. WOWEEEEE!
(results not guaranteed)
 http://relationshipgardening.com/couples-therapist-reviews-portland.html
Proud Member of TherapyDen
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How to find a good marriage counselor?  Ask Shannon Batts in Portland, Oregon.  Note from Shannon: Make sure they have advanced training (not just degrees and licenses) with couples, can describe what they learned and how they deliver it to you, and are also HAPPILY married!

​Can they speak to their privilege or marginalizations and how they impact counseling with you?


​

1. Oppezzo M, Schwartz DL. Give your ideas some legs: the positive effect of walking on creative thinking. J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn. 2014 Jul;40(4):1142-52. doi: 10.1037/a0036577. Epub 2014 Apr 21. PMID: 24749966.

​2. Calogiuri G, Evensen K, Weydahl A, Andersson K, Patil G, Ihlebæk C, Raanaas RK. Green exercise as a workplace intervention to reduce job stress. Results from a pilot study. Work. 2015;53(1):99-111. doi: 10.3233/WOR-152219. PMID: 26684708.

3. 
What moves you? Physical activity strategies in older women
Marily Oppezzo, Lauren Wegner, James J Gross, 
Daniel L Schwartz, Tessa Eckley, Abby C King, Sally Mackey, Marcia L Stefanick
First Published May 18, 2021 Research Article Find in PubMed
https://doi.org/10.1177/13591053211014593
Looking for a Marriage Counselor who studies and applies awareness of intersectionality, and the importance of examining her own hidden bias?
Shannon is a Race Talks Facilitator in Portland, Oregon, intentionally under (completed) training (100s+ hours) and ongoing mentorship by Donna Maxey (retired) and Shaina Pomerantz, JD, MSOL.
  





​Shannon Batts, Licensed Professional Counselor of Portland, Oregon, lic# C2379, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for Californians, lic# MFT 34477, is Marriage Friendly, with better than neutrality toward the outcome of your life long love commitment. Shannon Batts is a Portland, Oregon counselor, with advanced skills, education and training in assisting couples (extremely rare among counselors). Lesbian, gay, trans, mixed gender identity, questioning gender, nonbinary, and straight couples of all ages seek out tools and support for their relationships from Shannon Batts. Shannon trains ongoingly to be antiracist and is a facilitator and consultant at Race Talks PDX. Transgender, Black Americans, or unhoused clients will find amazing flexibility in counseling rates if you need it because you've been through enough!


​

www.couplesintransition.com
www.spousesgroup.com
www.spousesresourcecenter.com
www.spousesresourcecenter.org
www.relationshipgardening.com
all arrive at Relationship Gardening by Shannon Batts, and Spouses Resource Center so as to increase options for couples, including those facing gender transition to have excellent support for making it through transition together.
Couples with no LGBTQ identities also benefit by Relationship Gardening.
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Electronic/internet based communication is not a guarantee of privacy as it is always subject to security breach or hacking. You do maintain the right to email, text or video chat regardless of the risk.
 Shannon, a Covid conscious therapist, with lived experience of Long COVID, is the counselor's counselor all about growing a happy relationship, with Gottman research based relationship and marriage help and telehealth video sessions. Clinical hypnosis available as Shannon completed the 100-Hour Comprehensive Training in Applying Clinical Hypnosis in Strategic Psychotherapy intensive by Dr. Michael Yapko. Marriage Counseling, marriage therapy, couple's therapy, couple's coaching, premarital counseling, help for transgender or non binary coming out in marriage, support for spouses of transgender or non binary partners, couples group for transgender partners and cisgender spouses, questioning gender in your marriage, marriage retreats, marriage workshops, antiracist coaching for engaged couples, antiracism groups for white people, antiracism couples groups, antiracism groups for professionals, custom antiracism groups, marriage affairs or adultery, porn or sex addiction or compulsion in your marriage, couples communication training-whatever you call it-make sure your best marriage counseling choice in CA, or in Portland, Oregon has Advanced Gottman Institute aka Relationship Research Institute training.  A Gottman trained therapist like Shannon Batts knows how to move couples from sticky negativity to a garden of new possibilities from the very first couples' session.  Services available by Zoom for all of CA and OR. Walking sessions for individual meetings. relationshipgardening.com spousesresourcecenter.com 

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