LGBTQIA+ Competency for Healthcare Providers: Interview with Terra Anderson

LGBTQIA+ cultural competency helps not only our patients to feel safer, seen, and supported, but it also improves health outcomes. Many providers aren’t sure what that competency looks like, or even where to start. It’s more than the correct pronouns and language – but how much more?

In this week’s episode, we talk with Terra Anderson, who uses they/them pronouns, a somatic therapist, and an LGBTQIA+ educator about how providers can improve their competency when working with LGBTQIA+ patients.

✅ What LGBTQIA+ patients wish their healthcare providers knew

✅ What is affirming care, and why it is important

✅ How to approach sensitive exams

✅ How to frame questions so they feel less awkward for you and your patients

✅ The role of assumptions when working with patients, especially LGBTQIA+ patients

✅ Differentiating biological sex, gender, and sexual orientation – and why we need to

Cultural competency is not about a defined endpoint, but about the journey and the willingness to confront known, unknown, and implicit bias. Let’s talk about starting the journey, and let’s keep working on it for all of our patients.

When you are ready for a deep dive into how to best serve LGBTQIA+ patients, Terra offers a Queer Competency for healthcare providers through their company, Embody Emerge.