Show Notes

Title: Epsiode 6: Reclaiming Patient Autonomy: A Conversation between Lasara Firefox Allen, MSW, and Dr. Zed Zha — Medical Violence, Consent, and Care

Summary: Lasara talks with Dr. Zed Zha about her new book Consented, and what it means to truly center patient autonomy in healthcare. They explore medical violence, the limits of informed consent as currently practiced, and what a more just model of care could look like — with particular attention to trans and gender-diverse patients navigating medical systems.

Key topics: informed consent; medical violence; patient autonomy; trauma-informed care; health equity; gender-affirming care

Guest links: Consented: A Doctor’s Call to End Medical Violence and Reclaim Patient Autonomy

Substack: Ask The Patient

Instagram: @drzedzha

Website: zedzha.com

As always, you can find more about Lasara and what they're up to at:

Lasara's LinkTree -- for all relevant links, including one to book an intro coaching session. You can also find out about upcoming classes. You can also find and follow all their socials there.

Lasara's EventBrite -- if you just want to see upcoming classes.

Lasara's Substack -- if you want to read more of what they have to offer.

#PatientAutonomy #MedicalViolence #InformedConsent #GenderAffirmingCare #QueerHealth #HealthEquity #Consented #MedicalGaslighting

About Dr. Zed Zha:

Zed Zha, MD, is a physician, writer, and medical cultural critic. In her book Consented: A Doctor’s Call to End Medical Violence and Reclaim Patient Autonomy (North Atlantic Books, 2026), she argues that what medicine calls “consent” is often anything but, and calls for a reimagining of care rooted in autonomy, transparency, and trust. She writes Ask The Patient, a widely read newsletter where she gives language to experiences many patients have felt but never been able to name.

What does gender-affirming menopause care actually look like in practice? Who gets left out of traditional menopause narratives, and why does that matter for everybody (not just trans bodies)?

In this intimate and wide-ranging launch conversation, Lasara Firefox Allen, MSW (they/them), author of Genderqueer Menopause, sits down with Dr. Kristin Gianelis (she/her), DNP, APRN, WHNP-BC, MSCP, nurse practitioner and menopause clinician, to explore what it means to reimagine menopause through a gender-expansive, trauma-informed, and embodied lens.

Together they reflect on:

• Why menopause care has historically erased trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people

• How gender-affirming care benefits everyone, not only trans bodies

• The clinical gaps in menopause education and why new standards of care are urgently needed

• The impact of language, aesthetics, and cultural narratives on bodily autonomy and dignity

• Lasara’s personal journey through perimenopause, gender identity, and self-advocacy in medical systems

• How clinicians and caregivers can begin closing access and competency gaps now

• An excerpt reading from Genderqueer Menopause

• Live reflection and conversation about what inclusive care can become

This conversation bridges lived experience, clinical practice, and systems-level change. It is for healthcare providers, trans and gender-expansive people navigating menopause, caregivers, educators, and anyone curious about how medicine can evolve toward deeper equity, care, and truth.

✨ Genderqueer Menopause is available wherever you buy books. ✨

If this conversation resonates, please like, subscribe, and share with someone who needs this work in their hands, for their bodies.

LINKS:

Buy Genderqueer Menopause Here!

Register for The Genderqueer Futures Gender-Affirming Menopause Care Provider Certification Course Here.

Find out more about Lasara and their offerings here!

Find out more about Dr. Kristin Gianelis here.

#menopause #menopausecare #genderqueermenopause #genderaffirmingmenopause #menopausesupport

What happens when gender-affirming therapy meets embodied care? Dr. Jesse Bossé joins me, Lasara Firefox Allen, on The Genderqueer Menopause Coach Podcast, to explore trauma-informed psychology, queer embodiment, and how we make mental health and menopause care safer for trans and gender-diverse people — at every age and stage.

We covered a lot--from "gender-affirming care is for everybody!" to "hormones have no gender." You can hear it all here. And yes, it is over an hour--because it was a great conversation! Join us.

Enjoy the show.

BIO:

Dr. Jesse Bossé (they/them) is a queer, nonbinary clinical psychologist whose work bridges mental health, education, and advocacy in support of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Grounded in anti-oppressive, trauma-informed, and gender-affirming practices, their approach emphasizes informed consent, embodied care, and systemic awareness. Dr. Bossé provides training, consultation, and leadership on inclusive care practices, the ethics of affirming care, and the impact of structural oppression on gender-diverse individuals. They have contributed to policy and educational initiatives at local, national, and international levels, including with the Canadian Psychological Association, Global Psychology Alliance, and the American Psychological Association. Their advocacy has also extended into the legal sphere, where they have taken part in constitutional challenges to defend the rights of trans and nonbinary people. They are the author of Beyond the Trans-Cis Binary: A Healthcare Provider’s Guide to Detransition and Non-Linear Gender Trajectories, and were recognized with the CPA’s John C. Service Member of the Year Award for their leadership in advancing gender diversity and preventing gender-based harm.