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Disclaimer: Natasha originally recorded this podcast for her Healing Sols podcast.

Natasha interviews Mandy Lynn Danzig, LCSW about her transgender coming out story. Mandy is a social worker, musician and activist based in Salt Lake City. She is currently the director of HIV Case Management and Behavioral Health Consulting at the University of Utah’s Infectious Disease clinic.

Mandy shares her story about growing up in a religiously conservative community and how that impacted and limited her ability to consider gender identity throughout her development into adulthood. She discusses her personal journey of transitioning, through the lens of a mental health clinician and best standards of care for the transgender community. In addition to sharing a couple of her original songs, Mandy addresses current status of HIV—statistics, treatment and its hopeful eradication.