About TAI
Trans Advice Initiative (TAI) is a non-profit organisation founded by Aanya Baindur based out of Ottawa, Canada which aims to help trans/gender questioning people figure out their identity and plan their transition. We are a self-funded organisation that relies solely on volunteer help.
The word “TAI” means “Elder Sibling” in some Indian languages. That is exactly what we intend to be when dispensing care, a sibling guiding and supporting others to find themselves and pave the way to rediscovering their gender.
We provide advice and transition help to trans people, with a particular focus on Canada and India. Trans/gender-questioning people of all nations are welcome to approach us for help but we may be less familiar with the procedures for getting gender-affirming care in countries other than Canada and India and may need to refer you to another organisation for help with that particular aspect of transition.
We operate in a manner that ensures absolute confidentiality and only ask for information necessary to dispense the best possible care and advice. This is an essential step to protect the identity of individuals who are not ready to come out yet and are afraid of being discovered.
We ensure that any counseling that we provide is relevant to the cultural context of the individual. Cultural context is important when providing trans counseling because people's experiences and understandings of gender and identity can vary greatly depending on their cultural background. A person's culture can influence their views on gender roles, societal expectations, and family dynamics, which can in turn affect their experience of being trans. Understanding a person's cultural background can help a counselor provide more tailored and effective support, and can also help to ensure that the counseling is respectful of the person's cultural identity.
We work in collaboration with other organisations to ensure that the care being provided is relevant and perfectly suited to the client. We also recommend local support groups, healthcare providers, legal experts, and other resources to ensure as smooth a transition as possible.
Often, those who need the most help are least likely to find it. Our aim is to reverse that trend.
Apart from all the help we provide TAI also focuses on outreach. The people who need the most help are often suffering from severe depression and social isolation. The main impetus of our outreach program is to find these individuals and make available to them the care they need. Reminding them that “You are not alone.”
“Often, those who need the most help are least likely to find it.
Our aim is to reverse that.”
What we do?
We provide 1-1 counseling through various formats and can be conducted over the app of your choice. This could include among others:
Zoom video and voice calls
Messaging on apps like Reddit, Instagram, Discord, etc
Exchanging emails
For residents of Ottawa: In-person chats in a coffee house
TAI provides guidance and Counseling Services to parents of trans people to help them come to terms with their child’s new identity. These counseling sessions will be conducted by parents of trans people with experience and training in dealing with such issues.
TAI is also in the process of producing Guides and Resources to help trans people. Resources currently in the works include:
A guide to accessing gender-affirming care in Ontario, Canada
A guide to accessing gender-affirming care in India
Basic tips on how to transition in small ways while still in the closet
A guide to help parents of trans people come to terms with their child’s new identity
Every person's experience and needs are unique, therefore the counseling we provide is tailored to the individual's specific circumstances and goals.
Some of the key areas in which we provide care are:
Support and guidance in exploring and understanding gender identity
Helping clients find appropriate healthcare providers (especially related to Hormone Replacement Therapy HRT), registered social workers/therapists, and legal experts
Assistance in navigating the process of social, medical, or legal transition
Providing resources to help with voice training
Coping with discrimination, stigma, and marginalization
Addressing related mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, and trauma
Helping with relationships, family dynamics, and social support
Addressing any other issues that may arise as a result of their gender identity, such as workplace discrimination and harassment
Supportive counseling around physical changes and body image concerns
About me
Hi, my name is Aanya Baindur.
I founded Trans Advice Initiative (TAI) in Oct 2022 with the goal of helping Trans/gender-questioning people figure out their identity and plan their transition.
I am an Indian-origin Canadian trans woman currently studying at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. I am pursuing a Bachelors of Commerce Honours Degree in Marketing.
I am very passionate about 2SLGBTQ+ issues and advocacy. I came out as a trans woman in May 2022 and it’s been the best thing to ever happen to me. Fully transitioning has made me a more confident person and strengthened my hopes and dreams. Transitioning also allowed me to be myself and turn into an extroverted people person. I love talking to people and hearing about their unique life experiences.
My foray into counseling started in online spaces where I was helping trans women come to terms with their identities and providing advice relating to their transition. I based a lot of this counseling on my own personal experience and knowledge gained over the years reading and speaking to people from the 2SLBTQ+ community.
I formed TAI in Oct 2022 and have since helped over 30 trans people with their transition who continue to be clients. At the same time, I also helped various trans people from Canada and other parts of the world with advice and resources.
I found that I had become quite an expert in navigating the healthcare systems in India and Canada especially related to getting access to Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). While access to gender-affirming care in Canada is fairly straightforward. The same cannot be said for gender-affirming care in India with its myriad of hurdles and institutional transphobia. At times it's hard to tell where even to begin the process. I use my experience and knowledge to advise my clients as to the best way to proceed to ensure that they get access to gender-affirming care in a timely manner. I say this often when advocating for improved trans health care:
"Delays in getting gender-affirming care is measured in lives lost"
“You’ve always had the power to do it yourself, you just needed someone to show you how”
I have a non-judgemental, anti-racist, sex-positive, and kink-aware approach to counseling.
I strive to maintain a body-positive and sex-work-positive outlook.
As a person with lived experience of being trans and queer, I have dealt with depression, anxiety, PTSD, self-hate, gender dysphoria, suicidal thoughts, body shame, and self-doubt.
Through my experience, I know the importance of community, chosen family, and peer support.
I understand that genderqueer people often turn to alcohol, drugs, and self-harm to cope with their dysphoria and trauma. I ensure our meetings and chats are a safe space free of any judgment.
In summation, my approach is highly personalized and tailormade to your particular circumstances, cultural context, beliefs, and decisions. My goal is to ensure that when you reach the mountaintop you feel a sense of achievement and realize that you always had the power to see it all the way through, you just needed someone to hold your hand along the way.
”You’ve always had the power to go back to Kansas Dorothy, you just needed someone to show you how”
My approach:
“Delays in getting gender-affirming care is measured in lives lost”
We at TAI acknowledge that the land that we operate out of is the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin nation. Unceded means the territory was never relinquished or surrendered, but instead expropriated by the colonial system of which we are all a part.
Accepting these facts is not meant to soothe the racial guilt but to acknowledge the legacy of the oppression and its ongoing effects even today. Acknowledgment allows us to honour the people, treaty agreements, and unceded territory on which we operate.
Therefore, we as an organisation vow to work towards reconciliation and stamping out the vestiges of the colonial system anywhere we encounter it. Let us contemplate our place in this oppressive system and how we can contribute towards righting those wrongs.
