Chris McLachlan is a clinical psychologist with a focus on sexual and gender diversity and LGBTQIA+ rights. He works at a Thuthuzela Care Centre with survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and runs a small private practice. He co-chairs the WHO Guideline Development Group on transgender health and contributed to the ICD-11 Task Team on gender incongruence. Chris is a co-author of Standards of Care 8 and serves as Secretary of the Executive Committee of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). He also co-authors APA guidelines for psychologists working with transgender individuals and represents South Africa in the International Psychology Network.
Nationally, he co-founded and previously chaired the Professional Association for Transgender Health South Africa (PATHSA), led the development of the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society Gender-Affirming Healthcare Guideline, and chairs the Sexuality and Gender Division of PsySSA. He is also part of the PsySSA African LGBTQIA+ Human Rights Project. Chris has contributed to PsySSA’s Practice Guidelines, the Toolkit for Mental Health Providers Working with Survivors of Conversion Practices in Africa, and national guidelines for SGD survivors of SGBV.
He lectures across disciplines, trains nationally and internationally, and has published widely. His PhD, Traversing the Gender Divide: A Trans Masculine Genderqueer Psychologist’s Journey in Be(com)ing, reflects his lived and professional engagement with gender diversity. He is also an ordained minister in the Reforming Church.