The Role of Therapy

“These kids don’t need hormones and surgeries, they need therapy!” A common and well-meaning plea. But is it that simple?

A dichotomy exists in the world of adolescent gender issues between so-called “gender affirmation” and exploratory psychotherapy as the two approaches to a young person experiencing distress relating to gender. The first purports that adolescents know their gender identity and must be affirmed and enabled to undergo medical cosmetic treatments, while th…