Talk Therapy and Counseling

What is “Talk Therapy” for Gender Dysphoria?Talk therapy helps kids (and families) process feelings and build resilience. It’s not meant to change a child’s gender identity, but to support them through emotional challenges like anxiety, sadness, bullying, or family conflict [12].

How Therapy Helps:A good therapist provides a safe space for trans kids to talk openly and build coping skills. Family therapy can also improve communication and bring families closer [6][8]. Studies show that therapy, along with medical care, leads to better outcomes [14].

Therapy vs. Medical Treatment:Therapy alone isn’t a replacement for puberty blockers or hormones, when those are needed. But therapy is a powerful complement—helping youth stay mentally strong while navigating big changes. Experts do not support “conversion” therapies, which try to force kids to be their assigned gender—these have been shown to cause harm [12].

• [6] Allen, L. R., Watson, L. B., Egan, A. M., & Moser, C. N. (2019). Well-being and suicidality among transgender youth after gender-affirming hormones. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology, 7(3), 302–311. https://doi.org/10.1037/cpp0000301

• [8] Simons, L., Schrager, S. M., Clark, L. F., Belzer, M., & Olson, J. (2013). Parental support and mental health among transgender adolescents. The Journal of Adolescent Health, 53(6), 791–793. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.07.019

• [12] Austin, A., & Craig, S. L. (2015). Empirically supported interventions for LGBTQ youth. Journal of Evidence-Informed Social Work, 12(6), 567–578. https://doi.org/10.1080/15433714.2013.837338

• [14] Steensma, T. D., Biemond, R., de Boer, F., & Cohen-Kettenis, P. T. (2011). Desisting and persisting gender dysphoria after childhood: A qualitative follow-up study. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 16(4), 499–516. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104510378303