Fears Of Growing Up In The Age Of Identity Development On Social Media
Dr. Lisa Duval and Dr. J.D. Haltigan from The Bigger Picture Conference
We are very pleased to bring you two presentations from the 2025 Bigger Picture Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico on 27-28 September.
In this powerful talk, Dr. Duval explains how clinicians have begun to mistake fear, trauma, and developmental struggle for gender dysphoria — and how affirmation has replaced therapy. Drawing from decades of clinical experience, she reveals how medicalising fear creates fragile identities instead of helping people build resilience and self-acceptance.
Dr. Lisa Duval is a licensed clinical psychologist in Charlottesville, Virginia, specializing in adolescent and personality disorders. Lisa earned degrees from Yale, San Francisco State, and a Ph.D. from the Wright Institute. Since 2017, her work has focused on gender ideology in both clinical settings and public advocacy.
Dr. J.D. Haltigan examines the growing crisis of fragmented identity among young people, linking personality dysfunction, social media influence, and the rapid rise of gender distress. Drawing from developmental and psychodynamic theory, he explains how online validation loops can fix maladaptive identities, and why reconnection with the real world is vital for recovery.
Dr J.D. Haltigan is a developmental psychologist and researcher whose work explores personality development, psychopathology, and the impact of digital culture on youth. His research examines how identity formation and mental health intersect in a rapidly changing social environment.
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