Thank you for writing this post. I can attest to the parent part.
"In the US, the “affirmation model” is so robust that nearly 100% of children referred to youth gender clinics are placed on a medical pathway regardless of what comorbidities they may have."
-None of the many comorbidities my daughter had were addressed, and I begged for them to be treated first, before medicalization, and I failed. The medical field was captured and did not feel a mom (parent) mattered. "Affirmation-only Care" does not consider treatment of underlying comorbidies important or necessary.
"Validating a person’s experience is vastly different from affirming it. Caregivers should validate a child’s experience by providing support and reassurance as they work through these turbulent years. It is appropriate, loving, and kind to encourage children to explore the entirely of their distress and to help them question their internal experiences and understandings. Evidence is overwhelming that most individuals who experience gender dysphoria in childhood end up being well adjusted gay adults."
-My daughter did grow up to be gay and was accepted for that by me and the family and still decided to "trans away the gay" in her 20s.
"Children do know themselves, but parents also know their children. It is possible to validate both a child’s individual claims and a parent’s expressed concern. Both childhood and parenthood are an evolving process. Why is the therapy profession so fixated on a child’s fixation and so eager to invalidate or dismiss parental observations?"
-As a mom, I was demonized, censored, and called derogatory names.
Yes, parents matter. I have written all about it on my Substack for anyone who is open to the parent perspective you elude to. https://thetranstrain.substack.com
Thank you for writing this post. I can attest to the parent part.
"In the US, the “affirmation model” is so robust that nearly 100% of children referred to youth gender clinics are placed on a medical pathway regardless of what comorbidities they may have."
-None of the many comorbidities my daughter had were addressed, and I begged for them to be treated first, before medicalization, and I failed. The medical field was captured and did not feel a mom (parent) mattered. "Affirmation-only Care" does not consider treatment of underlying comorbidies important or necessary.
"Validating a person’s experience is vastly different from affirming it. Caregivers should validate a child’s experience by providing support and reassurance as they work through these turbulent years. It is appropriate, loving, and kind to encourage children to explore the entirely of their distress and to help them question their internal experiences and understandings. Evidence is overwhelming that most individuals who experience gender dysphoria in childhood end up being well adjusted gay adults."
-My daughter did grow up to be gay and was accepted for that by me and the family and still decided to "trans away the gay" in her 20s.
"Children do know themselves, but parents also know their children. It is possible to validate both a child’s individual claims and a parent’s expressed concern. Both childhood and parenthood are an evolving process. Why is the therapy profession so fixated on a child’s fixation and so eager to invalidate or dismiss parental observations?"
-As a mom, I was demonized, censored, and called derogatory names.
Yes, parents matter. I have written all about it on my Substack for anyone who is open to the parent perspective you elude to. https://thetranstrain.substack.com
Thanks, Tom!!
well done. Thank you
👍Nicely done—I like the simplicity and clarity of this piece, just a typo you may want to fix in the subtitle:Therapy First not therapists first:)