Many in today’s generation and generations past have found themselves questioning who they are. People report not feeling like they were born into the right body and that the role they’ve been given doesn’t quite match how they feel.
One must get gender therapy to help them work through these feelings and figure out who they are and what they want out of life. As you continue to read, you’re going to find out everything one would need to know about gender therapy and what it can do.
What Is Gender Therapy?
Gender therapy is a type of therapy that focuses on the physical, emotional, social, and mental needs of people that may find themselves confused about specific things. Things one may be confused about include:
- Questioning their gender
- Feeling uncomfortable with their body or their gender
- Body dysphoria
- Gender-affirming intervention
- Don’t identify with the gender they were born as
This type of therapy can prove beneficial for anyone that feels they are stuck within the traditional gender role that society has placed them in. Or, perhaps they simply want to understand more about who they are and who they’re becoming.
Therapy can help someone sift through emotional baggage that may have been caused by past trauma. Gender therapy will help a person become more in tune with themselves and their body.
Therapist Qualifications
Most therapists that specialize in gender therapy will have some level of education and training in the subject. However, most will continue to find professional training in the following areas so that they’re better suited to help their clients sort through their issues.
The continuing studies would be:
- Gender identity
- Gender diversity
- Gender dysphoria
- Medical and non-medical ways to implement gender-affirming interventions
- Rights of transgender people
- Navigating their gender
A therapist will have a different program for each patient because every person is different. They will use a variety of therapy techniques that are explicitly tailored to the needs of the individual.
Gender Therapy Is Not…
When one begins gender therapy, there are some things that they need to be aware of when it comes to what gender therapy is not. Gender therapy is not a way for the therapist to persuade someone into changing their mind about the way they’re feeling when it comes to your gender and your body.
Their job is to give you the educational tools and information needed to build a deeper understanding and connection with yourself. A therapist should use a personalized therapy plan instead of forcing 1-way on of beliefs onto someone.
What Is Gender Dysphoria?
Gender dysphoria is when the person feels that the gender they are doesn’t match their biology. A man may think he is female and that his body doesn’t match the way he feels about himself and that what he sees in the mirror doesn’t match either.
Issues with gender dysphoria can cause a person to experience heightened feelings of anxiety and depression, as well as increased stress. These feelings can become intense as the dysphoria continues and may disrupt a person’s daily life.
There are ways to identify gender dysphoria in children before they become adults. Those symptoms are:
- Continually saying that they are a girl or a boy when they have the physical characteristics of a male or female
- Befriending people of the gender that they identify with
- Rejecting games, toys, clothes, and anything usual for girls or boys
- Rejecting the way that a boy or girls use the bathroom
- Voicing that they want to change their genitals
- Believing that one day they will grow into the gender, they feel they are
- Experiencing stress as puberty begins
The signs in teenagers and adults would be:
- Knowing their real gender isn’t the way their body appears
- Avoiding situations where they have to show their genitals to others because they feel disgusted
- May talk about gender reassignment surgery
Surgery isn’t always the first option. In fact it may be one of the last options that a person considers when dealing with gender confusion.
Treatment
There are some treatment options for people that are experiencing gender dysphoria. These treatments go beyond therapy and may include medication and, at times, surgery to make what is on the inside match the outside.
The treatments include:
- Puberty blockers that will suppress the changes the body typically goes through once puberty begins
- Hormones that will allow the person to begin developing traits of their chosen gender
- Surgery allows for gender-reassignment. Not everyone undergoes this operation, and some may opt for other procedures that help them to achieve the look they’ve always wanted
It is crucial that you speak with your doctor before beginning any type of treatment. They’ll be able to talk to you about potential side effects and reactions to the treatments.
Types Of Gender Identity
In total, to date, there are over 58 types of gender identities. Below you’ll find a shortened list that features a few of these identities.
Agender
Not having or identifying with a specific gender. This person may describe themselves as being genderless or gender-neutral.
Cisgender
This is when the gender the person was born as and their identity are the same. Meaning they were born as a female and see themselves as a female.
Gender Fluid
This person will feel that they have traits that are similar to both males and females. There are days when they feel more like a woman, and other days they relate more to being a man.
Intersex
When a person feels that their anatomy doesn’t fit within the specification of being male or female. Meaning they have the anatomy of a male, but were born resembling a female.
Third Gender
This person doesn’t identify with being male or female. Instead, they identify themselves with other gender categories that better suit them and the way they feel about themselves.
The Finale
When it comes to gender therapy, there may be many things that a therapist need to discuss to help one find a better connection with one’s body. Remember, their job isn’t to change a person’s mind but to help each patient understand their mind.
If you’re looking for a therapy practice that will help you to connect with your inner self, we strongly advise you to contact us today. We understand being confused about who you are is frustrating. We want to help you answer those persistent questions that you may be having.
