Welcome to therapy first

Psychotherapy as first-line treatment for gender dysphoria

We’re here to help.

The purest form of listening is to listen without memory or desire.

Wilfred Bion

Therapy First is a non-profit professional association of over 300 mental health providers worldwide who view psychotherapy as the appropriate first-line treatment for gender dysphoria.

We aim to support psychotherapists working with gender dysphoric children, adolescents, and young adults in providing high quality, evidence-based mental healthcare, and to offer public education on mental health and psychotherapy

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For clinicians

Start here

Therapy First exists because we see a great need arising from the current oversimplification and politicalization of gender dysphoria in the field of mental health.

Therapists

Join a professional association of mental health providers who view psychosocial support and a whole person approach as the appropriate front-line treatment for gender-related concerns.

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Clients & Families

If you or someone you care about is suffering from gender-related distress, we offer compassionate and evidence-based resources and can help connect you to a mental health provider.

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Transition Regret

We offer resources and information for those who experience regret or grief related to medical transition, including therapists experienced in working with people who choose to detransition.

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Join Therapy First

Therapy First’s professional association is open to licensed mental health providers. Once you become a member, you’ll join a community of over 300 professionals worldwide who actively support one another in exchanging ideas and sharing resources.

You’ll also gain access to weekly peer supervision groups, get discounts to Therapy First webinars and trainings, and have the opportunity to list your practice on a public directory of psychotherapists.

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Featured webinar

Therapy First provides a range of trainings for mental health clinicians working with young people who are questioning their identity.

The Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation of Minors with Gender Dysphoria: Key Concepts

Stephen B. Levine

Monday July 29th at 12pm EDT

A casual first person discussion of the values, goals, content, and processes of the first contact with a family concerned about "what is going on here." The evaluation is a separate process prior to psychotherapy. Ideally, it informs the patient, family, and the future psychotherapist what reasonably should be the next step. Dr. Levine's 2022 publication on informed consent and his 2024 publication, What is the Purpose of the Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation of Minors With Gender Dysphoria (both published Open Access) are highly relevant to this webinar.

Therapy First has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider,
ACEP No. 7505. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Therapy
First is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. This webinar provide 1.5 hours of CE credits.

Dr. Levine is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He is the solo author of five books, Sex Is Not Simple in 1989 (translated to German in 1992 and reissued in English in 1997 as Solving Common Sexual Problems); Sexual Life: A clinician’s guide in 1992; Sexuality in Midlife in 1998 and Demystifying Love: Plain talk for the mental health professional in 2006; Barriers to Loving: A clinician’s perspective in 2013; Psychotherapeutic Approaches to Sexual Problems: An Essential Guide for Mental Health Professionals in 2020. He is the Senior Editor of the first (2003), second (2010) and third (2016) editions of the Handbook of Clinical Sexuality for Mental Health Professionals. He has been teaching, providing clinical care, and writing since 1973 and has generated original research, invited papers, commentaries, chapters, and book reviews. He has served as a journal manuscript and book prospectus reviewer for many years. He was co-director of the Center for Marital and Sexual Health/ Levine, Risen & Associates, Inc. in Beachwood, Ohio from 1992-2017. He and two colleagues received a lifetime achievement Masters and Johnson’s Award from the Society for Sex Therapy and Research in March 2005. He was given his Department of Psychiatry’s Hall of Fame Award in 2021.

Book Now

Download Therapy First’s free Clinical Guide for Therapists Working with Gender Questioning Youth. Developed by a team of clinicians with expertise working with gender dysphoric youth and their families, our clinical guide offers mental health providers an introduction to working with this growing population based on the latest research and a solid understanding of psychotherapeutic best practice.

download the guide

Find a Therapist

We help prospective clients connect with therapists who agree with the tenets of Therapy First’s membership statement.

You can find out more about individual practices by clicking in and viewing their profile.

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latest podcast from

Gender: A Wider Lens

In this podcast, now in its fourth year, therapists Stella O’Malley and Sasha Ayad take a deep dive into the psychological and cultural forces impacting the social changes around “gender.” Through interviews with researchers, doctors, therapists, parents, detransitioners, and others, Sasha and Stella’s podcast is a “must listen” for anyone trying to navigate the current gender landscape. With their sharp analytical minds and deep compassionate hearts, Stella and Sasha have also become known throughout many parent networks as lighthouses in the midst of some very stormy seas. Previous guests include Helen Joyce, Jesse Singal, Leor Sapir, Kathleen Stock, Jamie Reed, Peter Boghossian and more.

www.widerlenspod.com