Clinicians
Therapy First is a professional association of mental health professionals who believe that individuals experiencing gender-related concerns ought to be treated using a whole person approach.
Many mental health providers have come to realize that in recent years, our field has lost its way when it comes to treating gender dysphoria in youth. For more than a century, people have turned to psychotherapy for help with psychological distress of all kinds, and we have good evidence that it is effective at helping with a range of problems. Psychotherapy aims to explore and open things up, not shut things down or concretize them. The medicalization of gender distress goes against the basic principles of good therapy. Therapy First and it’s professional membership views psychotherapy as the appropriate first-line treatment for gender dysphoria in young people.
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.
Resources
One Size Does Not Fit All: In Support of Psychotherapy for Gender Dysphoria
Roberto D’Angelo, Ema Syrulnik, Sasha Ayad, Lisa Marchiano, Dianna Theadora Kenny, Patrick Clarke
Gender detransition: a case study
The man I am trying to be is not me
Outbreak: On Transgender Teens and Psychic Epidemics
Psychiatry's ethical involvement in gender-affirming care
The complexity of childhood gender dysphoria
Reconsidering Informed Consent for Trans-Identified Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults
Response to Book Review Essay “Trying to Pass off Transphobia as Psychoanalysis and Cruelty as ‘Clinical Logic.’” by Avgi Saketopolou
Join Therapy First
Therapy First membership doesn’t just give you the opportunity to be listed on our public directory of mental health professionals. It also allows you to join our community of therapists, where you can share resources, exchange ideas and build relationships, as well as gain access to free peer consultation groups and discounts on trainings and webinars.