A few decades ago childhood gender dysphoria was exceedingly rare and it’s cause was not well understood. There have been several revisions to diagnostic terms and criteria attempting to describe this condition. Today most mental health professionals would define gender dysphoria as an incongruence between a person’s biological sex and the “gender” they feel themselves to be. Gender identity is the term used for the subjective, stated inner sense of “gender.” I prefer the clarity of calling this ...read more

Parenting is a complicated business in 2019. You can find thousands of books, experts, and professionals telling parents how to do their job. Each one offers some technique or tool that promises to unlock the secret to perfect parenting strategy. And yet, we have higher rates of teen anxiety and depression than ever before. How do we account for this paradox? How is it that parents have become so insecure in their ability to raise healthy children that they feel inclined to outsource this task ...read more

Please read my post on the GD Working Group Site. ...read more

This piece originally appeared here, on 4thwavenow. ____________________________________ Sasha Ayad, M. Ed., LPC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor who works in private practice with teens and young adults who are questioning their gender. We interviewed Sasha via email for this post. She uses an exploration-based approach to seek out underlying issues and help her teen clients move towards self-awareness, resilience, and long-term well being. She also conducts occasional ...read more

There are many factors that seem to impact to the emergent population of gender-questioning adolescents. This post seeks to explore just one aspect of the phenomenon.             Heather Heying is an evolutionary biologist, and self-professed “professor-in-exile”.  Quote from Heather's video: “You need to be willing to take risks such that when your kids do hit 18 or 20, you know that they’re actually already on their way to being adults. ...read more

The opinions expressed in this article are my own, based on my clinical observations, and do not represent the intended uses of the Big Five trait taxonomy or the perspectives of it’s developers.       What are personality theories? Personality trait research in psychology began in the late 1800's. Personality traits might include factors like extroversion, curiosity, or negative emotionality. While personality trait theories are poor at predicting specific or ...read more

This post was written by D. Houston (a pen name). She is the parent of a brilliant and creative client in my private practice and D describes herself this way: Mom to two kids, one on the spectrum. I’ve been home with them since they’ve been born. Homeschool teacher for 5 years. Butcher, baker, some time candlestick maker. World traveler. Truth seeker. “Mom, I think I am trans…” There are a lot of scenarios parents consider and mull over, but I suspect almost no one preps for this one.   ...read more

When your daughter enters her teen years, it can cause a lot of anxiety for parents. You know she will need to grow up eventually, but you worry that she is making risky choices. She may be hanging out with peers that you find unsavory or starting to talk, dress, and act differently. You might have caught her in a lie, uncovered a shameful secret, or discovered that she's been experimenting with drugs and alcohol. You worry about her grades, her safety, and her future. But when you are ...read more

You want to know more about your teen daughter's life so you can keep her accountable and keep her out of trouble. There are times when you need to step in, be the adult and set firm rules and boundaries. But sometimes, even when your daughter brings up a minor conflict or everyday situation, you might be responding in a way that erodes trust. Be sure you aren't making one of these common mistakes that often keep parents from building trust with their daughter. Instead, here are 4 ways you can ...read more

I was busy working on a behavior plan for a very fidgety 6th grade boy when I heard an assertive knock on my office door. This was the third time this week Sally had left class without permission to come talk to me. “Ms Ayad, how can I transfer schools? I really don’t think I can get a proper education here and none of the teachers know what they’re doing”, so began our 45 minute conversation. She often got fixated on one or two teachers, who despite their best efforts, could not find a good ...read more