Supporting Trans and Gender Expansive Youth
Is your child or loved one on a gender journey?
- Has your child come out to you as trans recently?
- Are you feeling completely confused, scared, doubtful, or daunted about how to respond or advocate for your child?
- Do you have feelings or reactions that you feel like you “can’t say outloud?”
- Are you worried about having a tran kid in the US today?
- Are you feeling confused about finding medical care, advocating in school, and navigating family and friends?
Having a trans or gender expansive child can feel like a roller coaster of coexisting emotions, worries, joys, confusions, and moments of pride. You are not alone this journey – we are hear to help.
Holding Space for Parents of LGBTQIA+ Kids
Parents often describe an emotional “siezmic shift’ when their child comes out, and often have an array of feelings and concerns as they support their child through school, social settings, extended family, medical care, and the political world. Parents may celebrate their children’s joy and self-expression, absorb their children’s sadness and pain, and experience their own grief, fear, and loss. Even the most open, supportive parents have complex reactions including grief, fear, anger, disbelief, pride, and joy. We all have unpacking to do, and you as a parent deserve a space to do that unpacking, grieving, celebrating, and worrying. At Prism we love to provide that space, and function as an ally for you to be an ally for your child.
Taking care of you IS taking care of them.
The evidence is clear: trans kids thrive when their parents can affirm and support them in who they are. Parent guidance sessions provide a space for parents to process, plan, and take action to create the most supportive, and emotionally holding environment they can for their child. Our therapists can help you find language for the “hard conversations”, learn how to listen but not lead your child on their journey, and establish the concrete resources and supports your family may need at home, socially, at school, and in the health system. We are here to hash out the daily decision making moments, or hard conversations you may be faced with. Allowing yourself the space to explore your own feelings, get your questions answered, and make concrete plans, is setting you up to care for your trans child with confidence and love.
Common Questions and Concerns
Will my child be involved in the sessions?
It depends! Usually, parent guidance is a space for the parents to learn, process, and plan, but if it feels useful for your child to join, we can do that too. You and your therapist can work together to make a plan that is tailored to your needs.
This is all new to me, I don’t know what I believe.
Plenty of parents’ first reaction to a child’s gender exploration is to question, doubt, or reject the assertion. Parent guidance sessions can offer you a place to share your concerns, provide you the most up to date information and resources for parents, and gain deeper understanding of what is really going on with your child and how you can support them for the best emotional outcome.
You don’t have to navigate this journey alone.
It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a special village to raise a trans child. Having allies and guidance to support you and your family can be profoundly beneficial in reducing stress, increasing connection, and finding peace.
Reach out today to schedule a consultation. Whether you’re ready to start therapy or just want to explore whether we might be a good fit, we’d love to hear from you.