Families in Transition – Parenting Gender Diverse Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults

Arlene (Ari) I. Lev is a social worker, family therapist, and international trainer with expertise in addictions and sex therapy. She is the clinical director of Choices Counseling and Consulting in Albany, New York, a lecturer at the University at Albany, and has published widely on LGBTQ families and transgender identity.Andrew R. Gottlieb maintains a full-time private psychotherapy practice in Brooklyn, New York, serving mostly LGBTQ adolescents and young adults. He is author or editor of five other LGBTQ family-related books and an editor for the Journal of GLBT Family Studies.

• A Note on the Evolution of LanguageForeword, by Jean Malpas, LMHC, LMFT Ackerman Institute for the Family New York CityIntroduction, by Andrew R. Gottlieb, PhD, LCSWIntroduction, by Arlene I. Lev, LCSW-R, CASAC, CSTPart 1: Gender Nonconforming Children and Trans Youth: What You Didn’t Expect When Expecting1. It Takes a Gender Creative Parent, by Diane Ehrensaft, PhD2. Helping Parents Face Their Fears, by Irwin Krieger, LCSW3. On the (L)edge of Transition: The Reyes Family, by Lisette Lahana, LCSWPart 2: Theory and Research: What Should Parents Be Aware Of?4. The “80% Desistance” Dictum: Is It Science?, by Kelley Winters, PhD5. All in the Family: How Extended Family Relationships Are Influenced by Children’s Gender Diverse and Transgender Identities, by Katherine A. Kuvalanka, PhD, Molly Gardner, MA, and Cat Munroe, PhD6. More Than the Sum of Your Parts: A Theoretical Perspective, by Andreas Neumann Mascis, PhDPart 3: Clinical Issues: What Are the Parents’ Concerns and Challenges Regarding Cultural Diversity, Clinical Models, and Psychiatric Treatment?7. Walking a Tightrope: A Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Perspective on the Spectrum of Affirmation and Pathologization with Gender Diverse Youth, by Scott Leibowitz, MD8. Chinese Canadian Families with Transgender Youth, by Nena Wang, MA, and Wallace Wong, PsyD, R Psych9. Approaches to the Treatment of Gender Diverse Children and Transgender Youth, by Arlene I. Lev, LCSW-R, CASAC, CST10. Micah and His Protectors, by Lisette Lahana, LCSWPart 4: Identity Transformation: How Do Children’s Gender Identity/Gender Nonconforming Behaviors Shift Parents’ Perceptions of Their Child and of Themselves as Parents?11. Transforming the Identity of Parents of Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Children, by Margaret Nichols, PhD, and Stephanie Sasso, PsyD12. My Own Transition, by Elena Moser, LCSWPart 5: Medical Concerns: How Do Puberty Suppression and/or Hormonal Considerations Affect Parents?13. But Doc, Is It Safe? Effects of Pubertal Suppression and Trans Hormone Therapy for Youth, by Irene N. Sills, MD14. Discussing Aspects of Medical Transition with Parents of Young Transgender People: A Psychotherapist’s Perspective, by Damien W. Riggs, PhD, FAPS15. Family-Oriented Medical Care for Gender Nonconforming Children, Adolescents, and Their Families, by Carolyn Wolf-Gould, MD16. When My Son Became My Daughter, by C.V.R., PhDPart 6: Family Functioning: What Is the Effect of Gender Atypical Behavior on Parental Relationships, Extended Family, and Siblings?17. Supporting Siblings through Transition: A Child-Centered, Transfeminist Therapeutic Approach, by Shannon L. Sennott, LICSW, and Davis Chandler, LICSW18. “I Was Hoping It Would Be a Phase”: The Challenges Parents Face Raising a Gender Nonconforming Child, by Elizabeth Anne Riley, PhD19. The Experiences of Parents of Transgender Individuals Who Transition in Adulthood, by Katherine Rachlin, PhD20. Transition in Four Voices, by Barbara Rio-Glick, MSW, Shelley Rio-Glick, MSW, Sonya Rio-Glick,and AJ Rio-GlickPart 7: Educational Concerns: How Do Parents Manage and Advocate for Gender Nonconforming Children and Transition-Related Issues in a School Setting?21. Social Transitioning for Gender Dysphoric Children: A Practical Guide for Parents, by Wallace Wong, PsyD, R Psych, and Sabrina C. H. Chang, MA22. Please Stop Calling My Daughter “He”: Advocating for Teens and Preteens in the School Setting, by Deborah Coolhart, PhD, LMFTPart 8: Support Groups: What Is the Parent’s Experience of Available Support Groups and Advocacy Organizations?23. The Experience of Parent Facilitators in a PFLAG Support Group for Parents of Transgender Youth and Young Adults, by Melissa MacNish, MA, LMHC24. Peer Support for Parents of Gender Nonconforming Children: Benefits and Risks, by Rex Butt, PhD25. Camp Aranu’tiq: Notes from the First Camp for Transgender and Gender Variant Youth, by Nick M. Teich, LCSW, PhD26. Tom-Girl, Trans Girl, Pink Boy: Finding a Support Group for All, by Lauren P., PsyDAppendix: Best Practices for the Care of Transgender YouthAbout the Editors and Contributors Acknowledgments, by Andrew R. GottliebAcknowledgments, by Arlene I. LevIndex

This is an urgent, timely book that elucidates the complexities and revelations families face as they go through transition. Full of indispensable advice and wisdom, all beautifully organized and compassionately expressed, it is a vital guide.