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Article
Therapy with Transsexual Youth and Their Families: A Clinical Tool for Assessing Youth's Readiness for Gender Transition
Journal of Marital and Family Therapy (2012)
  • Deborah Coolhart, Syracuse University
  • Amanda Baker, Syracuse University
  • Sara Farmer, Syracuse University
  • Meaghan Melhaney, Syracuse University
  • Dara Shipman, Syracuse University
Abstract
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health’s Standards of Care suggests a letter of recommendation be provided from a mental health professional if a transsexual desires hormone therapy or surgery. Therefore, transsexual clients have a unique dependence on therapists to obtain medical treatments needed to live life in their affirmed gender. Despite this need for therapeutic services, most therapists lack the training that is necessary to sensitively serve transsexual clients, particularly transsexual youth. While a published clinical assessment tool exists for therapists to determine readiness of adult transsexual clients for medical gender transition, no similar tool is available for therapists working with transsexual youth. This article discusses therapeutic issues specific to transsexual youth and families and presents a clinical assessment tool for determining transsexual youth’s readiness for medical treatments.
Publication Date
2012
Publisher Statement
Copyright 2012 Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. The article may be found at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2011.00283.x/abstract
Citation Information
Deborah Coolhart, Amanda Baker, Sara Farmer, Meaghan Melhaney, et al.. "Therapy with Transsexual Youth and Their Families: A Clinical Tool for Assessing Youth's Readiness for Gender Transition" Journal of Marital and Family Therapy (2012)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/deborah_coolhart/3/