Therapy for Gender Identity
Therapy for Gender Identity Exploration or Support in Brooklyn, NY
What is Gender Identity?
Gender is personal. Gender identity is the internal and individualized experience of one’s own gender. Your gender identity can be the same or different from the sex you were assigned at birth. Gender identity can fall anywhere along the spectrum from binary feminine/masculine to non-binary, fluid, or genderless. Examples of gender identities include transgender, gender neutral, masc/femme leaning, male, female, non-binary, enby, demi boy, demi girl, gender fluid, gender fae, agender, bigender, pangender, genderqueer, two-spirit, or third gender. Gender identity differs from gender expression in that gender identity is internal, while gender expression is the outward way someone expresses their gender (i.e. behavior or appearance). Gender identity and gender expression may not always align.
Your Gender Journey
There are many points along the evolution of discovering that your gender identity may differ from the sex you were assigned at birth. Many people begin with questioning their gender for a long time without making any changes. The gender questioning phase includes learning about one’s relationship with their body, social norms, social perception, gendered expectations placed upon them, and learning about alternative gender identities. Gender questioning often begins with a sense of discomfort about one’s body or gender without the knowledge or words to explain what might be happening to others. Once someone has identified that they may not fully align with their birth-assigned sex, they begin gender identity exploration in which they learn about and experiment with other genders (using labels or not). Depending on many factors, someone might eventually choose to pursue transition, either socially, medically, or both. Some may feel fulfilled with only a social transition, others may feel they need a medical transition. A medical transition has many components including puberty blocking medication, gender-affirming hormone treatment, surgery, and cosmetic procedures. Many people choose to pursue some, but not all, medical interventions. Additionally, it is possible for people go through a gender exploration phase and eventually feel that they do align with their sex assigned at birth.
How A Gender-Affirming Therapist Can Help
Gender is complex and intersectional. A therapist who specializes in gender can provide an affirming, knowledgeable, and curious space for you to work through your feelings and experiences. Therapy might be one of the only safe spaces for you to begin understanding and processing before you decide to tell others in your life. A therapist can help you to understand yourself on a deeper level, navigate the stages, advocate with family/friends/work, provide resources, offer assessment of readiness (for youth) and/or letters of support, collaborate with other providers, mitigate safety concerns, work through and shed internalized transphobia, and monitor any comorbid psychological concerns. Moreover, gender expansive people often face societal and political discrimination and stigma, which can often lead to ruptures in your relationship with yourself. Working with a therapist can help to rebuild your relationship with yourself and allow you to step into feelings of empowerment and efficacy.