Gender Identity Counseling

Gender identity counseling is the general counseling process that generally focused on a person’s gender identity and the experiences that relate. The commons areas discussions in the counseling session include:

• What gender identity means to you

• Addressing the mental health concern related to gender identity (depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts etc.)

• How to cope with the social situation

• Legal concerns

• Dealing with gender dysphoria and the affects

Gender Dysphoria

Gender dysphoria, also known as gender identity disorder, in which a person is born one gender, but identifies as another. This may mean that a person born a male identifies as female, or vice versa. In some other cases people may not identify gender at all and people who feel this way are most commonly known as ‘transgender’ or ‘trans’.

Some people may develop mental health concerns as a result of distress experienced with gender dysphoria, but this incongruence itself is not a mental health condition, just as being transgender is not a mental health condition. Anxiety, depression, stress, and feelings of isolation may develop in those who experience dysphoria, and the counseling session can offer support to individuals coping with these and other concerns.

Signs of Gender Dysphoria

The behaviour signs of gender dysphoria include:

• Insist that they are of the opposite sex

• Wants to wear clothes typically worn by the other sex, and refusing to wear clothes worn by their sex

• Wants to be always spend time with the members of the opposite sex.

• Insisting or hoping that their genitals will change

• Feeling extreme distress at puberty and the physical changes that will occur

• Feelings of anxiety and depression

Benefits of Gender Identity Counseling

• It helps to explore and integrate your gender identity

• Makes to accept yourself

• Address the mental and emotional impacts of minority stress

• Develop a plan to address social and legal issues related to your transition and coming out to loved ones, friends, colleagues and other close contacts

• Provide a comfortable space to  express your concern

• Increase your well-being and quality of life

• Provide information about sexual orientation

• Helps to overcome the social stigma and peer group isolation