Gender Dysphoria: Beyond the Diagnosis (Double Session)
Workshop Description
Why is my child still struggling after starting hormones? While gender dysphoria is widely recognized as the persistent distress that arises from the incongruence between one’s assigned sex at birth and one’s gender identity, the manner and scope of how gender dysphoria impacts transgender youth is rarely talked about. This workshop will delve deeper into the nuances of gender dysphoria, exploring alternative ways it may present itself; the potential impact it has on the development trajectories of transgender youth; how transfeminine and transmasculine youth are affected differently; and how racism and transphobia create unique challenges for transgender people of color. Examples from our own experiences working with youth will highlight some of the features discussed in the lecture portion.
Conference Track
Family
Primary Contact
Workshop Presenters
Aydin Olson-Kennedy, MSW, Los Angles Gender Center
Presenter Bio
Aydin Olson-Kennedy, MSW, is the executive director of the Los Angeles Gender Center where he provides therapy for gender-nonconforming and transgender youth, adults, and their families. He has spoken internationally on the importance of an informed-consent model of care, identifying and acknowledging domains of privilege and broadening clinicians and families understanding of gender dysphoria and its impact on the psychosocial well-being of gender-nonconforming and transgender individuals.
Johanna Olson-Kennedy, MD
Presenter Bio
Johanna Olson-Kennedy, MD, specializes in the care of gender-nonconforming children and transgender youth. Board certified in pediatrics and adolescent medicine, Dr. Olson-Kennedy has been providing medical intervention for transgender youth and young for the past 11 years, and is considered a national expert in this area. The medical director of the Center for Transyouth Health and Development at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles, the largest transgender youth clinic in the United States, she also spearheads a rigorous research program that seeks to understand the trans experience from childhood through early adulthood. Dr. Olson-Kennedy has appeared frequently on national television, and spoken all over the country to educate providers, parents, and other communities about the needs of transgender youth.
Susan P Landon, LMFT
Presenter Bio
As director of the Child and Adolescent Program at the Los Angeles Gender Center, Susan Landon, LMFT, has been providing counseling for individuals, couples, children, and families in Santa Monica, California, for the past 30 years. She is a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). Susan speaks around the country about mental health therapy with gender-nonconforming children and adolescents, as well as facilitating a large parent and youth support group in Los Angeles.