Gender Identity Support
About Our
Gender Identity Support Services
At Sherman Counseling we offer a safe and accepting environment for anyone that may be struggling with gender identity support. Our highly trained and knowledgeable staff are here to help in any way we can.
What Is Gender-Identity?
Gender Identity is the identification of oneself as being male or female. When someone is struggling with gender identity it usually means they are identifying as the opposite sex and not with their “prescribed” or biological sex. Typically, they have always identified more with the opposite sex than they have with their “prescribed” or born with.
Types Of Transgender Support
The first group of clients recognizes and understands their gender variance, however, they may not always know the best way to handle their feelings and emotions. In these situations, when the client approaches the therapist questioning their gender identity, the therapist takes a client-centered stance. This essentially means that they will focus on the individual and how to best help or assist that client knowing that each client has different issues or concerns about gender identity. The therapist will help them explore different ways to express their gender that feels most genuine to that client.
The second group of clients seek therapy with the goal of obtaining a recommendation for medical treatment. Meaning that this group of clients knows that they want to make a gender transition and undergo surgery, but they need guidance along the way. The therapist also aids in ensuring the client is emotionally stable enough to undergo the surgery and cope with the challenges of transition. Due to society’s rigid gender conceptualization, transgender clients are subject to the stress of not fitting the norm. When our therapists assist in reducing gender-related stress, their is often a resulting reduction in mental health symptoms.
The third group of clients seek therapy for relationship issues. In these cases, the family or spouse is typically involved in the treatment to create a better understanding of transgender identity. The main focus of this type of therapy is to involve the family in order to assist with the integration of the transgender individual within the family. While some families may be accepting of the transgender individual, other families may have an intense negative reaction to this news. They may react with shock, confusion, fear, and grief. This is where our therapists step in to help and guide individuals and families.