Raising a transgender child comes with many challenges for parents, who often need support to best support their child. In this webinar, we will cover a range of issues that parents may present within a counseling context in relation to their experience of parenting a transgender child.

The learning outcomes of this session are:

Understanding parents' reactions to a child coming out as transgender
Gaining insight into possible conflicts with the client's partner over their child's gender
Addressing difficulties dealing with wider family members and in institutional settings (such as schools and healthcare services etc.)
Understanding the impact of broader social messaging about gender diversity

We will also discuss other factors, including the relationship between gender diversity and neurodiversity, mental health concerns such as self-harm and suicidality, and trauma resulting from experiences of discrimination, stigma and violence.

The content of the webinar will draw from the facilitator’s research and connections with parents of transgender young people of a range of social and cultural backgrounds in Aotearoa, as well as the findings of international research in this area. The webinar will include opportunities for attendees to reflect on case studies and share ideas, based on their previous experiences.

By the end of the webinar, you will gain practical tips for effectively working with parents of transgender young people. You will also receive access to an online resource “Storm Clouds and Rainbows – the Journey of Parenting a Transgender Child to further support your understanding.

Presenter bio:

Julia de Bres (Pākehā, she/her) is Senior Lecturer in Linguistics at Massey University. Her research focuses on how people use language to reproduce or challenge social inequalities. She is Principal Investigator on Project Village - a research project investigating what good family support looks like for transgender young people of diverse cultural backgrounds in Aotearoa. She moderates a national support group for parents of transgender children and coordinates the Trans Health Research Network of PATHA (the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa). She frequently speaks and writes on rainbow issues in the media, and delivers training on rainbow-inclusive practice.