Lisa Marchiano är en amerikansk psykoterapeut som ger råd och stöd till föräldrar via sin Patreon-kanal (kostnad 10 USD/månad). Varje månad ger hon råd och svarar på föräldrars frågor i en video, så att du både kan höra hennes tankar om andras situation och få svar på dina egna funderingar.

Här kan du lyssna på en intervju med Lisa Marchiano.

Så här skriver Lisa Marchiano om sig och sitt arbete:

In 2016, I became aware that more and more teens were identifying as transgender without having experienced any gender dysphoria in early childhood. These young people were often suffering from mental health issues or other psychosocial vulnerabilities before announcing that they were trans, and many seemed to come out as trans along with close peers, or in the context of increased social media use. These patterns seemed to indicate that social contagion might be a factor. This concerned me greatly, because of the possibility that some might be accessing medical transition unnecessarily. As a therapist and Jungian analyst, I understand symptoms to be complex expressions of unconscious impulses and desires. As such, symptoms deserve to be explored with curiosity, avoiding premature foreclosure. Therapeutic practices that involve immediate affirmation of a young person’s self-diagnosis shut down exploration. Because affirmation is often a gateway to medical intervention, it may mean that many young people are accessing treatments that harm the body who don’t need them. 

I began speaking with parents in this situation in 2016 and have had contact with hundreds of parents. Through my conversations with parents, I have garnered some knowledge about gender dysphoria in adolescence and possible approaches that parents can use to help their child navigate this experience. I decided to start this Patreon because so many parents contact me, and I wanted to be able to offer as many parents as possible support and resources. 

The podcast will cover different aspects of parenting a gender questioning child. I will be uploading a minimum of one podcast per month. Although I have many topics I would like to cover, I will also be answering patron questions. I plan on focusing more on helping parents take care of themselves and make sure that their own needs are getting met while trying to navigate this difficult and often lonely situation.