Pediatric Gender Health Care

This updated volume introduces the field of pediatric gender health, which widens the scope of the gender affirmative model to support the gender health of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) pre- and peripubescent youth and their families.

With the devastating increase in legislative care bans and media attacks on TGD youth since the first edition of this book was published, many health care systems have shut down care centers that have been providing high quality pediatric gender health care. The weaponization of “gender affirming” terminology has served to deny the experiences of TGD youth, while discrimination, verbal harassment, and violence toward TGD communities is on the rise.

This book provides guidance to pediatric providers and trainees who aim to deliver up-to-date, empirically informed best clinical practices. At the same time, the text is accessible to educators, parents, and families of TGD youth. The chapters provide a fully updated literature review, summarize key epistemological advances, and incorporate detailed interventions and extensive case examples, which emphasize the importance of the integration of cultural humility, intersectionality, and multicultural approaches to therapy. Research continues to demonstrate the benefit of pediatric gender health care for TGD youth and their families. This timely second edition grounds readers in the rigorous empirical research needed to inform the provision of pediatric gender health in the face of increasing challenges in health care for TGD youth.

Introduction: Honoring and Not Dulling the Light of the Youngest Among Us
G. Nic Rider, Diane Ehrensaft, and Colt St. Amand

• Chapter 1. Gender Identity Development
  Johanna Olson-Kennedy, Dr. Aydin Olson-Kennedy, and Darlene Tando
• Chapter 2. Collaborative Treatment Across Disciplines: Medical and Mental Health Care Coordination 
  Laura Kuper and Colt St. Amand
• Chapter 3. Supporting Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children of Color and their Families in Clinical Care 
  Elizabeth Panetta, De’Shay Thomas, and Jonathan Poquiz
• Chapter 4. Building Resilience in Transgender and Gender Diverse Children, Families, and Communities: A Multidimensional Family Approach
  Jean Malpas, Elizabeth Glaeser, Shawn V. Giammattei, and Derrick T. Jordan
• Chapter 5. Supporting the Mental Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse Children
  Matthew Goldenberg and Karisa L. Barrow
• Chapter 6. Gender-Related Trauma
  Amy Tishelman, Aydin Olson-Kennedy, and Andreas Neumann-Mascis
• Chapter 7. The Space to Try: Creative Arts Approaches to Identity Exploration with Pre-Adolescents 
  M. Morin
• Chapter 8. Child and Family Assessment
  Benjamin Parchem, Dianne Ranae Berg, Catherine Schaefer, and G. Nic Rider
• Chapter 9. Helping Families Move from Distress to Attunement With a Child’s Gender
  Deb Coolhart, Jessie R. Cohen, and Molly Fechter-Leggett
• Chapter 10. Networks of Care for Transgender and Gender Diverse Children
  Catelyn Devlin and Kayden J. Schumacher
• Chapter 11. Transgender Youth Medical Care Bans: Legislation, Psychological Impacts, and Advocacy
  Sara Mar, Claire Coyne, Jessica Bernacki, and Kellan Baker
• Chapter 12. Ethical Practice in the Care of Transgender and Gender Expansive Children
  Drew B. A. Clark

Conclusion: Where Do We Go From Here?
Diane Ehrensaft, Colt St. Amand, and G. Nic Rider

G. Nic Rider, PhD, (they/them) is an associate professor and licensed psychologist at the Institute for Sexual and Gender Health and director of the National Center for Gender Health, both within the University of Minnesota Medical School. Their work focuses on social and structural factors impacting the lived experiences and wellbeing of marginalized communities, emphasizing community strengths/resilience and advocacy. Their professional interests include intersectionality, culturally responsive care, health equity, pleasure, systems change and social justice advocacy. They are a coauthor of the WPATH Standards of Care Version 8, and a certified member and certified mentor at the WPATH Gender Education Institute.

Diane Ehrensaft, PhD, (she/her) is an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California San Francisco and the psychologist on the interdisciplinary team at the Child and Adolescent Gender Center Clinic. She is also the Director of Mental Health of the Child and Adolescent Gender Center and leads the Mind the Gap consortium of child gender mental health specialists. She is on the board of Gender Spectrum, a U.S. educational and advocacy organization. Her previous books include Mommies, Daddies, Donors, Surrogates; Building a Home Within; and Parenting Together: Men and Women Sharing the Care of Their Children. 

Colt St. Amand, PhD, MD, (he/they) is a child and family clinical psychologist, board-certified family medicine physician, and founder and medical director of Riverside Family Medicine. After completing his residency at the Mayo Clinic, he moved to New York to continue practicing. He is an internationally recognized expert in research, clinical practice, consultation, and teaching in the field of gender health care. Dr. St. Amand is a coauthor of the WPATH Standards of Care Version 8 Hormone Therapy Chapter and a mental health and medical certification mentor at the WPATH Gender Education Institute. Visit Dr. Colt St. Amand's websiteopens in new window or Riverside Family Medicineopens in new window.

Accessible. Powerful. Urgently needed. In a time marked by escalating misinformation, political attacks, and systemic harm targeting trans communities, this new edition offers a clear, evidence-based road map for clinicians, educators, advocates, and families committed to protecting and affirming trans and gender diverse youth. Grounded in the latest research and rich in clinical implications, this second edition of Pediatric Gender Health Care powerfully demonstrates what justice-centered, developmentally responsive, and strength-based care for trans and gender diverse youth looks like in real world-practice.
—Roberto L. Abreu, PhD, Associate Professor, Psychology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville

This is a critical compendium on pediatric gender health care written by many of the world’s foremost experts in the area. I recommend this book to any and all clinicians and clinicians-in-training working with gender diverse youth.
—Kristina R. Olson, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

This book masterfully blends clinical expertise, rigorous research, and community perspectives to offer an indispensable, grounded guide for clinicians supporting trans and nonbinary children and their families across diverse contexts. It will quickly become the go-to recommendation for providers at every level of experience.
—Sebastian Barr, PhD, licensed psychologist; coauthor of Transness Is Our Salve: Trans People’s Experiences of Healing From Parental Trauma

If you work with, advocate for, or care about gender diverse children and adolescents, this book belongs on your shelf. This timely and thoroughly updated edition covers empirically-grounded best practices for working with gender diverse youth, complete with rich case examples and a strong framework of cultural humility and intersectionality.
—Diane Chen, PhD, ABPP, Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Pediatrics, and Medical Social Sciences, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago/Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL; Fellow of the American Psychological Association

Once again, these authors have compiled an ideally crafted compilation of topics covering every area of pediatric gender care. The depth and breadth of clinical information makes this book a perfect resource to use for a college course, and the contemporary relevance makes it a must-have for every professional’s desktop. This is an indispensable book for all professionals who want the best science, research, and references at this important time.
—Linda A. Hawkins, PhD, MSEd, LPC, Director, LGBTQ+ Policy & Practice, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

Authored by pioneering leaders in the field, this book offers a rigorous, evidence-based guide to supporting transgender and gender diverse youth. During a time of widespread misinformation, it is an essential resource for clinicians, researchers, and anyone wanting to better understand and support today’s youth.
—Jack Turban, MD, MHS, author of Free to Be: Understanding Kids & Gender Identity