Concerns Over Transgender Treatments
A former trauma clinician, now involved in policy-making, cautions that surgeries and hormone treatments for transgender individuals are often the result of a misstep in therapy, leading to long-term negative consequences. This assertion underscores a need for more effective treatment strategies.
Dr. Jennifer Bauwens highlighted that many therapists facing individuals with gender dysphoria—those who feel a deep disconnect between their physical sex and gender identity—often steer patients toward medical practices. She perceives this tendency as a sign of lost hope. “If you truly believed that your therapeutic approach could address deeper issues, you wouldn’t need to refer them for medical interventions,” she said.
Bauwens emphasized that therapy should focus on alleviating the distress clients experience regarding their bodies. The aim, she argued, shouldn’t be to reshape their physical forms but rather to help them build a healthy identity aligned with their biological sex. She added, “We shouldn’t push individuals to become someone else, as that can be quite troubling.”
Shift in Medical Perspectives
There’s a noticeable shift in the medical community against “gender-affirming care,” though Bauwens is skeptical about the pace of change within psychotherapy. Recent findings from the Department of Health and Human Services indicated insufficient evidence supporting the benefits of transgender medical interventions for minors, while also documenting numerous harms.
A recent legal case awarded $2 million to a detransitioned individual, revealing malpractice on the part of healthcare providers involved in their transition procedures. In a response to this, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons advised against transgender surgeries for individuals under 19, prompting others in the medical field to consider similar stances.
Yet, Bauwens doubts that the therapy profession will catch up. Reflecting on her past experiences with academic job applications, she recalled being encouraged to engage in protests, which mainly focused on social justice movements. She noted an apparent bias within educational institutions that often lean toward certain political views.
Research has consistently shown a significant ideological imbalance in psychology, with a 2012 survey indicating that liberals outnumber conservatives by a staggering margin. Furthermore, political contributions by health professionals reveal a trend favoring Democratic candidates. Bauwens commented that this political bias informs both research outputs and the orientation of training within the field.
“There’s a pressing need for reform,” she stated, arguing that the therapy profession must be recalibrated to ensure individuals can receive the help they need without being misguided.
Addressing Social Transition
Recently, Bauwens introduced proposed legislation aimed at protecting children from “social transition,” a practice where gender identity is affirmed by adopting new pronouns and behaviors. Dr. Stephen B. Levine remarked on the significant impact of social transition, linking it to an increased chance of individuals pursuing more invasive treatments like hormone therapies or surgeries.
Bauwens pointed to studies indicating that a significant percentage of youths grappling with gender dysphoria will, without social transition, eventually reconcile their feelings about their biological sex. Her legislation would categorize social transition as a psychological intervention lacking empirical evidence and known to potentially cause harm.
The proposed laws would prohibit measures such as assigning new names or pronouns that differ from a minor’s biological sex, allowing access to spaces designated for the opposite sex, altering school records, or promoting a transgender identity.
By curbing social transitions, Bauwens aims to restore therapists’ ability to assist individuals in addressing the core issues behind their gender dysphoria, rather than prompt them toward surgical solutions. She believes that instilling hope in therapists can lead to more constructive outcomes for patients. “We need to make therapy effective again,” she concluded.
