4 Sneaky Red Flags in Gender Therapy: Watch Out!

Dr. Z reveals four red flags to watch for when working with someone who claims to be a gender therapist, gender specialist, or LGBTQ-knowledgeable provider. Therapy is not cheap, most insurances don't cover psychotherapy adequately, and time represents an irreplaceable asset. For those struggling with uncertainty, lack of clarity, debilitating fears, and anxiety revolving around gender dysphoria or gender identity issues, getting answers to pressing concerns becomes critically important.

In psychotherapy, clients function as consumers in a service exchange. You maintain the assertive position to decide whether to continue or terminate therapy at any time. If a therapist displays multiple red flags while misrepresenting themselves as a gender specialist, firing them becomes not just acceptable but advisable.

The four red flags include: minimal or absent online presence beyond single mentions of being "LGBTQ-friendly"; using dogmatic, archaic approaches requiring 6-12 months for diagnosis or presenting in desired gender for a year before hormones; requiring clients to educate them on basic vocabulary, procedures, and gender-affirming care options; and inability to write gender-affirming evaluation letters for surgery, referring this basic task elsewhere.

Watch to learn how to identify therapists who misrepresent their expertise and waste your valuable time and resources.