The Importance of Integrating Past & Present Gender Identities.
Dr. Z talks about integrating past elements of yourself into current elements of yourself—really important topic for anyone who identifies as trans masculine, trans feminine, nonbinary, or any gender nonconforming identity.
What Dr. Z witnesses is people when they start or undergo transition tend to give up or completely disregard parts of their old self—almost as if a split is happening, almost too rigid, black and white thinking where you completely cut off old part of yourself and start living as more authentic mature self. In her experience as clinical psychologist, that's not healthy way to transition. The healthy way is ease-in and integration of the two personalities.
There's definitely going to be element of your old persona, old expressed gender you'll want to disregard. But there's going to be lot of other things you'll want to integrate. You can't just negate part of yourself. Even though you've been putting on costume, acting out, pretending to be something you're not, doesn't mean you have to negate it through destruction—self-harming behavior, addiction, drinking, eating, drugs, destructive behaviors aimed at destroying the body, destroying element of old self. There's also psychological hatred people express—they hate themselves, hate their bodies, hate who they are, hate pretending to be man or woman.
Watch to find out why you can't blame yourself for what you were born with (gender dysphoria is medical condition), why you need compassion, why old self got you where you're at (be grateful—managed to survive, got you job/stability), and how to integrate (keep what's relevant/passionate about like motorcycles or baking regardless of gender stereotypes, demolish facades).
