The Reward is the Journey

I did not hesitate to heartily and heart-fully congratulated a parent who had contacted me to discuss support they might offer their primary school aged child who 'wants to be different' when they told me that they had sought to explain in no uncertain terms that their love is unconditional. In the midst of their angst about what they might do for the best in the situation which they felt was becoming increasingly urgent, my reassurance seemed not only highly appropriate but hugely valuable. My hope is that we are slowly, but hopefully steadily, moving away from a gender binary that demands conformity amongst children who wish to explore their gender identity and expression. I work with adults and young people.  I have colleagues who work with children.  It is a pleasure and a privilege to be able to refer potential clients to colleagues who, like me, practice in and around London.  At present, I am sadly less well placed to signpost more widely. ...

The trailer promised great things.  Eddie Redmayne for one.  His performance as Lili Elbe (born Einar Wegener) was masterful.  Set in 1920s Copenhagen, I wonder how much things have really changed?  I felt the film portrayed very accurately the awful cost born by so many of the trans* community as they navigate worlds in which they feel bound to conceal their true selves beneath constructed identities.   As a therapist who specialises in working with gender issues I have the privilege of supporting gender variant, queer and querying clients who do not fit neatly into the boxes so many quarters of society still seek to prescribe.   To speak of the challenges this presents hardly does justice to the daily battles being fought that the cisgender majority are unlikely to ever face.  Unless of course, that cis individual is in a relationship with a trans* person...   This was, for me, what the film spoke to most directly observ...