Acceptance and support for transgender children

It is hard enough being a child and having to learn all of life’s lessons, but if you have a learning difficulty, or disability, or you do not feel your true self, it is 100% worse.

There has been a lot of attention in the media for transgender children.   They say the calls to charity counselling lines have tripled in the last 3 years (Daily Mail 13^th December).  It appears that the more support being shown to these children, it is giving other children the confidence to call in for help and support.

Can you even imagine the pressure of school, activities, puberty, “fitting in” and on top of that “feeling different” about your own sex” and “trapped in the wrong body”?  Then on top of that you feel you can’t talk to anybody about it. 

I always focus on keeping myself up to date on children’s issues, as I would hate not to be prepared on how to help them should a child confide in me  as a counselor or hypnotherapist.  One woman who started a site for her transgender son, said a very profound statement.  She wrote, “I would rather have a transgender daughter than a dead son”.  Wow – powerful.

So my advice to you is listen to them, take it seriously, ask them what you can do to support them and act on it.  There are great support lines for them to talk to counselors as well as getting a referral on the NHS.  They have a specialist team to help transgender children.   They need to hear they are still loved for who they are, not their sex orientation.  Feel free to call me if you would like more information.