Gender Based Issues

Gender has been historically differentiated as male and female. It was long thought that you were one or the other and there were no exceptions to this rule. How your gender was determined was by what genitals you were born with. Today gender is seen much more as a continuum of masculine and feminine. In fact we all contain a mixture of masculine and feminine which has little to do with our genitalia. Some men can be very feminine and some women can be very masculine. Some people feel they have been born with the wrong genitalia and have them surgically changed through sex change operations.

What Are Gender Based Issues

Gender based issues are difficulties experienced when who we think we are, or who we think we should be, does not match how we feel inside ourselves. For many, this conflict is caused from being told that they should be a certain way because of their gender and they feel they do not fit the descriptions that are put on them. This can leave them feeling isolated, confused, defective, different, misunderstood, and full of shame.

My Approach to Gender Issues

I will help you come to terms with your unique mixture of masculine and feminine, and how you chose to express it in the world by helping you discover the normalcy of your particular mix and by working through the conflicts you feel about it. We will work together to overcome any shame you experience and develop techniques for dealing with people in your life who may not be as accepting.