"In May of 2020, my family moved so I could attend a clinical mental health doctorate program at the University of Iowa. I remember being so excited about the program's LGBTQ Counseling Clinic, where I would be the assistant director and where I would get to focus on providing much-needed therapeutic care for queer folks. It was the deciding factor for me on what program I ended up attending."
"By early 2023, my 15-year-old was sure they wanted to start puberty blockers, so we followed the World Professional Association for Transgender Health standards to get them started, including getting a letter of support from a doctorate-level mental health clinician after a thorough evaluation. At first, my child felt relief and joy; they were glowing, and so happy that they could do something to slow the changes to their body that did not feel congruent with who they actually are."
A clinical mental health doctorate student moved to the University of Iowa in 2020, drawn by the opportunity to work at the LGBTQ Counseling Clinic. Years into their time in Iowa, their oldest child came out as trans and sought puberty blockers following World Professional Association for Transgender Health standards, including evaluation by a doctorate-level mental health clinician. Initially, the child experienced relief and joy from beginning this care. However, the family was forced to flee Iowa in 2025 as the state eliminated the clinic and restricted gender-affirming care options.
#gender-affirming-care #transgender-youth #puberty-blockers #lgbtq-mental-health #state-restrictions
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