Navigating Loss and Grief and Constructing New Meaning: Therapeutic Considerations for Caregivers of Transgender Youth

Abstract

ABSTRACT One of the most significant protective factors for transgender youth is caregiver support, but caregivers often struggle with accepting their child’s gender identity. Many of these caregivers experience ambiguous loss, grieving the gendered aspects of their child and of the caregiver-child relationship. However, disenfranchised grief often goes unrecognized by the caregiver, and/or unsupported by society, and can also be difficult to reconcile with the caregiver’s love for their child. Thus, the following article details the nature of disenfranchised grief and ambiguous loss and describes how counselors must be prepared to normalize this grief, while helping caregivers of transgender youth mourn their loss and create meaning from the adversity, in part by reframing this loss as positive change since it will enhance the emotional and physical well-being of the child. Counselors also provide resources and referrals, debunk common myths about transgender identities, and help caregivers explore their emotions while navigating their grief through personal therapy, relationship counseling, and support groups specifically designed for caregivers of transgender youth.