transgender Archives - The Jung Soul

“Should I Take Testosterone When I Turn 16?”

by Lisa Marchiano

5 Comments

A few weeks ago, I received a very thoughtful email from someone who had read my blog. This young person suffers from gender dysphoria and is considering taking testosterone upon turning 16. We agreed together that I would answer the email here on my blog, in public. Dear N, Thank you for your email, and for trusting me with a…

New Guidance for Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria

Posted on July 21, 2017

by Lisa Marchiano

21 Comments

In 2016, I posted a short blog that gave general guidance for parents with teens who had recently come out as transgender. In the intervening months, I have spoken with a number of families whose teen identified as trans for some period of time, and subsequently desisted, often as a result of parental support for finding alternative ways of managing…

Some Thoughts on Authenticity

Posted on April 14, 2017

by Lisa Marchiano

2 Comments

Those who enthusiastically support pediatric transition for dysphoric children often invoke the loaded phrases “authentic self,” or “true self.” For example, top pediatric transition physician Jo Olson-Kennedy posted on the WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health) Facebook page in March 2016 regarding her desire to see the standards of care changed to lower the recommended age for surgery to…

Divorcing Ourselves from the Feminine

Posted on August 5, 2016

by Lisa Marchiano

4 Comments

“But humankind is masculine and feminine, not just man or woman. You can hardly say of your soul what sex it is.” C.G. Jung, The Red Book “Life is born only of the spark of opposites,” said Jung (CW 7, para. 78). Though summarizing Jung’s complex psychological observations into a few key concepts is impossible, the notion that psychic…