“I just can’t get over using they/them for a singular person. The grammar trips me up.” “It’s hard to make the switch. I don’t mean to be...

Believing kids when they tell us who they are is one of the most powerful acts of parenting we can offer. It’s an act that protects their mental health, strengthens their sense of self, and lays the foundation for trust that can last a lifetime. This posts shares the story of a Midwest mom whose journey demonstrates that there’s no single timeline or “right way” to self discovery. When parents lead with curiosity, validation, and love, they create space for kids to grow into

A question at a recent conference got me thinking about a young person's right to know who they are and our responsibility as the adults in their lives is to believe them.

Sometime before the end of June, the Supreme Court will determine the constitutionality of denying puberty blockers and hormones to gender-diverse kids when they provide the identical care to their cisgender peers. I wonder how the outcome of this case will impact those closest to me, my caseload, and my profession. While I wait for SCOTUS, I decided to share the facts about gender-affirming care to dispel the many myths floating around.

2 grounding strategies to build and sustain hope in the face of worldwide chaos and uncertainty

After 20 yrs as a child therapist, a decade of meeting trans kids, plus lived experience, these principles have proven their worth.

This November, I am asking you to vote for candidates and policies that explicitly protect my queer kid as if they were your queer kid.

Find hope in the incredible work being done by 5 Midwest organizations stepping up to support gender-expansive kids and their families.

When the government established to protect, explicitly denies a marginalized community’s existence, the result is deadly for trans youth.

Parents of trans kids use story telling to find connection, healing and joy.

Why my Midwest roots matter when traveling to 4 states this summer to meet parents raising trans kids in the middle of the US.

When I ask parents of gender-expansive kids how raising their kid has impacted their concept of gender, they all said their mindset shifted.

“It's the same thing as any parent, right? No matter how your kids identify. That's what I want for them."

My heightened awareness of Lucy's gender enabled me to notice the encounter. Otherwise, I may have carried on unchecked.

Why prioritize believing your kid’s gender identity? Because a parent’s quest to understand is just that, it’s their own.

Parents today wrestle with how to expand our ideas about identity and belonging, including our concept of gender. 

"The burden [as parents of trans kids] is dealing with other people's ... prejudice. We have the tools for everything else."