Comprehensive
Bio-Psycho-Social Evaluation
For gender-distressed adolescents and young adults.
What are evaluations for?
To understand a young person as a whole, and to see how gender distress intersects with other things like mental health, social difficulties, sexuality, family relationships, and past trauma.
From there I can suggest what might help next: areas to address in therapy, further assessment for diagnostic clarity, family work, and sometimes, though not always, gender-related medical interventions. These are options for a young person and their parents to consider, not instructions.
What are evaluations not for?
An evaluation won't determine whether you or your child is "truly transgender." It won't issue a red or green light for medical interventions, and it isn't a gatekeeping letter.
Instead, I will describe what gives me pause, what's worth watching, and where continuing with transition appears likely to help. These come from the specifics of the case, from existing research, and from two decades of work with nearly a thousand gender-distressed young people.
I understand why some individuals may experience hesitation, anxiety, or even fear about completing an evaluation.
Mental health providers have historically controlled access to gender affirming medical care for adults. I want to be very clear: the goal is not for me to determine your identity or put up unnecessary barriers. It's to make sure everyone has access to accurate information and a clear sense of what would help. I consider this to be true informed consent.
How It Works
This process typically takes several months from start to finish.
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Comprehensive clinical interview with adolescent or young adult.
3+ hours. Clinical interviews typically require the most time.
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Comprehensive clinical interview with parents.
3+ hours. Clinical interviews typically require the most time.
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Completion of a series of psychological and gender measures by both patient and parents.
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Consultation with existing providers, to the extent this would be helpful.
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Feedback session, typically with young person and parents together.
90 minutes
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Thorough report documenting the information gathered, results from measures, case conceptualization, diagnoses, and recommendations.
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Once the evaluation is finished, I'm available for ongoing consultation with parents or with other providers, and individual therapy.
Here are some things that I'll ask about:
Gender history
Hopes, plans & expectations around transition
Sexual orientation, religion & spirituality, race, ethnicity, culture
Family relationships & dynamics
Friendships & social life
Academic history
Early development & medical history
Mental health history and current concerns
Getting started.
The best way to determine if you would like to work together is to schedule a consultation appointment.
Parent Consultation
Most families begin with a 55-minute parent consultation, before deciding on next steps. It's a chance to give context, answer questions, and talk through what makes sense from there. This can also be a standalone session.
Client Consultation
Sometimes, it's beneficial for me to meet independently with clients. This is an opportunity for them to ask me any questions they might have and to see whether I am someone they would feel comfortable talking to.
