Gender Identity and Faith

Helping people navigate gender identity questions today is complex and often polarized work. For clients and families who are also informed by their faith, some mental health approaches raise more questions than answers. Clinicians need a client-centered, open-ended approach that makes room for gender exploration while respecting religious identity.Gender Identity and Faith carves out clinical space for mental health professionals to help people who wish to take seriously their gender identity, their religious identity, and the relationship between the two. Drawing from their extensive research and experience with clients, Mark Yarhouse and Julia Sadusky provide a timely, practical resource for practitioners. This book - emphasizes respect for clients' journeys, without a single fixed outcome, toward congruence between their gender identity and faith - describes effective clinical postures, assessment and therapeutic tools, and numerous case studies - covers needs and characteristics of children, youth, and adult clients - includes worksheets and prompts for clients and family members'Integrating personhood and values is no easy feat, especially in our current cultural landscape,' the authors write. Those navigating this intersection need clinicians who seek to understand their unique context and journey alongside them with empathy. This book points the way. Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS) Books explore how Christianity relates to mental health and behavioral sciences including psychology, counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy in order to equip Christian clinicians to support the well-being of their clients.

Mark A. Yarhouse (Psy.D., Wheaton College) is professor of psychology and Hughes Chair of Christian Thought in Mental Health Practice at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia. A licensed clinical psychologist, he serves as an adjunct faculty member of both the Institute for Sexual Wholeness in Atlanta, Georgia, and the psychology department of Wheaton College Graduate School.