This week's episode aims to normalize the idea of the loss of your kid not being who you imagined who they would be. This is a universal experience for parents as most kids, once they start developing their own identities, start to have interests and hobbies that may not align with what you'd imagined for them. Dr. Laura Anderson brings on Lisette Lahana, LCSW to share her expertise in how grief affects families who raise a gender expansive child.
Lisette Lahana is a licensed clinical social worker with Bachelor degrees in Critical Gender Studies and Psychology and a Masters of Social Work from Smith College. Her extensive experience providing gender affirming care to transgender, non binary, intersex, those questioning and people who are re-transitioning spans over 23 years. She is a certified member and mentor with World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) since 2002. Lisette has a full-time psychotherapy practice where she works individually with clients of all ages with a primary focus on gender.
What You Will Learn:
How grief can be affirming of a gender expansive child and how it can get in the way
You can grieve aspects of a child’s gender journey without grieving who they are
It's okay to let your child know you're struggling ( including do’s and don’ts for how to share that)
The two types of ambiguous loss
When you find ways to grieve the loss of your own expectations, you make room to celebrate your child
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