Transgender Dilemma in the Young

Dr. Hansen provides an extensive, readable guide to the patients experiencing gender dysphoria and their families. This carefully crafted publication is also a wonderful resource for physicians and advanced-practice health care providers as they delve into the stormy waters surrounding the transgender care world. His references are comprehensive and balanced. This book should be on the shelf of everyone who is in the midst of a gender crisis or who is trying to manage the crisis as a professional. Quentin L. Van Meter, M.D. Pediatric Endocrinologist Immediate Past President of the American College of Pediatricians

Dr. Hansen delivers an outstanding look at the transgender phenomenon and how it is affecting our youth in a book which is broad in scope, yet concise. He starts with definitions and statistics and then moves to the root causes of the development of dysphoria in children such as trauma and social media use. He then takes a deep dive into the problems of hormonal manipulations and surgeries followed by the abrupt change of course of several European nations in using these interventions. And all of this backed with useful quotes and references and enhanced by engaging illustrations. As an endocrinologist, I clearly recognize that if anything, endocrinology is about balance. The hormones of the body need to be finely tuned in order to bring about both physical and mental health. The inevitable harms that result from driving these hormones far out of their normal ranges by "gender affirmative care" are clearly expressed in Dr. Hansen's explanations (and I am both proud and grateful that he has used some of my graphics for illustration). But as Dr. Hansen rightly points out, a mind that is unbalanced is no less dangerous than a body unbalanced and in fact the two need to be viewed as an integrated whole. It is this desire to bring about such healthy wholeness to youth that has guided his years of clinical experience with children and, in my opinion, provides him with the best vantage point to see how those suffering with gender dysphoria may be healed. This book is a most excellent and strong step forward in that direction. Michael K. Laidlaw, MD Board Certified Endocrinologist Rocklin, CA, USA

I have a B.A. in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley, an M.A. in psychology from the University of Arkansas, and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Arkansas. I completed an American Psychological Association-approved internship at Silas B. Hayes Army Community Hospital in Fort Ord, California, and a post-doctoral fellowship in pediatric psychology at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington. I am licensed in Psychology in the State of Washington (PY- 1695) and in the State of Arizona (PSY-005450). I have worked as a pediatric, adolescent, and adult psychologist in the Army for 10 years, in private practice for 25 years, and more recently at Madigan Army Medical Center for the last 7 years where I serve as a senior staff member providing pediatric, adolescent, and adult psychological services and consultation to Madigan clinics, and, as a graduate medical education faculty member, training for and supervision of practicum doctoral students and clinical psychology interns. Finally, I am the Clinical Director at Holdfast Recovery in Prescott, AZ.