‘Therapy First’ Retreat Helps Likeminded Therapists Share Ideas on Gender Dysphoria Issue

Commentary In mid-June, an organization called “Therapy First” held its very first in-person summer retreat. Therapy First states on its website that the organization “is a non-profit professional association of over 300 mental health providers worldwide who view psychotherapy as the appropriate first-line treatment for gender dysphoria.” About five years ago, this statement wouldn’t have been very controversial among mainstream mental health professionals. Now, however, many of these therapists work in hiding. In fact, a large proportion of those 300 do not disclose their names publicly. Gender has become such a controversial topic that most therapists who agree with Therapy First’s statement stay out of this area of work completely. Those who dare to work with patients with gender issues face multiple complaints on their professional licensure. Some are accused of doing “conversion therapy.”...