Journal of Child and Adolescent Behavior
Open Access

Abstract

Nowadays, the concept of transsexualism has evolved to the concept of transidentity while the binarity of gender has been replaced by gender creativity and fluidity. In a context of contemporary digital revolution, the number of transgender coming-outs in adolescence has grown significatively.Three years ago, we created a clinical center for adolescents with gender dysphoria. We provide psychopathological evaluation and care as well as access to medical Standard of Care for transgender youth. Living his transidentity at adolescence appears to be an individual and self-created process co-occuring with the developmental one. Furthermore, as coming-outs are challenging parentality in a new way, innovating therapeutical settings are needed. From watchful waiting to supporting social transition (including use of new name and prounom, changes in gender role, changes in physical appearance) and access to hormonotherapy, the transgender process in adolescence invites the therapist to co-create and therapeutical setting with the adolescent and his/her parents. We will propose to discuss the role of narrativity in the transgender coming-out process. Supporting narrative skills may be an efficient therapeutic tool that helps the construction of a narrative identity, as defined by the philosopher Paul Ricoeur and allows to take into account the importance of cultural and transgenerational considerations.

Biography

Adrian Valerie is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist working at Bordeaux University Hospital in the Reference Center for Transgender Youth and Reference Center for Adolescence Psychopathology directed by Professor Bouvard. She is a Member of the French Association of Clinical Research for Adolescence (ARCAD), Member of the French Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (SFPEADA), Member of the Societe Medico-Psychologique (SMP) and Reviewer for L’Encephale.

E-mail: valerie.adrian@orange.fr