Transgender Identity

Are you experiencing curiosity and/or struggling with issues related to your gender identity or expression? Are you interested in exploring these issues in a safe, non-judgmental space with professionals trained to support you and help you navigate these concerns? Have you experienced relationship or family problems, or harassment and discrimination in your school, workplace, or community as a result of your gender questioning, identity, or expression? We can help.

Identifying as transgender or gender non-conforming refers to a person’s desire to express their gender in ways that align more with their true self, as opposed to the sex or gender they were assigned when they were born. Sometimes this expression is through clothing, sometimes through name and pronoun changes, and other times through hormones, surgeries, voice therapies, or other means.

Since being transgender or gender non-conforming is not a mental illness or a condition requiring treatment, there are no valid therapies that “cure” gender variance; however, these experiences can be stressful, confusing, frightening, and at times even overwhelming both for those who experience them, as well as for their families and loved ones. They can unfortunately also sometimes result in rejection, bullying, or violence and general misunderstanding by others, which can lead to depression, suicidal thinking, anxiety, and traumatic stress.

At CCP, we are trained to help you navigate these issues in a safe, validating, and non-judgmental way. There is no one “right way” to be transgender or gender non-conforming, and we are sensitive to the issues you might be facing, whether you are just starting to consider, or are already in the midst of, a transition. We will support you in your journey and help you to discover a gender identity and expression that feels authentic to you. We specialize in helping you to develop your own, unique, life-affirming path.

How we can help:

Being a safe space where you can honestly explore your true feelings about your gender identity and expression
Providing education to help you approach and navigate the transition process
Connecting you with appropriate additional resources around Chicago-land, including but not limited to affirming medical providers, transgender support groups, family support, and more
Helping to support and guide you through the “coming out” process
Teaching coping tools to help you deal with any residual stress, anxiety, and/or depression that may occur
Processing difficulties, confusion, and fears related to dating and/or establishing and maintaining intimate relationships
Working together with families of transgender youth and adolescents to help support the family system as a whole
Safety planning

“You are worthy and capable of finding a way to live your life just the way you really are. And there are plenty of good people in the world who believe that a life like yours needs to be lived.”

~ Kate Bornstein