ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author reviews the history of the concepts of gender role, gender identity, and core-gender identity. He proposes the term atypical gender identity organization (AGIO) to define an internal psychological configuration whose phenomenology is represented by the typical characteristics of a gender identity disorder. The author emphasizes the interactional nature of internal and external factors in determining gender identity development. The clinical significance of the concept of AGIO lies in its ability to be examined in relation to a number of clinical features that are relevant to clinical management. The author outlines an interactive approach in the formation of the atypical gender identity organization, within a psychodynamic framework of development, and discusses the implications for therapeutic strategies. He concludes with a brief story from a book, Psychoanalysis in a Monastery, which may provide a useful metaphor in their work with children and adolescents with gender identity problems.
