ABSTRACT
The question of how best to clinically support LGBTQIA children and their families is one of growing importance given the current rise in both anti-LGBTQ legislation and hate crimes and the critical need for play therapists to be able to work competently and effectively with children and families across the web of gender and sexuality. Whereas outdated models of clinically addressing gender variance in childhood often pathologized gender-expansive and -creative children, prevailing contemporary approaches such as the gender affirmative model recognize the expansive nature and possibilities across gender identity, sexual orientation, and gender expression, and seek to place children as the experts on their journey of gender and sexual identity development. Although the gender affirmative model is transtheoretical, we believe play therapists will likely find a particular resonance between the model’s principles and the common theoretical tenets and philosophical beliefs among the humanistic approaches to play therapy, such as a stringent honoring of children’s autonomy and agency, as well as seeking to relate to children through a strengths-based, holistic perspective, as opposed to one of pathology. Furthermore, it is our experience that working from a relational and gender affirmative approach to play therapy with gender-creative children provides a myriad of cultural opportunities that can lead to mutual client and therapist transformation.
