ABSTRACT

This chapter presents a case of an 8-year-old boy's mother who presents with concerns that her son keeps saying he wants to be a girl. She states that he has always preferred to participate in 'feminine' activities such as playing with dolls, being interested in dressing up and playing with make-up. He much prefers playing with girls but sometimes bothers them because he insists he is one of them. The family had noticed aspects of these behaviours when he was younger but thought he would grow out of it. His parents argue about whether anything needs to be done or not but his behaviour is increasingly impacting on many areas of his life. Work with the parents may allow them to move away from blame. Long-term psychotherapy is usually not appropriate at this age since it implies a problem. Reassurance that it does not mean anything is best avoided.