Podcasts from GENDER: A WIDER LENS
Gender dysphoria has become a minefield for public discussion, with many afraid to express their views or question the narrative. Our mission is to examine this important and complex topic from a range of perspectives, but always through a psychological lens. By openly considering and examining gender identity, transition, and the transgender umbrella, we hope to give all interested parties permission to engage these fascinating topics with less fear and more honesty. Interviews and discussions will involve clinicians, medical professionals, academics, transgender people, parents, detransitioners and other interesting individuals whose lives have been touched by the concept of gender.
Conversations between two practicing therapists give listeners an opportunity to contemplate gender from a depth perspective not currently taken up in most of today’s accessible debates. As a result of their work with gender dysphoric therapy clients as well as their personal divergent experiences with gender, Stella and Sasha hold a refreshing and informed perspective.
Is gender identity a facilitation of development and expression of creativity, or can it be a defense against painful existential realities of living in a human body? What can we discover about masculinity, femininity, identity, gender performance, and sexuality when we peer beneath the surface and dive into a deeper psychological exploration? What is the relationship between body, mind, identity, culture, and psyche?
This podcast engages listeners in an intimate and fascinating behind-the-scenes inquiry about a topic as taboo as it is salient today.
* We are sponsored by ReIME and Genspect.
Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics (ReIME) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving long term care for gender variant individuals. To learn more, visit https://rethinkime.org/
Genspect is an international alliance of parent and professional groups whose aim is to advocate for parents of gender-questioning children and young people. Parents are concerned that their kids are not receiving appropriate treatment and support; many do not feel free to speak out about their concerns.
To learn more, visit https://genspect.org/
In this episode, the Wider Lens duo takes a slight detour from gender to explore teenage years from a developmental approach and how parents can better connect with and support their teen children through a challenging but powerful season of life — adolescence.
Sasha interviews Stella about her latest book, What Your Teen is Trying to Tell You. The book empowers parents to distinguish between opportunities in which intervention makes sense or moments that are best left for the teens to work out for themselves. Reviewed as somewhat of a deep dive into the teenage brain, the book provides practical advice for each of the key milestones teenagers need to tackle during adolescence to become happy, healthy adults.
Covering topics from anxiety to body confidence and technology obsession to the sexual self, this book is sure to give parents — always desperate to “fix” situations for their kids — the confidence to optimize on a teaching moment, or the patience to respect the power of simply letting the lessons be learned. The ultimate goal of the book is to enable parents with a better understanding of their teens and improved discernment, resulting in a rekindled joy and connection shared within parent-teen relationship dynamics.
Links:
Stella’s Website
Stella’s Substack
https://stellaomalley.substack.com/
Full Collection of Stella’s books:
What Your Teen is Trying to Tell You, 2023
Bully-Proof Kids, 2022
Fragile, 2019
Cotton Wool Kids, 2015
Please visit http://www.widerlenspod.com to explore more content, access additional resources, or join our listener community.
To learn more about our sponsors, visit:
Extended Notes
- Stella shares the motivation behind her writing What Your Teen is Trying to Tell You.
- Disillusionment is a natural part of adolescence.
- Many adults don’t know how to explain the transition from an asexual child to a sexual being. Stella addresses it in her book.
- There are milestones adolescents need to learn to become emotionally mature adults.
- Risk analysis and consequences are not yet formed in teenage brain development.
- Stella explains how parents can scale the wall of silence.
- A five-point plan about why you should start a food fight with your children.
- Vanity becomes preeminent in teenage life. It causes anxiety.
- Tips for reducing a teen’s tech/screen time.
- There are many ways to connect with a teenager that go beyond talking.
- Parents should take caution when taking a teenager’s actions and responses personally.
- Get What Your Teen is Trying to Tell You at Kenny’s Books and Amazon.
Quotes:
“The teenage brain is a half-made construction site.” — Stella [23:38]
“Vanity is the railroad to anxiety.” — Stella [38:40]
“We have moments of well-being, hopefully, every day but there is a lot of difficulty in life.” — Stella [54:26]
