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Experience of Loss Among Parents/Family of TGNC Individuals

Articles
Gonzalez, K. A., Rostosky, S. S., Odom, R. D., & Riggle, E. D. B. (2013). The positive aspects
of being the parent of an LGBTQ child. Family Process, 52, 325-337.
Gonzalez and colleagues conducted an online survey of parents of children who
identified as LGBTQ. Parents were asked open-ended questions in order to identify what
they perceived to be the positive aspects being a parent to an LGBTQ child. Five primary
themes were identified: personal growth, positive emotions, activism, social connection,
and closer relationships with both the child and within the family. Numerous excerpts
from the surveys were used to illustrate each of the five themes. The article concludes
with possible therapeutic implications of these themes, such as providing parents with
positive models.
Malaps, J. (2011). Between pink and blue: A multi-dimensional family approach to gender
nonconforming children and their families. Family Process, 50, 453-470.
Malaps explores some of the ways in which parents react to their childs gender
nonconformity. The bulk of this article consists of interventions based in a variety of
therapeutic modalities that are aimed at supporting the parents of prepubescent gender
nonconforming youth. Some interventions discussed include parental coaching and multifamily groups. Many of the interventions are accompanied by clinical vignettes.
Norwood, K. (2012). Transitioning meanings? Family members communicative strategies
surrounding transgender identity. Journal of Family Communication, 12, 75-92.
Norwood studied how family members communicate about their childs transgender
identity as well as the transition itself. Data for this study was collected from two online
support forums for family members and spouses/partners of transgender individuals. Data
analysis helped to identify three areas of dialectical struggle: Presence vs. Absence,
Sameness vs. Differences, and Self vs. Other. Norwood explores each of these areas indepth, providing qualitative examples from the forums. The first two areas of struggle
were identified as impacting family members of transgender children, particularly in their
experience of ambiguous loss. Norwood concludes by describing possible limitations as
well as directions for future research.
Norwood, K. (2013). Grieving gender: Trans-identities, transition, and ambiguous loss.
Communication Monographs, 80, 24-45.
Norwood attempts to identify the aspects of a sex/gender transition that lead to family
members struggling to make meaning. She also explores how struggles in meaning
making are connected to experiences of ambiguous loss, which can leave families feeling
that the transition is a sort of living death for their child. Norwoods literature review
explores the ways that a persons cultural understanding of the meaning of sex/gender can

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impact their response to transition. She also provides justification for her use of Rational
Dialectics Theory in her study. Norwood discusses the results of her interviews with 37
individuals who identified as family members of a transitioning person. Analysis of the
interviews led to the identification of four different ways in which the transition were
framed, each of which was supported by excerpts from the interviews.
Wahlig, J. L. (2014). Losing the child they thought they had: Therapeutic suggestions for an
ambiguous loss perspective with parents of a transgender child. Journal of GLBT Family
Studies, 22p.
In her paper, Wahlig explores experiences of grief and loss among parents of transgender
children who have started their transition. She asserts that the difficulties some parents
face as their child transitions may be a result of experiencing ambiguous loss. Wahlig
provides a review of often-used stages of grief framework for conceptualizing and
working with parents of transgender children and highlights some of the limitations of
this particular framework. She proposes the use of an alternative, existing framework,
grounded in work on ambiguous loss, to guide clinicians who are working with these
parents. She considers how the seven key assumptions of the ambiguous loss framework
can be applied specifically to this population. Wahlig concluded by offering suggestions
for how this framework can be applied in both research and practice.
Online Resources
Susans Place: Transgender Resources provides chat rooms, forums, news, articles, and more.
The Significant Others Talk forums is A place for support of the family (parents, siblings and/or
children) and intimate partners of trans* people.
http://www.susans.org/
Laurens Playground offers a page, Support for Significant Others and Family, that provides
links a chat room, community forums, books, and articles.
http://www.lauras-playground.com/support_index.htm
Local Resources
Perpetual Transition is a transgender support and social group. It is safe, confidential, and open
to transgender people of any variety. Parents have attended these meetings in the past and the
members have made an effort to connect them with the best people to support them in their
journey.
Meeting Time: Mondays from 7:00- 9:00 pm
Location: Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center (MGLCC) 892 S. Cooper St.,
Memphis, TN
Phone Number: 901.278.6422
Therapist Reference List
The MGLCC has compiled a list of local mental health professionals who have experience
provide counseling for trans individuals, their partners, and families.