In this podcast, now in its fourth year, therapists Stella O'Malley and Sasha Ayad take a deep dive into the psychological and cultural forces impacting the social changes around "gender." Through interviews with researchers, doctors, therapists, parents, detransitioners, and others, Sasha and Stella's podcast is a "must listen" for anyone trying to navigate the current gender landscape. With their sharp analytical minds and deep compassionate hearts, Stella and Sasha have also become known throughout many parent networks as lighthouses in the midst of some very stormy seas. Previous guests include Helen Joyce, Jesse Singal, Leor Sapir, Kathleen Stock, Jamie Reed, Peter Boghossian and more.
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This episode addresses a parent's urgent plea for guidance on de-affirming their 16-year-old daughter, who identifies as trans and is struggling with self-harm and introversion. The hosts explore how therapy and external influences, like a friend on hormones and trans support groups, can complicate parental connection. They offer strategic advice for rolling back affirmation, emphasizing the importance of radical family intervention and rebuilding positive relationships.
Alex Capo, LMHC, is the Executive Director at The Charlton School (TCS) in Burnt Hills, NY. Alex has over 25 years of clinical experience in working with children, adolescents and families in various clinical/therapeutic settings as well as schools. He has facilitated trainings for administrators, mental health professionals, teachers and students for over 10 years. He has been with TCS in various clinical and administrative positions for the past 20 years. In this episode, Alex describes his ex...
Sasha and Stella continue the conversation with Calvin Lunt by asking him “how do you talk about gender issues in real life?” Calvin shares how far he’s come in his ability to speak fearlessly about this issue, based on his own experience. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.widerlenspod.com
In this episode, Sasha and Stella welcome Calvin Lunt, whose life journey encompasses a remarkable exploration of identity, the challenges of addiction and recovery, and a commitment to personal growth and spiritual wellness. Growing up, Calvin was essentially a feminine gay boy, but never particularly gender dysphoric as a child. He became a dancer and later a drag queen. You’ll hear him share about the impact of his experiences as a mixed-raced kid from a working class family with a very chaot...
This episode addresses parents struggling with a nearly 16-year-old daughter who is immersed in gender identity issues, self-harm, and is demanding hormones. The hosts discuss the challenges of de-affirmation, proposing both extreme measures like changing environments and more moderate strategies. They emphasize the importance of re-establishing parental influence, finding supportive therapists, and shifting focus to the child's overall mental health and well-being.
Sasha Ayad and Stella O'Malley discuss their new book, co-authored with Lisa Marchiano, "When Kids Say They're Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parents." This comprehensive guide fills a critical gap by providing parents with strategies to encourage critical thinking, exercise caution regarding medical interventions, and prioritize developmental health. The authors detail the book's structure, which includes real-life stories, expert insights, and practical advice for families dealing with gender distress across all ages, covering topics from social contagion and queer theory to self-care and navigating schools.
BONUS EPISODE coming in hot! We’re changing things up a bit this time around, in a few ways actually. Consider this some special mid-week bonus content for our dedicated listeners and the many, many professionals following the gender paper trails. And not only is it a surprise extra conversation for the week, you’ll notice that our dear Stella O’Malley is flying solo without her charismatic co-host Sasha Ayad. Not to fear, Sasha will return for our regularly scheduled programming! Today, we’re b...
Episode 121 - Practical Advice for Managing Gender Identity in Schools with Dr. Kate Goonan In this episode, Sasha & Stella spend time with Dr. Kate Goonan, an advisory and advocacy specialist with Genspect. Together they discuss the importance of building a strong support system for young individuals experiencing gender dysphoria. Kate shares about her approach for navigating gender dysphoria compassionately, grounded in realism, and offers clear, practical advice to parents. Dr. Kate Goona...
This is a unique episode in that it features a conversation that was originally recorded back in 2022 with Dr. James Cantor. We intentionally decided not to release the episode at that time. You’ll hear Sasha and Stella introduce the conversation by sharing more about why they chose to withhold the episode for all this time and why they have opted to release it now, over a year after recording. Dr. Cantor is a clinical psychologist and sexual behaviour scientist. For the past 20 years, he has be...
Plus, BONUS -- Thoughtful, non-radicalized pushback around books in the U.S.? Curiosity reflecting on Stephanie Davies-Arai's remarks at the recent Genspect: The Bigger Picture Conference in Killarney, Ireland. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.widerlenspod.com
In this episode, Stella & Sasha explore the different kinds of ways people engage in the gender debates. You will hear them touch on the various kinds of characters and/or archetypes of people who imbed themselves deeply into the “gender world.” And you may also notice that there are many varieties of voices not referenced as well. Today’s episode takes shape a little differently than a typical Gender: A Wider Lens conversation in that they cover so many categories all at once, but at a very...
In this bonus conversation, Zhenya sheds some new light on the Christine Jorgensen story along with some eye-opening research and data from a man named Hamburger. Hamburger's paper can be accessed here: https://academic.oup.com/ejendo/artic... This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.widerlenspod.com...
In this episode, Sasha and Stella sit down with Zhenya Abbruzzese, a healthcare researcher, analyst, and the author of several widely read peer-reviewed publications about pediatric gender medicine. Zhenya Abbruzzese papers include “ The Myth of Reliable Research in Pediatric Gender Medicine ,” “ Reconsidering Informed Consent for Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults ,” and most recently, “ Current Concerns About Gender-Affirming Therapy in Adolescents .” She works with several healthcare org...
This episode is the first of several episodes dedicated to exploring what is happening with gender in schools and education systems. Schools are becoming more and more of a focus for parents and citizens who pay close attention to identity politics. In this episode, Stella and Sasha chat with Kate Parker, a high school educator and library director at a private school with over 16 years of service as an elected trustee to K-12 and community college boards of education. Kate recently stepped down...
In this episode, Sasha and Stella welcome guest, Dr. Mike Bailey, who recently published a paper with co-author, Suzanna Diaz about reports of ROGD kids. Their paper is important because it essentially corroborates Dr. Lisa Littman’s study from 2018. During the conversation, Dr. Bailey shares about the possibility that the paper could be retracted due to activist backlash. He also explores the findings of the paper with Sasha and Stella, as well as the complaints brought against it. They even di...
In this episode, Sasha & Stella chat with graduate student and Substack author Eliza Mondegreen, who is dedicated to the study of online trans and detrans communities. She also studies the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs underpinning affirmative care. The conversation with Eliza begins with a deep dive into what led to her intimate exploration of gender. She shares how her history with eating disorders, an early interest in the study of totalitarianism, advocacy work around women’s reprodu...
In the wake of such comprehensive exploration and analysis around the foundational medical research cited time and time again regarding child and adolescent gender transition, the Dutch Protocol, we extended an invitation to Dr. Stephen Levine and Dr. Julia Mason to join us in a discussion about their most recent paper, co-authored together with Zhenya Abbruzzese in a thorough critique of the Dutch Protocol. Dr. Stephen B. Levine is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve Univer...
Please note that GETA is now Therapy First. You can learn more here: https://www.therapyfirst.org/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.widerlenspod.com
Sasha and Stella are together in the same place! Joined by Lisa Marchiano, this live episode was recorded in Killarney, Ireland, and the Genspect Bigger Picture Conference on April 28, 2023. [22:20] Question from Helen Joyce [32:13] Question from Colin Wright [47:35] Question from Maya Forstater [51:50] Question Jessie Mannisto from Third Factor Magazine [57:00] Question from Lisa Selin Davis [1:00:10] Question from Malcolm Clark [1:01:30] Question from Laura Becker / Funk God Artist [1:05:38] Q...
Don't miss the attached resource sheet too! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.widerlenspod.com
In this episode, hear a personal first-hand whistleblower account of the harmful practices taking place inside an American gender clinic. Jamie Reed, a former Case Manager at the Washington University School of Medicine Pediatric Transgender Center at St Louis Children’s Hospital reflects on her experiences inside the clinic that ultimately lead to her profound decision to file for whistleblower protection from the Missouri Attorney General’s office to publicly express her concerns with the judg...
This episode addresses a parent's agonizing question about whether to keep a gender clinic appointment for their 17-year-old FTM non-binary child considering testosterone. The hosts caution against viewing testosterone as a "trial" due to its initial euphoric effects and highlight how gender clinics often lead down a medical pathway. They discuss the immense pressure on parents to set boundaries, counter the fantasy of clinicians providing dissuasive information, and emphasize the vital need for parental support amidst these complex decisions.
In honor of Helen Joyce’s keynote appearance at the 2023 Genspect Conference: The Bigger Picture, we wanted to revisit our conversation with her from 2021 shortly after the release of her book, Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality. So this episode is a replay of her prior appearance on our show. And now we find ourselves almost two years later from this recording and she continues her work around sex and gender. She recently announced her decision to leave her senior editorial role at the Economis...
