Mental Health Support for Transgender Youth with Aydin Olson-Kennedy

Going through his transition in a rural area of Northern California was tough and lonely for Aydin. Although he assumes there were other trans people in the area, he never got in touch with them. On the other hand, he would drive three and a half hours each way to see a gender specialist on weekends. These difficulties created a strong desire in him to increase accessibility to mental health services for transgender people, which he considers crucial. This marked the beginning of a journey of advocating for the transgender community and supporting them as a counselor, trainer, and educator.

Aydin Olson-Kennedy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the former Executive Director of the Los Angeles Gender Center. In his practice, Aydin has been serving teenagers and adult transgender and nonbinary individuals and their families for over ten years. He is considered a national expert, and he has trained thousands of professionals and families in the US and is a dedicated volunteer professional for the Los Angeles based support group Transforming Family, which Bridget is a parent volunteer for.

In this episode, we had an enlightening conversation where Aydin shared his transition journey, and the difficulties he faced before and after coming out as a transgender man. We discussed important recommendations for how parents can support and communicate effectively with their transgender and nonbinary children. We explored misgendering people: why it happens and tips for parents, caregivers, and others to prevent it. Aydin also offered some poignant insights on the damage that can be caused by parents expressing their own distress with their kids, and much more.

Some Questions We Ask:

• Often, you are doing a lot of work to convince cis people to accept trans people. What is that like for you on a personal level emotionally? (7:47)
• What are some of the top things you can say to parents whose kids just came out as transgender? (17:50)
• How would you say that the desire to have control over your kid plays into accepting their transition? (22:47)
• How do you help people avoid misgendering? Because it can be so triggering and painful to be misgendered. (43:03)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• A bit of Aydin's journey into becoming a therapist for the LGBTQ community and an expert in the field (5:35)
• Three things Aydin pays careful attention to in order to be sure he is not harming the parents or the transgender and nonbinary young people he serves (13:12)
• Coming out is an invitation to people into a private space (19:09)
• One of the main reasons why misgendering occurs (42:57)
• The fear of some parents and caregivers about conversations about gender turning into the only topic of discussion (50:44)

Connect with Aydin:

• LinkedIn
• Aydin’s bio on the Los Angeles Gender Center website & link to email him

Connect with Jackie and Bridget:

• Instagram
• Website
• How to Be a True Ally Course Registration

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