Our First Parent & Carer Group: What We Learned, and Why We're Doing It Again
By Sarah Favier, Systemic Family Psychotherapist
Earlier this year we ran our first online Parent & Carer Group at Gender Plus, and I wanted to share a bit about how it went and why I'd encourage any parent or carer of a person accessing our services to think about joining the next one.
Why we started it
We know from research that family support is one of the biggest factors in positive mental health outcomes for trans+ young people. We'd also had a direct request from a parent asking for exactly this kind of space. So we started a group and seven parents signed up. They were from across the UK with trans and gender diverse sons and daughters, and we met once a month over a series of five sessions.
What we covered
We started with an introductory session where I asked everyone what they wanted from the group, the subsequent sessions were shaped around their feedback. People wanted to learn from each other, understand more about the overlap between autism and gender diversity, get to grips with the effects and practicalities of hormone treatment, and simply feel less alone in their situation by connecting with others.
From there we worked through gender affirming care and treatment options, gender diversity and neurodiversity, and we looked at how parents support themselves as well as their young people. We covered topics which included the effects of masculinising and feminising treatment and shared resources such as books, websites and bookshops.
One highlight was being joined by four trans+ guests, who made themselves available to answer questions directly. This honest and thoughtful exchange was significant and encouraging for the parents. The trans+ guests gave positive feedback too which is helping shape future groups.
How it went
Trust within the group was established within a clear working agreement. This contributed to people being able to share openly and ask each other questions. Several people chose to stay in touch after the group finished and I am due to catch up with them later in the year.
The feedback from the group was very useful. Parents told us (via anonymous surveys) that it helped them feel validated, less isolated, and reassured that other families were navigating the same uncertainty. One parent summed it up simply: there is no judgement, as everybody is in the same place. Another told us they'd gone in feeling apprehensive, but came away reassured that other parents out there had the same worries and hopes they did, and that it made them feel less alone. Several said they'd recommend it to anyone in a similar position. There were also thoughtful comments about how we can improve and ideas for the future.
Join the next group
Responding to this we have refined the programme and our second intake is now available to book.
Our next Parent & Carer Group starts in September with all sessions running from 6pm - 7.30pm. The dates are as follows:
9th September 2026
30th September
21st October
11th November
25th November
9th December
Sessions are held online and cost £49 per person, with the first session bookable on its own and the remaining five as a block. There are up to 10 spaces available.
If you're a parent or carer of a person currently accessing Gender Plus and looking for a space to connect with others on the same journey and ask the questions you haven't had anywhere else to ask, I'd love to see you there.
Email: info@genderplus.com for more details.
