לשאת את המורכבות: חוויות ודילמות של מטפלות ומטפלים בעבודה עם מתבגרים ומתבגרות מגווני מגדר

Background: In recent years, an increasing number of gender-diverse adolescents have been seeking mental health care. As part of this process, many are required to obtain a recommendation from a mental health professional in order to access medical gender-affirming treatments, a requirement that places clinicians in a particularly sensitive and complex position of responsibility. Aims: This study seeks to identify, analyze, and conceptualize the experiences of therapists working with gender-diverse adolescents. It examines how they construct their professional perspectives and understandings alongside the clinical practices they apply in their work.Methods: Using a qualitative-constructivist approach, 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted with mental health professionals (psychologists,psychiatrists, and social workers) who have treated gender-diverse adolescents.Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data inductively, identifying key themes and patterns. Findings: Three core themes emerged: the therapeutic space as a setting for exploration, uncertainty, and integration; the encounter between the adolescent’s internal world and external structures, including institutions, language, and social power; and the triangular relationship among adolescent, parent, and therapist.Conclusions and practical implications: The study suggests that there is a core triangular relationship among the therapist, adolescent, and parent, which requires a sensitive emotional-systemic dialogue. The findings point to a shift from a triangle of power relations to a triangle of connection, recognizing the subjectivity of each party involved. The conclusions highlight the need for awareness of power dynamics, active involvement of parents in the process, and the development of a respectful and containing therapeutic dialogue.