Adolescent Gender Affirming Medical & Behavioral Healthcare

This book is out of production and will be available from

Amazon after Labor Day 2026

Audio excerpts of this text will be found on the

Audio Page of this Website!

Adolescent Gender Affirming Medical and Behavioral Healthcare

FOREWORD by Dr. Christine Hartigan

It has been one of the highlights of my professional career to collaborate with Dr. Diana Sorrentino over the past several years. I have had the honor of being a frequent guest on her educational pod cast series, as well as jointly presenting continuing education seminars. Dr. Sorrentino is an extraordinary resource, offering a wealth of knowledge on gender-diverse and transgender experiences from both academic and personal perspectives. Her first book, Transgender Families: Helping Parents and Families Understand Gender Diversity and Being Transgender, illuminated the impact of gender affirmation on the family system and provided insights on how families can best support transgender loved ones.

Dr. Sorrentino is deeply passionate about providing others with accurate and timely information, which is so needed in an era where myths, hyperbole, pathological assumptions, misinformation, and disinformation on transgender-affirming care are rampant. As an affirmed woman herself, Dr. Sorrentino embodies the importance of elevating the voices and works of those with lived experience. Adolescent Gender-Affirming Medical and Behavioral Healthcare delivers clear, accurate, and evidence-based information on the pro vision of gender-affirming care to adolescents. Dr. Sorrentino guides the reader through contextualizing gender diversity and care within a historical framework, offering readers a macro-level understanding of the institutions and social structures influencing adolescent trans gender-affirming care. She provides a deep dive into several topics impacting gender-diverse and transgender adolescents.

Professionals in the medical and behavioral health fields will find this work particularly valuable as it applies concepts from developmental psychology and neurobiology to clinical practice. Additionally, this book is a Medical and Behavioral Healthcare essential resource for members of the gender-diverse and transgender community, and their loved ones, helping them to navigate the affirmation process and better support adolescents during this critical stage of their lives. This book is one of the most comprehensive works I have encountered on adolescent gender-affirming care. Its importance cannot be overstated.

The healthcare field has long needed information like this, and this book ensures that today’s adolescents will have providers who are fully equipped to support their gender journeys. Dr. Sorrentino often shares about her own experiences of gender incongruence during a time when resources like this were scarce or inaccessible. Through my own clinical work, I have heard similar stories from clients who transitioned later in life, many of whom express deep regret over the lack of support and knowledge available when they were younger. Their stories highlight the grief and dis tress caused by the absence of gender-affirming care in their youth. I believe that if the knowledge in this book had been available to them, their journeys could have been profoundly different. My own studies regarding the provision of gender-affirming care began after my formal education ended. Over the past decade, I have sought out continuing education and peer consultation to bridge the gap in my knowledge.

Surveys consistently show that graduate programs lack sufficient focus on gender diversity and gender-affirming care. Fortunately, this is beginning to change, and my hope is that this book will become a core resource for professionals in training. It is an important tool for anyone seeking to fill gaps in their understanding of gender-affirming care. Every time I interact with Dr. Sorrentino, I walk away with new invaluable insights that enhance my clinical practice. She is an unwavering advocate for education and is a tremendous asset to the field. I have come to think of her as a walking library, and I am continually impressed with the depth of her reading and study. She has dedicated countless hours to researching gender diversity and gender-affirming medical and behavioral healthcare. This book is a culmination of the knowledge she has gathered through her podcast preparation, seminars, and years of study. Readers will gain an unparalleled breadth and depth of understanding. A quick glance at the table of contents reveals the vast scope of information covered in this book. By the end, you’ll be better equipped to offer well-informed, appropriate support to the adolescents in your care.

One of the most challenging aspects of working with gender-diverse and transgender adolescents is providing the necessary information to guide and educate parents and caregivers. This book will be an invaluable tool for helping parents and caregivers become more knowledgeable and supportive of their adolescent children. I highly recommend this book to anyone in the medical or behavioral health fields, as well as to parents and caregivers seeking a thorough understanding of the experiences of their adolescent loved ones. I encourage you to dive into Adolescent Gender-Affirming Medical and Behavioral Healthcare with a commitment to learning. Whether you are a healthcare professional, educator, or looking to better understand the experiences of gender-diverse and transgender adolescents, this book will offer invaluable insights that can transform your approach to care and support.

Dr. Sorrentino’s comprehensive research, personal and professional expertise, and thoughtful guidance make this work an essential resource in an era where informed and compassionate care is more critical than ever. By reading this book, you will not only expand your knowledge but also be better equipped to make a meaningful and positive impact in the lives of gender-diverse and transgender adolescents. Take the opportunity to engage with this important work. It is a step toward building a more inclusive, informed, and supportive world for transgender youth.

Dr. Christine Hartigan, PsyD, CAADC

H and L Psychological Services, LLC

Allentown, Pennsylvania 18103

This book, encompassing 810 pages, addresses the following areas:

An Extensive Bibliography

Definitions & Terminology

Resources & Websites

Listing of Specialized Gender Clinics

I am pleased to report that my book will be available in

paperback, as well as an eBook!

Thankyou;

Dr. Diana Sorrentino, Ph.D.

Social-Psychology - Behavioral Analyst

www.paradoxesofgender.com