Joanna ~ Mother of three...

     I am the mother of a 4-year-old daughter who was born as my son. When my son was around 3 years old, he started telling me that she was a girl.

     I consider myself to be an open minded, accepting individual, and above all, love my children unconditionally. However, when I started to realize that what was happening with my child wasn’t “just a phase", I was terrified. I was uneducated, full of insecurity and doubt, and unprepared to face the reality ahead. I felt lost and alone. That was when a friend of mine referred me to Dr. Ann.

     I want to start by saying that I have a wonderful family who truly love my children. But they did not, or could not, see what I knew to be true in my heart. That our son, grandson, nephew, brother was, in fact, a girl. To be honest, at first I couldn’t see or accept the truth myself so how could I blame others for having doubts as well.

     I heard a lot of “It’s just a phase"; “He likes to wear dresses because he wants to be like his sister"; “Girl things are pretty and fun and that’s why he likes them"; “He’s too young. There is no way that he understands gender at his age”; “Be careful you don’t want to influence or encourage him"; “He never tells ME he wants to be a girl”.

    I listened to what they were saying, but what I heard from my son was, “Mom, I am a girl. I am not a boy, I am a girl"; “Mom, why do I have a penis? I am a girl"; “I am a girl"; “I am a girl"; “I AM A GIRL!" I cannot express how truly grateful I am that I found Dr. Ann when I did. My child was suffering from terrible anxiety. The tantrums were unbearable, and I felt hopeless. All I wanted was for my child to be safe and happy.

     Dr. Ann gave me the resources, knowledge, understanding and validation that I needed to grow and become the advocate that my daughter needs me to be. The time I have spent with Dr. Ann taught me that I should trust my heart and follow my daughter’s lead. I learned that supporting her is not influencing her, it is being a good mother. I learned that I am not alone and that there are many other mothers out there trying their best to get through an unexpected turn in their lives. I learned that I have a lot more to learn, but I am no longer scared to admit that. 

Most importantly are the changes that I have seen in my daughter. Because of the empowerment and knowledge that Dr. Ann has given me, my daughter is no longer afraid. She is comfortable calling herself a girl in public. She wears dresses to school and out into the world. She is incredible. The tantrums haven’t completely stopped (She is only four), but they are nowhere near the level of intensity or consistency that they used to be. I let go of my anxious, unhappy son and I gained a thriving, happy, beautiful daughter.

Dr. Ann also helped heal my family. With her guidance I was able to have the tough conversations that I never thought I could have. It turns out that if the love is there, all they really need is a little education, support, and time to see the truth that is right in front of them.