We are pleased to have a special guest speaker at WGA’s weekly support group meeting this week. Dr. Julia Sadusky coauthored the book Emerging Gender Identities: Understanding the Diverse Experiences of Today’s Youth, along with Dr. Mark Yarhouse. She will be discussing her new book with us, as well as talking about mental health issues and loneliness.
The book seeks to offer understanding for some of the complexities that surround gender identity and the different ways people are experiencing it. From the preface, the text sets the stage that this is a book for Christians who are seeking to engage both the conversations about gender identity and actually being in relationship with someone who is questioning or making decisions about their gender identity. There are also quite a few “sidebars” in the book that are specific to parents who are wondering how to proceed with their child.
From the Book Description:
“This book offers a measured Christian response to the diverse gender identities that are being embraced by an increasing number of adolescents. Mark Yarhouse and Julia Sadusky offer an honest, scientifically informed, compassionate, and nuanced treatment for all readers who care about or work with gender-diverse youth: pastors, church leaders, parents, family members, youth workers, and counselors.
Yarhouse and Sadusky help readers distinguish between current mental health concerns, such as gender dysphoria, and the emerging gender identities that some young people turn to for a sense of identity and community. Based on the authors’ significant clinical and ministry experience, this book casts a vision for practically engaging and ministering to teens navigating diverse gender-identity concerns. It also equips readers to critically engage gender theory based on a Christian view of sex and gender.”
If you have questions about gender identity, as a parent, a leader, or an individual, this is a great resource to dive into for how to approach the topic. As always, if you need someone to talk with or a group to process your questions, feel free to contact our office. We would love to engage in the conversation with you.
Roger Jones
Executive Director
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