Plain language summary

Transgender people experience more trauma than the general population. There are different ideas about the relationship between trauma and trans identities. Some think trauma can cause trans identities. Some trans people find this view point harmful and dismissive. Because trans people have high levels of trauma, this study looked at how trans young people found the conversations they've have about trauma with professionals. Six interviews about this topic were held with young trans people who were being seen by the Gender Identity Development Service. This study found that all of these young people had thought about the link between trauma and their trans identity. Some wanted to explore this with professionals. Others were scared of talking to professionals about this. All thought these conversations had had a significant impact on them. For some, talking about their trauma with professionals made a big positive difference to their life. For others, these conversations were upsetting and had features that were similar to trauma experiences. The relationships with the professionals seemed to be important in how people found these conversations. Other factors that affected it included people's previous experiences with services and the way trans people can be treated negatively by wider society. The authors suggest that trauma-informed practices, which are gaining popularity in other areas of clinical practice, should be applied to working with this population. Professionals should be aware these conversations can be harmful as well as positive. Professionals should be are clear about why they are asking about trauma, and what the effects of these conversations might be. This will help people have informed choice about whether or not they want to have these conversations. Professionals should also remember that young people come to services with other experiences that may impact how they find these conversations.