First, He Was Adam, and Then, She Was Eve

ABSTRACT Trans* is an umbrella term that is used to describe people who identify with a gender that is different from their assigned sex at birth. There has been a marked increase in young people presenting to child and adolescent mental health services due to a lack of specialist gender clinics in the United Kingdom. This article describes a personal journey and discusses the challenges of supporting these youngsters and their families within a UK context. Trans* young people are at greater risk of experiencing mental health issues than their cisgender peers. To identify existing findings in research regarding comorbid mental health issues and coexisting problems facing young people who identify as transgender. To support C.H. in sharing her story and experience of treatment in child and adolescent mental health services. To look to the future while navigating a polarization of public and clinical opinion. One of the authors, C.H., identifies as transgender and will describe her personal experiences from child to adult and more recently drawing on the research she has conducted for her PhD, which also supports her experiences and focuses specifically on the development of her situational gender fluidity model. The narrative was developed using coproduction between CH and mental health professionals and a researcher. One of the authors supported CH during her adolescence in a Tier 4 inpatient CAMHS service. The paper concludes with some suggestions and implications for future practice such as the need to raise awareness of the issues facing young people and reduce the stigma, discrimination and isolation that has been described in the recent literature, highlighting how gender diverse support should be more inclusive and affirming to the individual.