The Assessment and Treatment of Gender-Disturbed Boys by Guidance Counselors

This article discusses the guidance counselor's occasional involvement in the assessment and treatment of male children exhibiting gender disturbances. Boyhood gender disturbances are differentiated into two different but closely related syndromes: cross-gender identification and gender behavior disturbance. Specific diagnostic procedures and issues are discussed, among them the rationale for psychoeducational intervention. The article considers the developmental problems suffered by gender-disturbed boys and examines the relatively poor prognosis for untreated individuals. The text outlines specific treatment interventions to increase the child's range of masculine behaviors so there is a reasonable balance between masculine and feminine behavior. Reasonable sex-role flexibility and satisfaction with one's own biological sex status are the treatment goals.