A paper written by Jo Pearce and published in the Journal of Child Psychotherapy traces the development of Yellow Door’s Gender Identity Service, our long‑running group psychotherapy programme designed to support teenagers experiencing gender‑related distress (GRD). The paper demonstrates that this type of group‑based support can play a valuable role in the wider care available to young people exploring or struggling with their gender identity.
The Gender Identity Service began as a collaboration between CAMHS and Yellow Door and has continued for 15 years in a community setting with funding from the NHS, local authorities, and charitable foundations. The therapy model has been shaped by psychoanalytic work, group analysis, mentalization‑based therapy, and art therapy. Importantly, it has evolved through close collaboration with the young people who take part, using trial, reflection, and shared learning to adapt sessions over time.
The number of adolescents seeking help for gender incongruence over the last 15 years has risen sharply, alongside significant changes in the types of young people we are seeing being referred. In response, the NHS commissioned the Cass Review, which concluded in 2024. The review found that high‑quality research in this area remains limited, and that services need a stronger understanding of young people’s backgrounds, needs, and the full range of possible treatment options.
Read the full article below:
Group psychotherapy for young people with gender-related distress
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