Gender Identity and Mental Health

Text written by: Merima Bešlija, psychotherapist

In recent years we have been talking more and more about gender identity, but behind professional terms and social debates it is important not to lose sight of what matters most: the human experience.

Gender identity is our inner experience of ourselves and an important part of personal identity. For some people there is harmony between their inner sense of identity and the sex assigned to them at birth, while for others this relationship can be more complex and accompanied by many questions, dilemmas and emotional challenges.

People who are questioning their gender identity often face feelings of confusion, loneliness, fear of rejection, or of not being understood by those around them. They frequently carry the weight of expectations from family, social norms and their own inner conflicts. That is precisely why many need a safe space where they can speak openly about their experiences, without fear of judgment or of having conclusions imposed on them.

In psychotherapeutic work, the goal is not to determine who a person is or to make decisions on their behalf. The role of the therapist is to provide support in the process of self-understanding, exploring one's own feelings and needs, and strengthening the capacity to make decisions that are in line with one's own values and authentic sense of self.

It is important to emphasize that difference in itself is not a problem. What often creates suffering are experiences of rejection, stigmatization, non-acceptance, or the feeling that a person has no space in which they can simply be who they are.

When people feel heard, accepted and respected, they more easily develop a healthy relationship with themselves and with others. That is why it is the task of all of us (parents, teachers, mental health professionals and society as a whole) to build an environment in which identity can be discussed with respect, openness and understanding.

In my therapeutic work I repeatedly encounter the fact that suffering most often arises not from who we are, but from not having space to be who we are. That is why I believe the task of psychotherapy is to provide a safe place for exploring identity, feelings and life choices, while respecting the unique experience of each person.