کار در لبه: درگیر شدن در کار درمانی با افراد جوان با توسعه هویت جنسیتی غیر معمول

Professionals working in a service for young people with Gender Identity Disorder (GID) often experience a particular type of pressure in the course of the work which makes thinking and decision-making very difficult. The paper suggests that an examination of the position of the professional and of the service, within the system may bring some relief and be a starting point to direct thinking and possibly action. The perceived position of the professional and of the Gender Identity Development Service within the wider organization of a psychotherapy and mental health trust is discussed. The paper makes reference to the model developed by Rom Harre et al. as described by Campbell and Groenbaek in their book Taking positions in the organisation. The position taken by the professional or the service is also explored as a possible re-enactment of the psychological dynamics of the young people with GID and their families. This view is based on Britton's paper on the re-enactment of individual and family dynamics in the professional network. A view is put forward that this dynamic leads the professional or the service to the risky position of “working at the edge”. The paper discusses processes which could facilitate the move from a position of being psychologically at an edge to the more secure position of being in the mainland. This involves exploration of the model of care and the relationship of the professional to the wider organization in which the service is located and to self-help organizations.