An Open Letter to Parents from A Truthful Therapist
Believe in yourself, because you have it in you
Dear Parents,
I don’t envy you. Being a parent now is not easy. We are living in unprecedented times. Children are bombarded with negative influences from so many different sources that we can’t even track them all. In the past, when you needed help, you may have consulted your family doctor, a teacher or a therapist. At the very least, you probably believed that these experts were out there for you if you ever needed guidance. But if you are reading this, you likely know by now that very few of these people can be trusted. You likely have figured out that these so-called experts, intentionally or not, may be working against your family’s best interest. You may feel confused, lost and doubtful of your abilities as a parent. How can you know what to do if there is so much conflicting advice out there? How can you go against the beliefs of a professional who has years of training and fancy letters behind their name? I’ll tell you how: because you are the parent of your child and you know and love your child better than anyone else.
I am here to remind the loving and decent parents out there that they are smart, intuitive, and know more than they often give themselves credit for. Our culture has given too much power to experts. It’s time for parents to remember that they are the best people to make decisions for their children and no expert will ever love a child the way their parents do.
Your children long for your leadership, guidance and wisdom. YOU have that. In this chaotic world, you are their anchor. You are the one they need to provide reason and stability when things get shaky. You were chosen to be the mom and dad of your kids, no one else was.
If you have doubts in yourself, that’s normal. However, remember that courage isn’t about being fearless, it’s about fighting for what you know is right, despite that fear. Your children need you to dig deep and believe in yourself. They need your stability; despite all of the challenges your family is facing. They need you to remember that you are the best person to make decisions for your child’s physical and emotional well-being.
I can’t tell you how to parent. All I can do is remind you that you can do it. I have spent countless hours giving parents ideas and information on what they could do when their child believes they are trans and other circumstances. However, in the end, you must figure out what will help your family. Look inside yourself and unearth the strength that you already have.
Tap those ruby red slippers because “You’ve always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.”
Warmly,
Pamela
Pamela Garfield-Jaeger is a licensed clinical social worker in California. She completed her MSW in 1999 from New York University. She has a variety of experience in schools, group homes, hospitals and community-based organizations as a clinician and supervisor. Pamela has dedicated herself to educate parents and embolden other mental health professionals to challenge the ideological capture of her profession. www.thetruthfultherapist.org.
Pamela is the author of the new book,"A Practical Response to Gender Distress" , available on Amazon.
Genspect's review of Pam's book
Thank you for the encouragement. You say, "if you are reading this, you likely know by now that very few of these people can be trusted. You likely have figured out that these so-called experts, intentionally or not, may be working against your family’s best interest." Yes, parents are devalued and demonzied from everywhere these days. Our spirits are breaking and our families are shattering.
Your vote of confidence in parents is much appreciated.
I'm not a parent, but I'm on your side. I wholeheartedly endorse and admire Ms. Garfield-Jaeger's courage and common sense. Philosophically speaking, I agree with her 100%.
But her analysis of the problem ignores the elephant in the room: the schools, which begin the process of indoctrinating children in trans ideology behind the parents' backs on Day One. Gender pseudo-science is entrenched in academia at all levels, and progressive politicians reinforce the ideology by accusing parents of bigotry if they don't accept the new paradigm that favors gender ideology over actual human biology. (I live in New York City, which has the largest public school system in the country. Right now a confrontation is looming regarding bathrooms and sports. All the progressive politicians in the City have lined up against -- you guessed it -- bigotry!)
The typical scenario is that parents, who are busy and haven't paid much attention to what's happened to the culture, are blindsided when their kid comes home from school and declares a new gender identity. Thus the downward spiral begins. The trans hegemony is total, from school administrators, to politicians at the local and state level, to therapists and doctors, to your friends who also have a trans kid and decided to go with the flow so their precious one won't commit suicide.
The threat-of-suicide myth was not mentioned in the article, and it ought to have been, in my opinion, because it's the most pervasive and potent piece of emotional blackmail used against parents. To be clear: NO. Your kid will not commit suicide if you don't allow them to transition. The suicides occur AFTER transition.
Which is not to ignore the fact that your child might have emotional issues. Whistleblower Jamie Reed, who worked at a gender clinic in Missouri, was astounded at how many of the youngsters who came to her clinic had serious mental problems unrelated to trans, problems that the therapists were not allowed to address because all roads led to the panacea, e.g., medicalization.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIphvC9Wl0U
The average family doesn't have the resources to home school. The question is, how to work around a system that willfully and intentionally has our children's worst interests at heart? It's of the utmost importance that parents trust and educate themselves, and be prepared for the battle of their lives in saving their kids from the mental institution that our culture has become.