
Sara Stockton, USA
“When I was doing assessments in the early 2000s, the children understood they were never going to be the opposite sex, and I think that distinction was significant. Now it seems the belief is magical, as if the patient thinks, ‘I'll be a male because I said it.’ One of the things that I can't assess as easily now is: do they know the implications to what they're doing?”
Sara Stockton is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), lecturer, researcher, presenter, and clinical supervisor of a psychotherapy practice in central New York. Ms. Stockton spent the first part of her career as a clinician treating and advocating on behalf of youth and families surrounding issues with gender. She started working in the field of gender in 2008, has treated hundreds of families, and also wrote many of the first letters that were used to approve gender transition surgeries on minors. In 2013, she co-authored and published one of the first mental health assessments in the US utilized to assess youth readiness for medical treatment and gender transition.
In 2022, she was interviewed for the groundbreaking documentary, “What is a Woman," where she decided to speak out about her professional journey, her moments of doubt and realizations, and her decision to raise awareness about the challenges and potential pitfalls in gender-affirming care. She continues to speak out about the complexities clinicians face in the field and the need for more professionals to share their experiences and concerns openly.
Sara’s story has also been covered by numerous podcasts including: Gender: A Wider Lens and Dr. Jordan’s Peterson’s podcast. She continues to speak out advocating for best practices for serving this community.
Sara seeks to support other whistleblowers from the gender industry.