Yarhouse said he knows parents who are unwilling to use a cross-gender name because of their convictions but are able to agree with their child upon a gender-neutral nickname. “It’s a way to honor the relationship…but also [the parents’] convictions,” he said.
Pastors who encounter people managing their dysphoria in such ways are interacting with people living in “a plateau.”
“I don’t want young people to think that everybody’s using medical when most are not using medical,” Yarhouse said. “Most people find a plateau. And, you know, as a counselor, I can help you find a plateau. As a pastor, perhaps that’s a frame of reference you could use. How do I help this person find their plateau in the teachings of our church, our denomination’s teachings around these issues?”
Stetzer commented that the concept of the plateau is “one of the most helpful” pieces of advice Yarhouse had given, in part because it describes a “pastoral” approach that contrasts with simply trying to get people to stop having the problems they’re struggling with. Stetzer also noted that Yarhouse used the term “besetting,” which is “a biblical term with which we’re familiar.”
Watch the full interview with Dr. Mark Yarhouse below.
