No one plans for having a transgender kid. Camp Wild Heart is your guide for raising a transgender or non-binary child and nurturing an affirming family. We help you ease your fear and navigate your confusion. Mackenzie Dunham, clinical social worker and co-founder of Wild Heart Society, talks with parents, experts, and transgender adults about the ins and outs of coping with internalized transphobia, fostering shame resilience, exploring medical transition for youth, understanding identity development, knowing what language to use when, and more. Camp Wild Heart is full of people just like you who are lost and searching, brave and afraid, and trying best to do right by their children. You’ll cry--but never alone… and you’ll also laugh, really hard. Welcome.
09. Be Open, Be Curious: A Trans Family's Growth Story
When parents bring their kids to see us at Wildheart Society, sometimes they show up scared. Scared of what this means for their kid, of what it means for their relationship, and underneath it, really they’re afraid of change.Most people have a hard time with change; so I get it. But what I like to remind parents is that their child has chosen to invite them in as they are living as their most authentic self. They didn’t have to share this with their parents because they are their own autonomous humans, which sometimes we forget as parents.And I also want parents to know that gender affirming care can not only radically change their child’s life in all the best ways, but it can bring parents and families closer.My guests today are parents Jennifer and Jeff, and their story is an amazing illustration of how supporting their son, Ben, in being his authentic self became a bonding experience for their whole family.Check out the full episode to hear about:* What surprised Jennifer and Jeff as expectations met reality after their son came out as trans* Why it was key that they held onto a holistic view of their trans, neurodivergent teenager* How having a trans child forced Jennifer and Jeff to confront their privilege and navigate new fears for Ben’s safety and wellbeing* How parenting Ben has made Jennifer and Jess more patient, more curious, and better communicators* Why not having access to gender affirming care would not only have harmed Ben, but taken a toll on their marriage and their whole family* How gender affirming care gave Ben the confidence to join the rowing team, and what all kids can gain from being able to participate in sports* Why parents of trans kids need safe spaces of their own to ask questionsFind out more about Mackenzie Dunham:* Wildheartsociety.org (https://www.wildheartsociety.org/)* wildheartsociety.org/downloads (https://www.wildheartsociety.org/downloads)* Wild Heart Society on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/wildheartsociety)* Wild Heart Society on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/wild.heart.society/)Resources:* Wild Heart Society Merch! (https://www.wildheartsociety.org/shop)* Donate to the Queer Community Network (https://www.queerpnw.org/)
29 Jul 2025
08. Healing to Support a Trans Daughter: Shannon's Story
In today’s episode, we have a parent story from mom, Shannon. Shannon comes from conservative roots and is mom to three boys and a trans daughter. Our conversation follows her journey of doing her own healing work so that she could be the kind of mom she really wanted and needed to be for her daughter.I’m so grateful she agreed to share her story with us about how important it is to be brave and how critical your work as parents is to supporting your kids.Check out the full episode to hear about:* How Shannon’s daughter challenged her identity as a “boy mom” from an early age* How accepting that she didn’t need to understand why her daughter was trans, just that she is, changed the game* How Shannon’s trauma around what it means to be a girl impacted her daughter as she transitioned* The difficult choices Shannon made to give herself space to heal and how they affected her relationship with her daughter* Why Shannon needed to learn self-compassion and generosity in order to repair her relationship with her kidFind out more about Mackenzie Dunham:* Wildheartsociety.org (https://www.wildheartsociety.org/)* wildheartsociety.org/downloads (https://www.wildheartsociety.org/downloads)* Wild Heart Society on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/wildheartsociety)* Wild Heart Society on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/wild.heart.society/)Resources:* Wild Heart Society Merch! (https://www.wildheartsociety.org/shop)* Donate to the Queer Community Network (https://www.queerpnw.org/)
1 Jul 2025
07. What Keeps Me Hopeful: Being Active for Trans Kids with Jessica Lahey
Jessica Lahey discusses supporting children through failure and building resilience, particularly in the context of parenting a trans child, while Mackenzie Dunham interviews her about her experiences and insights.
Who has been a guest on Camp Wild Heart
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Jessica Lahey
Kristin Key
Sol Smith
Flint Del Sol
Mitch
Reach and audience
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Apple Podcasts (US)
4.9 / 5
90 ratings
Spotify
4.9 / 5
50 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 49 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
71
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
67
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