In Episode 4, Casey and Grace welcome special guest, Paria Hassouri. One might say that she’s a “perfect” guest for this podcast, for two reasons:

1. Paria is a mother of three and a writer. Her amazing memoir, Found in Transition: A Mother’s Evolution During Her Child’s Gender Change, suggests — in part, anyway — why she is also, now, a transgender rights activist. Much of Episode 4 springs from her personal story, and it’s one that any parent of a transgender child will definitely want to learn more about. The vulnerability and honesty that’s so evident in her memoir is clearly on display throughout this episode.

2. Paria Hassouri is also a pediatrician. She practices at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, where she most recently started the Pediatric and Adolescent Gender Wellness Clinic. As such, she is uniquely qualified to speak about puberty blockers, hormone therapy (HRT), and fertility preservation — all of them, important topics related to transgender youth and the parents that love and care for them. Dr. Hassouri addresses all three subjects in an easy-to-understand way.

In sum, Episode 4 is touching and informative. Paria, Casey, and Grace, address a cross-section of mental + emotional + physical health themes that parents of transgender kids will find enormously helpful.

Is there a topic that you’d like OTB to consider for an upcoming episode? Reach out to us and let us know. And, you might want to subscribe to our newsletter to receive an inside track to offer input to Casey, Grace, and their guests.

Paria Hassouri, MD, graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1999 and completed her residency training at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in 2002. Her personal essays have been published in multiple sites, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and the Huffington Post, and she has presented stories on stage through Expressing Motherhood. A proud Iranian-American, she spent her formative years in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.