Biological Factors Contributing to Gender Diversity
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Authors
Smolley, Kris
Issue Date
2025
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
gender diversity , transgender , neurodevelopment , gendered neurological differentiation , prenatal development , biological factors , counselling psychology , gender-affirming care , neurodevelopmental theory , biological psychoeducation , microglia
Alternative Title
Abstract
Gender diverse individuals face elevated risks of stigma, discrimination, and mental health concerns, while counselling psychology continues to lack a unified, biologically informed framework to guide affirming practice. This capstone addresses the research question: Which biological factors contribute to gender diversity, and how can synthesis of this knowledge support affirming, evidence-based counselling practice? This capstone employs an integrative literature review to synthesize biological and neurodevelopmental research relevant to gender diversity, drawing on 27 peer-reviewed articles published between 2005 and 2024. Through inductive synthesis guided by neurodevelopmental theory, recurring molecular, cellular, and developmental mechanisms became apparent, allowing the review to trace how interacting biological systems shape gendered outcomes during prenatal development. Findings demonstrate that brain and body follow partially distinct developmental timelines and that multiple, interacting molecular systems support a spectrum of gendered outcomes rather than a fixed binary. This paper will translate this synthesis into counselling applications by linking biological knowledge with case conceptualization, psychoeducation, advocacy, and supervision, and by proposing the Neurodevelopmental Approach to Gender Affirmation (NAGA) as an applied extension of existing gender affirming models.
NAGA organizes practice around three core tasks: exploration, validation, and integration of biological narratives in ways that remain client-led, culturally responsive, and ethically grounded. The capstone concludes with recommendations for future research, and highlights implications for training, ethical practice, and policy. Overall, this literature analysis paper positions gender diversity as a natural expression of human neurodevelopment and offers counsellors biologically informed tools to support affirming, evidence-based care.
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Citation
Publisher
License
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States
openAccess
openAccess