Embracing God's Design: Addressing the Spiritual and Psychological Crisis Behind Transgender Identity

by Walt Heyer, Jennifer Bauwens

Addressing the spiritual and psychological crisis behind transgender identity with faith and understanding. This resource, crafted by Jennifer Bauwens and Walt Heyer, offers a compassionate guide for churches and communities seeking to understand the complexities of gender ideology. It explores the origins of the transgender movement and the psychological research used to support its practices. Discover how to prevent identity confusion and support those returning to God’s design for their lives. Understand the roots of gender ideology.Learn to support individuals and families.Find faith-based solutions for healing and restoration.
For church leaders, parents, and anyone seeking clarity on transgender issues from a Christian perspective, this is a must-read.

160 pages, Paperback

Published May 21, 2025

About the author

Walt Heyer is a detransistioned transgender author and speaker. His particular passion is for individuals experiencing sex-change regret.

Reviews

[Debbie Wentworth Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Embracing God's Design is a serious look at transgenderism, its roots, and its treatment. Authors Walt Heyer, a former trans identifier, and Dr. Jennifer Bauwens, a trauma therapist, combine their experiences to offer ideas on how to help those considering transsexualism. They trace the gender confusion of many to childhood trauma.

After suffering childhood physical abuse, Heyer lived several years as a transwoman but found himself in distress until coming to Christ enabled him to return to his biological identity. After a successful detransition, he began answering the questions of others trapped in transsexualism.

Dr. Bauwens' career started with suicide prevention and expanded to other areas of trauma. She and Heyer have found that those who are seriously considering transsexualism have usually undergone early childhood trauma, but that most professionals do not treat the trauma but instead direct them to sexual treatments.

The tone of the book is serious. The authors cite studies, work with trans-identifiers, and personal anecdotes. The concerns that so many young people are not being treated for trauma alarms me.

They include a glossary and two appendices in the back as well as notes.

[Lorinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The authors handle this hot potato issue with gentleness and Christ's love. It begins and ends with God's Word and encourging readers to look into his face as they seek to offer truth and healing for those who fell prey to the lie of transgenderism.

The book also provides parents and church leaders practical ideas on how to aid those who have rejected transgenderism and have chosen to embrace God's design on their long journey to wholeness.

[Michael K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was first introduced to Walt Heyer's story through Candace Owen. A heartwrenching story with respect to the urgent desire for people to gain a name for themselves, climb the medical ladder of success, etc. I had suspicions of such underhandedness, but his story was so much worse than that of general underhandedness and the evil of man. Embracing God's Design is a warning to all those out there whose children, friends, and neighbors are diagnosed with, or believe themselves to have Gender Dysphoria. The greatest thing you can take from this is that YOU cannot change your sex! Every sex change surgery is a failure! After all, they have not been enabled to change people's genetic makeup and DNA structure. People tend to have such dysphoria due to a traumatic occurrance in their youth or young adulthood. This is not a big book, by any means, but it is very powerful and full of information in order to arm people with the information and the right questions to ask. A definite MUST READ book for your repetoire.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, well- documented and footnoted. I think the book’s focus was on youth and adolescents. I was hoping for a greater focus on adults.