The social context surrounding gender diversity influences how individuals shape their
identity and experience the world. The increased prevalence of psychological distress in genderdiverse individuals is a concern, and this study focuses on the decisive protective factor of selfacceptance in an attempt to better understand how to mitigate adverse mental health outcomes
for this demographic. By engaging in qualitative, semi-structured interviews and an exploratory
qualitative approach, this research garnered rich data that reflected participants' perspectives and
experiences. Through thematic analysis, powerful themes emerged. These included the holistic
impact of mental health throughout one’s journey, the importance of connectedness and selfexpression and the need for authenticity in identity formation. The experience of self-acceptance
was found to have a significantly robust positive impact on participants' lives, mental health, and
overall well-being. This research contributed to deepening the understanding of gender-diverse
individuals' journeys to self-acceptance by learning from their lived experiences and stories.
