I just wanted to follow up on this with my experience.
Right off the bat he guessed I was trans, which was really great because that meant right away, he knew why I was there. We got to know each other for the entire session (as what happens at the first one) He told me all about all the work he'd done with the Trans community (over 30 years of working with us) and dealing with rights and freedoms with them. He'd done such extensive work with the trans community (stuff I hadn't found in his bios online) I was amazed. He said that in an average year he saw 20 trans people. He told me his policy with HRT was I needed to see him for three months (but it varies of course from person to person).
When I was filling out those forms they give you, I came to the Physician part and he told me we'd leave it blank for now because chances are I needed a new physician (which I do, my physician doesn't know i'm trans and quite honestly I hate her) and he told me of this specific physician all his trans clients go too because this doctor is so great with the trans community. So I was THRILLED about that. He also has specific doctors for specific surgeries. Gave me quotes on how much the different surgeries would cost. Oh AND he gives these cards to trans who are FT that state your correct Gender and replace your ID (legally of course) and that I'd be able to use it in absolutely any situation where I was asked for identification. Which made me go, holy ->-bleeped-<- really? lol
Honestly i'm just a newbie, so I don't know if all this stuff is normal for a therapist but man was I amazed and impressed with him!
Not only the easy referrals for HRT but also the follow up once I started on it. He will give me voice therapy (which I never even had thought about, remember i'm a newbie with therapists and didn't know what all to expect). He's started working with me on behavior and mannerisms right off the bat (my first 'homework' assignment is to study men and their subtle behaviors). He's got a "Big Brother" system he's getting started where I would get to buddy up with a full transman and he'd teach me all there is to know while also providing support. He does family therapy to help them understand and appropriately deal with the trans family member. He was great even at the end of the session, when the time was up, he didn't 'shut off' we kept talking a bit more, he asked why my mom didn't go with me and I told him how I didn't really want her to come and then I mentioned that she didn't know i'd been wanting therapy, and we got into a discussion about not wanting my parents to know yet and we talked for like another ten minutes (no overtime fee or anything) it was just great, what a great guy. I liked talking with him so much we have an appointment next friday now. I've got the homework to write down all the behaviors I can observe of what men do that makes them men. I'm supposed to begin to adopt some stances, and write a biography about myself.
Oh and when I mentioned how I wanted to go slow and make sure that this was right for me he asked me what is right? and said that if it was one thing he'd learned from working with the trans community for 30+ years it was that the road we take is a wide one and what's right for others may not be right for me and that's ok, that we'd make a path that worked for me and me alone.
It was great talking to him and I look forward to next Friday.
I hope everyones first therapy lesson can go as great as mine did.
