Paying For A Therapist: How to tell if they are worth it.

[Maddi]

I mean individually, not a over encompassing is it worth paying for treatment. lol

I have been calling lots of places that are "relatively" close to me. Most are an hour away. I picked the worst time to call, a Friday after noon so I missed a few of them but managed to catch some before they left for the weekend. Since a lot of you here have/had therapy and some from several therapists over the years I am curious as to how they work etc. A few questions I have lined out are:

1: First and for most the cost. Money is tight these days as we all know so this is a big deal.
2: Have they worked with GLBT people before, do they help with HRT, referals, etc.
3.How the schedule sessions/flexibility.

Is there anything else I should be asking them, perhaps something I have over looked? I tried therapy through my Indian Tribe but the person gave off a feeling that she was either against trans or extremely unfamiliar with it. There are very few independent ones around me and none say anything about work with transpeople. Another bad thing is for some strange reason, I am very uncomfortable talking to males about it and only one....ONE around here is female. lol

Well I am going back to asking google things about finding info on some around where I live. If anyone has anything to add such as things to ask when I call for information, searching tips, etc it's greatly appreciated. I think a good therapist can help me figure out if I should start hormones on because I am split even 50/50 on it. Thanks all!

[saint]

In the UK at least, therapists usually advertise which theoretical model they use - person centred, psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioural etc.  So if you know which style you think would suit you best then that could be something else to look for.

[Amazon D]

I personally wouldn't go to a therapist if i was poor.. If i did it would be when i was at the very end needing a letter for GRS.. but to each their own.. hey thats what i did.. bt that was 15 yrs ago and i also knew what i wanted to do no matter what any therapist might tell me..

If your unsure about HRT just take spiranolactone to block the T

[Maddi]

I've never heard of that, I'll google it after typing this but does it cause impotentcy? Honesty that's my biggest qualm because I want another child and there isn't a sperm bank anywhere near me. Plus, I do love my sex lol. :^P

[Jeneva]

Do you have insurance?  My therapist is covered by our insurance so I pay just the $25 copay.  Also some therapist work on a sliding scale where the less you make then the less it costs.

I also had reservations about a male therapist and I suspect we aren't the only members that felt that way.  After finding that most of the "listed" gender therapists in the area were no longer accepting gender patients, I used my local PFLAG list.  That way I knew she would be ok with LGBT in general.  In my initial paperwork I told her I was trans, but for the first 5-6 months I avoided that topic because I needed help with extended family/work stress and anxiety.  Once I got back on an even keel I asked her if she would be willing to work with me through transition and she agreed.

Please don't just jump blindly into DIY HRT.  If you aren't even familiar with the HRT medicines then you need to think about it a lot more.  Even though I did self medicate for a while, I spent months navel gazing to make sure that was what I truly needed to do before starting.  Not to mention that massive amount of research that one should do before even considering managing their own dosages.

Really your best bet is to find a therapist and once you are both sure it is time then let her find you an Endocrinologist.

The whole child aspect is another thing to consider since HRT will have you sterile in well under a year.

Please talk to a therapist before making any drastic decisions.

[Maddi]

I googled PFLAG after reading it in your post and there is a group in the same town there the therapists are, bout an hour away. I'll check through their lists too. I wouldn't self medicate, no matter what I do I overlook something and medicine is the last thing I want to mess up. But looking up spiro did give at least a basic understanding of it to be more informed.

[Ashley_C]

I found mine through the local gender center which is different from the LGBT center. I felt that was the best way to find a therapist that dealt with gender issues.

I had an initial meeting and felt comfortable enough to make a second meeting and then a third. There was no judgement and I do most of the talking.

[Jamie D]

I googled PFLAG after reading it in your post and there is a group in the same town there the therapists are, bout an hour away. I'll check through their lists too. I wouldn't self medicate, no matter what I do I overlook something and medicine is the last thing I want to mess up. But looking up spiro did give at least a basic understanding of it to be more informed.

Try the Psychology Today listings.  You can sort for LGBT specialists.

[Maddi]

Not meaning to necro post but a update.

I didn't see this till now, but I found Psychology Today on my own and found TONS of therapists/counselors/etc. Emailed a couple but only one got back to me. I have a limited savings to start up but I found one and after inquiring if she handled transgender patients she said she did and has a son that was female to male. It's kinda pricy for my budget but I'm going to try it. First visit is this upcoming Monday so I'm really excited and very nervous.

[Jamie D]

Not meaning to necro post but a update.

I didn't see this till now, but I found Psychology Today on my own and found TONS of therapists/counselors/etc. Emailed a couple but only one got back to me. I have a limited savings to start up but I found one and after inquiring if she handled transgender patients she said she did and has a son that was female to male. It's kinda pricy for my budget but I'm going to try it. First visit is this upcoming Monday so I'm really excited and very nervous.

I'm glad that helped.  It is just one resource.

Many therapists adopt a "sliding scale" depending on the circumstances of the client. It never hurts to discuss it.

Best of luck to you.