Hello BBB. Your question about what kind of therapyst can write scripts for hormones is a good one as I know many are confused about this issue. Many psychologist and psychiatrist can treat the problem equally as good and yes, there are those who specialize in Transsexualism and it is best to go with one of these if one is available, but sense many of the symptoms are common to many other "disorders" such as depression and self esteem, most can be of valuable help.
A psychologist is a person schooled in psychology but is not a doctor, rather they are a PHD for the most part and so are not allowed to perscribe any kind of medicine, rather they can only refer you to a medical doctor to obtain drugs used in HRT.
A Psychiatrist is an MD who specialises in psychology and so can write perscriptions for you directly. It is for this reason that a psychiatrist is generally better for the transsexual.
There are others who are educated in psychiatry who can treat mental problems but again can't write perscriptions. There are several catagories of these but I know almost nothing about them as I have always delt with either psychologists or psychiatrists, presently having 2 psychiatrists and a psychologist as I am addressing several deeply rooted problems aside from Transsexuality, each has a seperate job to do on me and I have been slow to address a couple of problems that developed out of being TS, but must be addressed in and of themselves.
As to addressing the problem of telling your family, this is something that has to be done if you have any plans in legitimately addressing the gener issue with things like HRT and RLT. It is not like you could do either without them catching on that something is different. You must have their cooperation if for nothing else, to pay for what you will need, If you can't do this, then you must wait till you are 18 before going ahead with anything in a realistic way.
Remember, you can not go to adult support groups as they would be running the risk of arrest for several things if they allowed you to spend time with them, especially if your parents didn't know about it. Also, places you can safely go to "dress" is highly limited and if hiding in some secret place to do it, there isn't much point in doing so anyway.
Whatever you do BBB, do so in a safe manner and feel out your parents and hopefully try to obtain thier understanding. If you are a GID individual, especially of the type that must go all the way, it is extreamly important that you have love and cooperation of those closest to you and as stated, you should try to obtain a psychiatrist.
If you get into therapy, quite especially with one who is experienced in Transsexualism, you must be very careful to answer all questions with the utmost honesty, resist any and all temptations to say things which "slant" toward transsexualism or try to influence them in favor of Transsexuallism. The more experienced they are, the more they have heard it all before and the quickest way to be denied HRT is for them to believe you are trying to influence thier judgement.
Take care triple B and don't dare go into anything you yourself are not willing to give up all relations, jobs, education and whatever for. It is not a game you can pause or restart. You go in for keeps or leave it alone, thats just the way it is.
Terri
