has anyone wonder if therapist might be a little too enthus.( TRIGGER WARNING)

[Ms Grace]

Mine wanted to be sure I was sure about what I wanted. My first visit to him was about my dysphoria melt down but from that point on I was pretty sure I wanted to try retransition, a certainty that increased with each visit. He was concerned (justifiably) that I viewed my initial attempt at transition as a disaster and didn't want me going back down the same path. I became a bit frustrated feeling he was holding me back and he even sent me to another psych for a second opinion before referring me to an endo. He is supportive but I would call him far from enthusiastic... but to be honest I think I prefer that. He can see things are working out well for me, it was probably worth the mere extra six weeks of waiting as it gave me the incentive to seek out other avenues of support and information (the Sydney Gender Center and online forums).

[Brenda E]

HRT is the perfect solution for me and I am very happy. The thing is has it ever happened that you start wondering why someone is so encouraging about your transition, like its too good to be true, like shouldn't there be some bumps in the road in regards to a therapist being so affirmative. I'll never turn back I was just thinking given the nature of the idea of changing gender you would expect more questioning.

This has been my overriding thought throughout my transition so far.  I went in to therapy a while ago as a complete mess.  The therapist (who is very experienced in trans issues) never really tried to figure out if I was really trans or not.  It's like she knew, right from the start, that this is what we were dealing with.  At the time, I was the one who was throwing up roadblocks and trying to figure out if I was anything other than trans.  After a few sessions, she was the one who brought up going to see the endo and getting on at least low dose HRT.

An experienced therapist can spot us a mile off.  And an experienced therapist kinda knows what we need to do to help ourselves.  They see the pain we're in, and they know that getting on some kind of HRT is exactly what'll relive some of the symptoms.  It's also a great diagnostic tool: if HRT makes you feel better, you're pretty much solid gold trans, no matter how much you kick and scream that you're not!

Think of it like any other medical issue.  Your ankle hurts after a fall, so you go to the doctor.  He's not going to sit there and screw around all day wondering whether it's maybe a broken wrist or appendicitis, nor is he going to be too concerned about why you fell down in the first place and want to spend a week exploring how you feel about stairs.  He sees a broken ankle, he treats a broken ankle.

I (now) see gender identity disorder as a medical issue.  It's one that can be treated very easily with HRT.  Once on HRT, it's up to us how far we want to take it, but once that diagnosis is made, the treatment is pretty much cut and dried: go see an endo, take hormones, you'll feel better; then we can talk about how to integrate your gender issues into your life now that you're mentally more stable.

So yes, those first steps can seem rushed and the therapist can sometimes seem like he or she is pushing you faster than you want to go, but I think (with an experienced gender therapist) it's because they can quickly see that you're trans, and as such, getting you to take the drugs that will alleviate your suffering is a matter of some urgency.  A good, experienced therapist has seen this a million times before, and they know the one treatment that works.

You said it yourself:

HRT is the perfect solution for me and I am very happy.

There you go.  HRT is the perfect solution.  It is for the vast majority of us, and that's why good therapists will recognize that you're trans very quickly and get you on the meds asap.  Then you can step back with a clear mind and start to slow down and explore the mental side of what's happened to you.

Now that you're on the HRT, you can step back and start to slow down.  This is the time for reflection on your past, your relationships, how to come to terms with being trans etc.  But the HRT should make those kinds of questions far easier to answer.

[JoanneB]

My therapist has no opportunity to place any speed bumps, I do a pretty good job of it myself. My big issue are the "WTF am I doing???" meltdowns which come as things in life seem going too well. Like.... I want a miserable unhappy life or something?

She does an excellent job of "Reality Therapy", reminding me of all the positive things happening thanks my path along the road of self discovery. Perhaps you can call this being enthusiastic? Many times I wish she would challenge me more, yet one of my big mantras is "I know what does not work"; after having spent 50 years trying that route with little success.

After 50 years of arguably a successful male life, transitioning full time does scare the crap out of me. After 6 years of arguably a success transitioning, HRT, part-time, achieving my life long dream of being seen as and accepted as a woman, transitioning full time scares the crap out of me. I am a point of self acceptance now that I can actually look back at my life and think it has been good, I am a somebody. Which then leads to do I really have to upset it all? Full-time can come at a great cost, too many unknowns. Is it worth it?

Or is it just a rehash of the same excuses I used to validate stopping my transitioning experiments when I was in my 20's? Another good reason for me to keep seeing her