how long were you in therapy before starting HRT?

[Melizza]

Three months, my therapist said they have a way to know this based in the talks with the patient, she said that most of her patients take 6 months therapy before she approves the HRT.

[AnonyMs]

One year, and that was entirely my choice.

[Sheala]

thats an interesting question. I prefered to take it a little slower. I started at a clinic that fallowed informed concent and was willing to send my to an endo right then. I chose not to, and took my time even at that it was only 3 monts.

[Brenda E]

Glad to read that those who took longer than a couple of months did so voluntarily and not because of gatekeeping.  Slow is often good during transition, but only if the pace is determined by the patient and not the therapist.

[AnonyMs]

Glad to read that those who took longer than a couple of months did so voluntarily and not because of gatekeeping.  Slow is often good during transition, but only if the pace is determined by the patient and not the therapist.

My answer is a bit misleading in this respect. I didn't want to be diagnosed with a mental disorder so I skipped that bit. I've no idea if there's any gate keeping. It was a while ago and things (the DSM) have changed since then so none of that matters anymore.

[Jenny07]

5 weeks for me from the initial consultation to getting the script for E.

Though it did take 10 months to get up the courage to make the appointment and speak up.
Now that was the hardest part doing something that had crippled me for so so long.

Still it took me a couple of days to fill the script but the first one was memorable.

[Rachel]

The place I go to is informed consent. I had to go to therapy and after 3 months was allowed to schedule an appointment ( 1 month wait). I was not in a healthy frame of mind when I did intake to schedule an appointment for hormones.

[Lauren1]

I went the informed consent route, during the process of therapy. My doctor, while starting me on HRT, was very insistent on getting a letter on file. So I wrapped up therapy. Five sessions. Also my therapist was god awful.

[LJP]

Thx for all the info. I guess I was confused. I have seen my therapist for a few years , but decided I wanted to transition Jan. of this year. She offered to write my letter a few months ago. I was trying to drop more weight before I started. A week ago I visited the only doctor I know of that's trans frndly. It was odd to say the least. He indicated that it was too soon for me to start therapy. So I was confused and when asked he was vague on time,weight,ect. Thx again for all the info and advice.

[Ltl89]

I've been in therapy for over a year, but I got my letter very early on.  It was less than a full month when I got my letter.  When I went in with my therapist, I was determined to start and had no concerns or issues about starting the process.  Even though I've been in therapy for some time and my transition is going on for a bit, I'ven been greatful that my therapist has allowed me to do everything on my terms and at the speed that I'm comfortable with.  She respects that I can make my own decisions ad only serves to help guide me through the consequences of them and my fears that hold me back. 

[bluebirdx88]

Well, maybe it took considerably longer in my experience due to the country I live in and the fact that only one endo in the whole public health care system for this topic to cover the vast majority of the country.

It was just around September when I was 23 that I saw him for the first time... I'd been 24/7 since about a year and a half before the first apointment.. (It took a while to get the opportunity to see him as I wasn't insured at the time (only if you pay taxes do you get public health insurance and due to the economical crisis jobs weren't exactly galore..) Four days before my 26th birthday at the begining of August did I get prescribed Progynova and Androcur... So.. Yup, 3 years give or take a month.


If you're curious as for the future... It's 2 years on HRT to be allowed to be put on waiting list for operations (any and all of them) plus another year in the list... A year after SRS you are alowed to change your name legally...  However sex on passport and ID cards / driving licence aren't allowed.

[Megumi]

I was in therapy for a little over 2 months before my therapist gave me the ok to start HRT after I insisted I was ready. Still in therapy nearly a year later but I've only been seeing the therapist once a month or so for a while now.

[Tessa James]

Perhaps because I waited so very long I was "out" the next week after accepting myself as trans.  I concurrently did therapy for 3 months prior to going on HRT but would have opted for informed consent if it had been an option in my local area.

I think therapy can be therapeutic but not always and had some past experiences that were no help at all.  That was the case when I first tried to figure myself out with a psychologists help.  It was back in the early 80s and maybe trans just wasn't on many radars but he insisted i was simply a "gay bottom" and confused my behavior with identity issues.  I was and continue to be Bi but the deeper issues were being transgender.

I recently met a new therapist in our rural area and it is a delight to recognize how much better the training and understanding is.  I am further delighted by the parents of some young trans people who actually listen and support their kids.  It is becoming a better world for us.

[Asniceasme]

For me it is a little more complicated.

I started seeing a psychologist for stress and depression (my old work paid for it) in 2009/2010. At the end of my second session with her, I mentioned that I liked to dress in womens clothes to make myself happy. In my third session, I came out and said that I wanted to be female. Over the years, I probably had another 15 to 20 sessions with her. However, she was not experienced in gender related issues, and three quarters of my sessions with her were about gender issues. On her urging in 2010, I went and saw a doctor who gave me a referral to see a psychiatrist. Had three sessions with him over the course of a couple of months, did not like him, and stopped ALL therapy as a result.

In 2012 I started seeing my old psychologist again, on and off. In March this year, she suggested that it may be time for me to seek more specialised help again. So went to a doctor and got another referral (haven't used it), but found ANOTHER psychologist who specialises in gender issues. Had one appointment with her, and she diagnosed me with gender dysphoria, and saw no reason why I couldn't start hormones. She outlined what needed to be done. I had another appointment with her, an appointment with her colleague, an appointment with a doctor. Got my bloodwork done, went back to the doctor, everything was fine except for my weight and blood pressure. He gave me two weeks to get my blood pressure down to an acceptable level, and to try to lose some weight. Went back after two weeks, saw the doctor again, we mutually decided to hold off for another month on the anti androgen he was starting me on (Androcur), but after discussing some things with him, he started me on a low dose of finasteride. When I go back to see him in about three to four weeks time, with any luck I should have lost a few more kilos, my blood pressure will be steady, and I can start on the Androcur. Estrogen may be a few months off, as I suspect I may have naturally high levels already.

So, in summary, I started some kind of therapy where my wishes to be female were discussed, in 2010.

[2fish]

During the 1st session I was told that I would be an open and shut case. She told me to find an Endo that I would like to work with.
During the 2nd session I had an Endo picked out and was told that my letter would be started after 3rd session.
My 3rd session is on Monday.
She will write my letter and call me back in to go over the letter. Then she will send it to the Endo.
I should be on T sometime next month according to my therapist.

I liked my therapist. I will have another session with her in 5 months.
If I am doing well she will write a letter for top surgery. If I want it sooner I just have to let her know. She is recommending I wait 6 months on HRT. I agreed that it would be good to wait 6 months.

[EchelonHunt]

I went into therapy shortly after I turned 18 (2008) and was not allowed hormones until I had turned 21 because one of the psychiatrists told me the age 21 was the age when your brain matures in the decision-making department. Shortly before I turned 22 (2011), I was given the letter for HRT.

It was three years of complete, utter hell, putting it lightly.

But in hindsight, I was rushing into it in the beginning. I was very impulsive but that was because back then, I thought I had discovered who I am and I had to fix my body right away before the darkness in my mind consumed me whole. It was a matter of living or being so close to the brink of death that my mind and soul may as well been dying a slow death. At times, I wanted to skip HRT because waiting for it was too painful, after all, I desired the surgeries more than HRT. This was denied because HRT was a (then) requirement for top surgery. Of course, that has changed now because the standards have been modified to include individuals who are of non-binary/gender variant identities.

I am bitter I had to wait, bitter that I was given no choice but to go on HRT in order to have access to the surgeries I needed to modify my body, bitter that the changes in the standards came in too late for me to skip HRT... although, I probably would have to go through a binary male transition regardless of the changes in standards as there are no bottom surgery options for those who identify as non-binary/gender-variant individuals. Luckily, I can tailor the surgery options I have to the kind of body that aligns with my mind's self-image - a body that is close as possible to having a sexless body. Manipulative? Perhaps so but I do not care.

[Mariah]

It was just over 2 months from when I started therapy, but I had the letter by the end of the first month.

[LordKAT]

Just a couple visits.

[- Rachel -]

I felt ready when I finally found a gender experienced therapist.
Three weekly therapy sessions and I started HRT under informed consent.
My therapist said I was obviously a transsexual woman.
I had carefully introspected (agonized) over whether I would transition for over a year before. I vowed I wouldn't start until I came out to my wife, so I guess that slowed me down a little.