Therapy and HRT in Small Towns

[chaancee]

     Hi, in case some folks have trouble reading super long text posts, my question is
I happen to live in a small town (Bakersfield, CA) and I'm having trouble with taking the steps to chemically transition (a good equality center, therapy ect.), any advice or relatable experiences?

     My name is Chance and I'm a FTM transgender and have been living and identifying as male for almost 5 years. I came out my freshman year in high school and pursued understanding immediately. Sadly, this lead to an experience with a transphobic and misleading therapist that left me stifled and frankly hopeless. I have looked for and am currently emailing other therapists but they all seem to lead to dead ends. So, does anyone have any recommendations? I've been struggling with this for a few years and although I'm very lucky to have a supportive family, I still feel alone in this. I'm obviously beginning to feel a little down about this 
     As a very young adult, realistically, I cannot just up and move. I am very ready for this next step in my life and now that I have more time on my hands, it's something i often think about.
     

[josie76]

I found my therapist by searching on the psychology today website. I searched by specialty listed and found several with transgender experience. You can also cross search by insurance accepted.

It was a frustrating process. One counselor had experience but just started working in a private practice (in the same office as my psychiatrist ) and so was not yet certified by the various insurance companies. Two others failed to return my phone calls after I left multiple messages. The last one I tried called me back the next day. She is retirement age and so first told me she might not have weekly openings if that was what I was looking for. When she asked me what I was needing counseling for and I answered transgender issues she set me up an appointment for that same week. I now see her almost every week. She has been such a huge help to me. I think she now enjoys our visits as much as I do.

When you find the right therapist it will make such a difference for you. Don't give up keep searching.

[Denise]

I too live in a smaller town in Indiana.  I found a gender specialist that took my insurance but I have to travel about 75 miles through Chicago.  My GP is about the same distance but the traffic is terrible.  The laser hair place is over two hours. And I wouldn't give any of them up.  What I'm saying is look around.  Find someone you like who is trained in gender things.  This is your life you are talking about and nothing is more precious.

You might need to go up to Fresno.  I would hope you don't need to go to LA as that would not be a fun drive.

Good luck and a hug
- Dee Dee

Sent from my LG-H820 using Tapatalk

[josie76]

I'm in a rural town in Illinois. My therapist is about 35 miles away on the Il side of St Louis, and my new general practice Doctor is about 45 miles away in the St Louis metro area. Some travel is needed both for good help and discretion at times although Chance since you've been living openly discretion may not even be a concern for you. I hope that is the case.

Dee Dee we are likely just 6-7 hours drive away from each other.

[Mariah]

Hi Chance, welcome to Susan's. If the main city near you doesn't have anything you might need to go the nearest megatroplis near you to get care. There is probably around 300 to 400 thousand people in the area I live in and I had two choices for that Spokane metro or the area in Seattle which ended up resulting in my going to Everett to see my Endo. Also that megatroplis near you likely has informed consent available to if that is the route you so choose. HRT can be hard to get sometimes outside of those mega cities for whatever reason. The same goes for therapy. I ended up doing my primary therapist over Skype so I didn't have to do additional traveling. If one isn't local, then that could be an option for you too. Anyways I wish you the best of luck. Hugs
Mariah

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[FTMax]

Do you think therapy would benefit you in ways other than just obtaining a referral for HRT? Do you think it would improve your mental health or better enable you to speak with other people about your transition?

With informed consent, you can bypass the therapy requirement and receive HRT on the basis that the provider informs you about what it can/will/won't/might do, and you consent to receive the treatment. Some Planned Parenthood locations offer HRT in this way. Some general practitioners and endocrinologists may be open to it. I can't definitively say "all", but I will say that many of the large LGBTQ clinics in the US operate this way. Being in California, I think you'll have an easier time than many finding a healthcare provider that would be open to it.

What it might require is a little bit of travel. I am positive you could find an option in Los Angeles, and I'd be surprised if there wasn't something closer to you. Most places that do informed consent would want to see you for an office visit and have you do some lab work at the first appointment, and then come back to a second appointment to get your prescription. At the place I go, they also require quarterly visits for the first year and twice annually after that, each with lab work.

Is that a lot of back and forth? Yes. But it's very easy to budget and plan for, and typically requires very little waiting. I'd start by calling all the Planned Parenthood locations near you, then individual doctors (try endocrinologists first), then as a last resort considering clinics in LA.

If you can't find anyone that offers HRT via informed consent or you're unable to travel to the places that do, you could also consider online therapy. I worked with Dr. Graham Peveller to get my referral for top surgery. Very quick and easy.

[Randi]

This resource lists HRT providers that use informed consent, and also explains exactly what that is.

https://www.susans.org/wiki/index.php/Informed_consent

One of the listings is Planned Parenthood, Fulton Street Health Center in Fresno.

As mentioned earlier many counselors will do sessions via Skype.  One I know of is Anne Vitale in SF.

This listing is a bit old, but may provide some information to get you started:

https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php?topic=121007.0

[DawnOday]

Help in Bakersfield.  http://bakotranssupport.weebly.com/
bakotsslg@gmail.com
About Us
Who we are:
We are a small but dedicated group of transgender activist and cisgender allies spanning all sexualities, races, ethnicities and age groups who band together to improve support and services for transgender individuals here in Bakersfield, CA.
Our Causes:
The BIG Two
TRANSGENDER HEALTHCARE and HOMELESSNESS
Healthcare
· Physical
o Availability of: Local Primary Care Doctor(s), Hormone Replacement Therapy
· Mental
o Availability of: Local Therapist, Physiatrist, Other Behavioral Health Amenities for Trans-community (drug/alcohol abuse programs)
· Surgical
Transgender Resource Center
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The Center seeks to provide a safe and supportive space and resource for the local Transgender community where information, referrals and other resources are shared.

Additionally, the Center seeks to provides peer-to-pear support to transgender individuals, families, friends and allies.

Anyone thinking about transition, looking for resources, or just wanting to learn more about the transgender community is welcome.

For more information please contact the Center.  For events and activities, please check our Events page.

Gay & Lesbian Center
902 18th St
Bakersfield, CA 93301

661-843-7995
info@glcenterbak.org
www.glcenterbak.org

This is a start and I am sure they can direct you to the therapy and doctor referrals you seek. Good Luck, Hon.