Counselling Versus Psychotherapy

[Chantelle]

 I have been having counselling for the last six months, with a counsellor. It has been helpful, but when talking with another Transexual they said that they had Psychotherapy. I wanted to know what the the differences were between them and whether those that have had Psychotherapy have found useful in dealing with being TS or TV?

In my last session with my Counsellor. He suggested  at the next Session that I could go enfemme to the next session but  bring in my clothes, breast forms, wigs etc and change their. I think his reasoning is that he wants to test out my resolve and because no one has seen me out. This would be a small step, to let someone else see me for the first time. I am not in support Group, as in my area their is relatively few. I donot drive so I am not able to attend them. It is entirely up to me whether I choose to do this or not.

He has said that Other TS have come to the counselling sessions enfemme ? I wanted to know whether this is common practise and whether others have done this ? Would others recommend doing this to build up confidence ?

[Annie Social]

Chantelle,

I can't say that I know what the difference is between counseling and psychotherapy. We all have images of lying on a couch, reliving the horrible experiences of our childhoods, while a man with a beard takes notes and says, "Ah, I see...", but I suspect that the reality is that they're not much different. I know I've heard some girls talk about being in 'psychotherapy', yet I know they're going to the same therapist as me, and she's a PhD, not a psychiatrist.

I found this statement at http://www.angelfire.com/ga/paxceilidh/Junpage.html : "Counseling is more or less based on specific problem-solving issues, such as emotional adjustment or acclimation to changing environmental conditions. Counseling is usually more problem-focused, and typically time-limited. True psychotherapy is different in that it is process-oriented rather than focused on particular problems: it seeks out deep patterns and tendencies which may underlie or unite different kinds of behavior or relationships. Psychotherapy takes the relationship between the therapist and client as the vehicle of change. Therefore, in psychotherapy the therapist focuses more on guided self-exploration than on specific advice on particular issues."

It sounds to me that what I've been receiving is pretty much a mix of the two.

I went to my third session as myself, not at the suggestion of my therapist, but on my own volition. She had referred to me as Annie from day one, and I felt that I should be the one there, not my alter-ego. The only times since then that I have shown up as a male have been those occasions when I had to come directly from work, and they are mercifully few now.

I don't have a car either, so it is usually a matter of taking a cab unless one of my friends can give me a lift. In the beginning, I wasn't out to any of my friends; that first cab ride was a memorable experience!

Simply being there as yourself changes the whole dynamic of the session; I think it has made a big difference. It's hard to separate that from the effects of therapy in general, but being forced in a way to go out in public seems to have boosted my confidence immeasurably. So much so that Tuesday I have my first job interview as Annie (wish me luck!)

I think that if you identify as TS, you should take every opportunity to get out in your true persona, unless you never intend to step outside your home. Your therapists office is a good safe environmenat in which to make a start.

Annie

[stephanie_craxford]

Hello Chantelle.

Here you go...

The term counseling is often used interchangeably with psychotherapy. It was originally adopted by Carl Rogers to distinguish his work from the more medically oriented psychotherapy but the difference has become blurred. Its use today tends to imply a less interventionist approach based on listening skills which draw out the subject rather than confronting or challenging them. In this article the term can be taken to be the same as psychotherapy.

You can see the complete article here

Hope this helps clear this up for you.

Steph

[Jennifer72]

Chantelle, I just had my first therapy session today. I had given the therapist my male name, and then showed up enfemme! He was really surprised that's for sure. This having been my first session, I think that things went very well and going as myself was the right choice. It seemed to me that the therapist employed a combination of the two styles also. I'll make sure to update when I've had a couple of sesssion under my belt.


Jennifer

[taylor]

Chantelle,

Also please consider this, a counselor cannot write scripts, and neither can a Pyschologist, Phd or not. Only a Pyschiatrist can write scripts of any kind ( They actually have a MD).  I provide counseling, ( I cannot write for meds or hormones) but work as part of a team with a Psychiatrist ( who does) and we also have a RN that works with us for those that have some medical needs and do not want to deal with mainstream practices, such as F2M's who need injections.

Just check and make sure that your goals with whoever you are working with, are clear and that they can meet the needs that you desire from them.  And anything that you feel uneasy about, ask them, speak up, you are buidling a relationship, and it is important that you trust them. If they are worth a grain of salt they will only respect that!

Best Wishes

Taylor