Why do you see a Therapist

[Tina2]

Hi everyone, I wanted to know why do you see a Therapist, (other than to get a referal for HRT), do you see them for years or just for a while (since there is no cure other than transition) , has therapy helped you?  could you have survived without therapy (other than to get a referal for HRT), and what do they do, what do they talk about, and what do they require of you if anything?
I hope you don't mind all the questions.  Hugs and Aloha.

Tina

[postoplesbian]

I didn't see one until i was getting close to needing a letter. I had my orchy and 2 FFS and BAS and then i went to two of them who said Oh my your ready and within two months i got the letters. I sure saved a bundle of cash. However, i hear things are different today but i guess one could still do what i did in some places.

[vanna]

I did similar to postoplesbian but if you ever want to get SRS your need to. Also its very nice to know theres someone you can talk to and a good one will help guide you if you need it.

I'm all for therapists.

[V M]

I was required to see a therapist a few years ago due to my attempts at suicide. I first attempted when I was 10yrs. old. Not many caught on to this behavior until I was in my 40's. Or at least they didn't do much about it. The therapy has helped allot. One draw back is when I accidentally OD on sleeping pills and alcohol, It was assumed to be another attempt. It figures, they come down hardest on me when it was unintentional. They were talking about prison time. Luckily the judge dropped the charges. But now my mandatory therapy visits have been extended. I like my therapist but he is not a sex therapist so I am thinking about finding a sex therapist that would qualify for treating my other problems also - as required by the powers that be

[Naturally Blonde]

Hi everyone, I wanted to know why do you see a Therapist, (other than to get a referal for HRT), do you see them for years or just for a while (since there is no cure other than transition) , has therapy helped you?  could you have survived without therapy (other than to get a referal for HRT), and what do they do, what do they talk about, and what do they require of you if anything?
I hope you don't mind all the questions.  Hugs and Aloha.

Tina

In the U.K we have Psychiatrists and Psychologists and we have to go through them in order to access the referral
required. We don't need therapy but we have to prove that we have completed the Harry Benjamin Criteria in order for a referral for GRS.

[paulault55]

Hi Tina, not sure where i would be right now if i didn't go to see a therapist, i was very depressed due to events in my life including gid. My first session was mainly him getting to know me and early on in the session i brought up my gid and that's about all we talked about the rest of that visit, after we were done i asked him what he thought and he said i was TS, it was such a relief to have a professional confirm what i had known my whole life. My therapist doesn't really require me to do anything between sessions but early on i would think of events in my past related to my gid and would write them on a pad for my next session. My sessions these days focus on my future and coming out to people. Very soon i will be getting my letter to see the Endo they use.

Paula.

[JENNIFER]

Hi everyone, I wanted to know why do you see a Therapist, (other than to get a referal for HRT), do you see them for years or just for a while (since there is no cure other than transition) , has therapy helped you?  could you have survived without therapy (other than to get a referal for HRT), and what do they do, what do they talk about, and what do they require of you if anything?
I hope you don't mind all the questions.  Hugs and Aloha.

Tina

In the U.K we have Psychiatrists and Psychologists and we have to go through them in order to access the referral
required. We don't need therapy but we have to prove that we have completed the Harry Benjamin Criteria in order for a referral for GRS.

I concur with the above.  I was already settled in my female role as transition began over 2 years before my first therapy session.  The psych. told me I only need short follow ups with him and that my needs were medical leading to SRS in due course.  It is the 'standards' that we Brits have to follow in order to secure funding by the state.

[Julie Marie]

I went to a  therapist because my spouse asked me to.  I told her I'd go but don't expect therapy to rid me of being TG.  I said all I'll learn there is how to handle the prejudice society has towards TGs.

But I never, ever thought for even a moment I'd be going as a tool for transitioning.  Transitioning was totally out of the question.  No way, no how.  And that's final!

Okay, I guess I might have been slightly mistaken there. 

Julie

[Nero]

I'm only seeing mine for the letters. I honestly think the only benefit from therapy is to have someone listen to your problems. I have never been helped by a therapist other than with things a friend could do - listen.

[Nicky]

Sometimes it is very hard to find a non-judgmental listener, and listening is difficult.

After my training for Samaritans (or Befrienders overseas, help line where we mostly listen) I realised that listening is bloody hard work.

[JENNIFER]

Sometimes it is very hard to find a non-judgmental listener, and listening is difficult.

After my training for Samaritans (or Befrienders overseas, help line where we mostly listen) I realised that listening is bloody hard work.

Yes Yes Yessssss, my Psych. listened to me whilst taking notes. It was an enormous help to me when I thought I did not need it.

[Steph]

Like many here i initially went into therapy to get the magic letters... did so for quite a few years... However after a while it just became comforting to be able to freely speak my mine about my fears, my feelings, my hates, my confusions, my happiness, to this wonderful person who would sit opposite me and listen without prejudice.

steph

[tinkerbell]

My therapist has been there for me in the darkest moments of my transition.  She has seen me weep many times; she has even called 911 for me in one occasion.  To me, she is not only "a therapist" but a second mother, a guardian angel who has literally saved my life.  Do I still see her?  Of course! transition may be over, but life isn't, and there is always something to talk and ponder about.


tink

[BunnyBee]

I am working on setting up my first visit with the psychologist I was referred to, phone-tag ftl.  The first counselor I saw didn't feel she was qualified to help me.  I am only going now so I may jump through whatever hoops I need to get hormones etc., though I am sure I'll prolly get more out of it than the just the letters when all is said and done.

I'd be happier to just be given what I want though, to be honest.  I really don't feel I need therapy, which could be my stubborn and independent nature talking.  It's a problem .

[Zelane]

My first thought was to get more info and follow the required paths. Also I needed someone to talk to and that would understand.

I stayed for more since I realized how much traumas and problems I have (had) and keep working with therapy.


It helped a LOT but only because I wanted it to work and I worked with the therapist and with myself.

[Janet_Girl]

My therapist is great.  Not only is he compasionate and caring, but he is FtM.  So he has a great insight to our special needs.  I haven't been able to see him because of financial problems, but I just asked him for a letter fro my orchie and he is sending it.  And he recommended another Phd to get my second.

I want to share my glories with him, someday may be.

Janet

[BunnyBee]

My therapist has been there for me in the darkest moments of my transition.  She has seen me weep many times; she has even called 911 for me in one occasion.  To me, she is not only "a therapist" but a second mother, a guardian angel who has literally saved my life.  Do I still see her?  Of course! transition may be over, but life isn't, and there is always something to talk and ponder about.


tink

I'm curious, Tink, do you find now that you have finished your transition you still confront such moments as dark as those?  I really never wanted to be the 'oh woe is me' type but yet I still have found myself falling into some pretty tenebrous emotional places a few times where I felt like this whole thing was testing me beyond my means.

I guess I am wondering to what degree transitioning may cure my being such a big emo mess at times.  Should I just go ahead and buy the black lipstick now?  (///_- )


<- Cute emoticon btw .

[Tina2]

Hi everyone, thanks for all the wonderful comments.
I just can't seem to find a therapist over here where I live, at least one who has dealt with GD, very depressing.  Thanks again, aloha.

Tina

[Jay]

I see a therapist because I need referral for hormones and surgery. Therapy doesn't really help
me only in the sense of being referred and of course finding out information. As there is only
a limited amount on information on the internet regarding transition in the UK.

Mine personally just wants to know how I am getting on with everything. I only see mine one a
month every 3 months  for half an hour,and it will probably be even longer after I have my top
surgery.

I was nervous when I first started talking about it thinking they would go into everything about my life.. hwoever they luckly didn't! 

[cindybc]

My transition was kind of different living 250 miles to the closest city that had any gender therapists from where I lived. I did what I had to do with what tools I had at hand.

My shrink was a regular psychiatrist who didn't specialise in gender issues. So I was the one who pretty well educated him more or less by reading all books I could get my hands on transsexuality at the local library, some books I had to order away for.

To get my diagnosis which I needed to get on HRT I asked my shrink to arrange for what ever appointments necessary for me to see specialists at the Clark institute in Toronto for a diagnosis, which he did. Four sessions later and I was diagnosed as TS.

Six months later I had him set up an appointment to see an endocrinologist in Toronto, again the distance of 250 miles, 500 return. I wasn't making that much money. Soon after I got on HRT and had the endo send the necessary papers and whatever information to my GP back home for monthly renewal of HRT prescriptions.

I had two close lady friends whom I used for support, one was a deacon for the Catholic Church would you believe, the other was a work mate at the place where I worked, and that was it. I used my own ingenuity and did everything on my own incentive and intuition.

Got the letters I needed from the Clark Institute and had my surgery on june 2004 then Wing Walker and I moved together and lived in Ontario for a couple of years, then we moved here to Vancouver BC in 2007 and she had her surgery on Nov 3rd 2008

Got the letters I needed from the Clark Institute and had my surgery on june 2004 then Wing Walker and I moved and lived together then moved here to Vancouver BC in 2007 and she had her surgery on Nov 3rd 2008

Cindy