Therapist Sydney / Hunter area

[Yip]

Just wondering if anyone has experience with any they can recommend to begin it all for real.

I'm ok with driving a fair distance if it means getting one that is understanding and capable of helping me
get to the next step that i really want (HRT of course) so Sydney, Newcastle and any within maybe 3-4 hours drive is ok.


The only problem is that i'm on a student income, so i seriously cant do a $600aus an hour one!.


Post Merge: May 27, 2010, 11:49:03 AM
Haha now dont everyone rush all at once!,

ok not a good sign but surely there is a decent (sympathetc/understanding on the subject) Therapist amoung the 7 million people within 4 hours drive of me!!!

[Teknoir]

Yes, yes there is!

Go see Dr Larry Brash in Lakelands. Near Cardiff.

That man is pure awesome. He has a lot of experience with trans people. I cannot recommend him enough.

If you're a student, on Austudy (and have a healthcare card) and seeing him for trans issues - well, lets just say he's VERY reasonably priced

His website does not list that though - but the receptionists will fill you in. They are worth talking to - tell them you're a student, and you're seeing him for "gender issues". They're really cool with it all, and respectful too.

You've probably heard the horror stories around here about "the medical establishment" and all - he's different. He really knows his stuff, he's respectful, he listens, and he's up to date with the latest thinking, he's really rather chill, and he doesn't think of us as sub-human. He's not up himself at all, and he's not on some crazy power trip / holier than thou BS.

He also knows of local (Newcastle / Hunter) and Sydney endos and such (at least - he did for the HRT I required).

It took me about 6 weeks to get in, which is really quick for a psychiatrist with experience. I may have gotten lucky though - I've heard he can take 3 months.

Oh - if you haven't already - get a referral from your GP. He'll require it. Any old GP will do. Just supply them with his details.

I can't post links here, but if you google you'll find his site.

The number to call is - 02 4954 2455

The address of the office is -

Unit 8 (upstairs)
149 Ambleside Circuit
Lakelands, NSW, 2284

Yeah, you drive through what looks like a housing estate to get there. It's in a little strip mall thing (it's odd - I thought I'd gone the wrong way when I tried to find it. It's a fair way in  ).

Oh... and before anyone has a shot - no, I don't work for him

[Yip]

yay !  thanks i'll look him up , uh what do you say to a GP to get referred since i always imagined the first time i mentioned this face to face to someone after all these years would be to a therapist first, I do not really consider GP's qualified to handle this issue and so it is much much harder for me to talk about this to one.

that would be great supporting student health cards, hmm quick look at fee's i'll need him to support my student health card!, its not that i couldnt its just that the gaps between seeing would have to be greater the more expensive the hourly costs, still his the best positioned of all i've seen thats fantastic location!.

[Teknoir]

What I said to the GP was "Hey, I need a referral to see this guy. Here's his details".

The GP wrote it up and said "What does he do? And what's it generally about?".

I said "He's a shrink. I have gender issues". That was all that was said. I'd never met the GP before, and I was already full time with legal name change and all that.

I didn't have to go into any details about "the issues". The GP knew I required someone qualified in this matter, and I already had the details of the specialist I wanted to see.

As for pricing - go off what reception says - NOT the website. Call and ask.

I was there in Feb this year, and they said that because I was 1. A gender patient, and 2. Not currently working (I was a full time student), they cut me a very, very cheap price.

You will need to inform them of those two facts when you ask about the current fees. They may still have "special prices", they may not (I am not a current patient, so I'm not up to date. Though I sort of wish I still was... he was cool ).

I know it's hard to out yourself to a receptionist, but they are really nice ladies. You won't have any trouble from them. When I was there they even asked what name and title I preferred (there was no need, I'd legally changed it already - but it was a nice gesture anyway).

I am not going into details about exactly what I paid out, because the fees and policies may have changed, and I'd hate for you to be disappointed (and I don't want anything I say to be used against the guy if he changes his fees later on).

I can't remember if I needed to whip out the healthcare card at all, now I think about it... again - that's something to ask reception.

Let's just say I don't remember having to pay out very much at all .

Oh, he doesn't drag things out to line his pockets, either. He's actually one of these psychiatrists that uses diagnostic skills (*Shock Horror Probe!*). He took into account the (quite advanced, apparently) status of my transition, personal history, etc.


I know you didn't ask... but here's a few more things I picked up from transitioning in the Hunter that might come in handy.

There's free councilling (they like donations) at ACON's Hunter branch if you're having trouble handling things and need someone to talk to in person (they're in Islington, from memory).

The lady there is called Cath. They deal with a whole lot of GLBT issues - not just trans issues. They can't prescribe HRT or get things moving with the medical side of transition, but she is a someone that can help you in dealing with your family and friends, co-workers, and the like.


When it comes time for your legal name change (if you're going that route), there's a Births, Deaths and Marriages office in Newcastle (though I forget where. It's on the website though).

They accept transition as a valid reason for a name change (even without changing the gender on your birth certificate - 'cause you can't do that until you're post-op) and their comment was "There's more of this than you'd think! We get one of you guys every few days ".

I got in for the "interview" same day without a prior booking - just rocked up with all my documents, waited around for what felt like an eternity, and swiped my card. The interview dude just looked at both my names, looked at me, and immediately went for the approved stamp .


One thing I never found in Newcastle was a trans support group. It wasn't really high on my priorities list though.


I'd recommend not going to, or relying on "The Gender Center" in Sydney for anything .

They're well meaning, they're nice, great people that really try to help but DAAAAAAMN they are disorganized and underfunded! They don't even reply to emails!

I went to one of their BBQ's once. The staff were nice, but some of the other people really seemed to have no interest in finishing up transition, integrating, and moving on with their lives. I don't mean that in a "they are happy where they are" way, if you catch my drift.


Aaaaaand that's all I can think of for now. Have fun .

If you get in to Dr Brash, and he asks how you found him - tell him a nerdy man from the internet named Dante sent 'ya (Not that he'll remember me without looking up my file or anything... it was a while ago!).

[Yip]

Wow this is sounding really good, yeah I was thinking of just saying social anxiety or something since its kinda true, this issue does cause me to suffer anxiety alot.

Yeah i'll just go to a random one time GP , i'm not out in any way... well as best as i can most people after some time with me know somethings up (And I know the look very well by now)  since i cant help but be myself no matter how much i try to hide it.

I want to be diagnosed and then helped with what must be done, what does he do roughly on first visit, is it just tell me everything or do you get asked alot of questions, I feel that i'm going to cry no matter how hard i try not too did other people?.

I live with people , people who i wont tell until the last possible moment/or they comment (everything changes then doesnt it?)  and so i cant transition in any way and will not until officially diagnosed at the very least, do you think this will hurt me or he will understand that problem. I have to be so careful since i have very little privacy I even live in horror of saying my true feeling in my sleep!.

[Teknoir]

On the first visit, you'll be doing a lot of talking. He'll basically be getting to know you, your history, your situation, how long you've felt that way, etc.

It'll basically be a nice long conversation in which you talk about yourself a lot.

He'll ask a few questions to guide the conversation and get additional info, but nothing that'd push too hard. Mostly your current feelings, childhood, what's going on in your life right now, etc - pretty standard stuff.

The hardest question was the first one - what issue had brought me there. He basically wanted my description of the problem.

And he might tell you a bit about himself, too . I've never seen any other psychiatrist do that. He's actually human .

It's perfectly ok to cry. He's not going to hold it against you in any way, it's totally normal. Lots of people have cried in his office.

And if you have to do the whole thing while not making eye contact, that's cool too - I know for a fact he's not going to hold that against you. Whatever you need to relax and get talking, it's all good.

The more you talk, the quicker things happen - but he won't push you harder than you're willing to go.

I found it helped to take in some notes - a quick timeline of my transition up to that point, and a bit of pre-prepared personal history.

I think he'll understand the "not out yet" problem. He's not there to stop you transitioning, he's there to help relieve you of your dysphoria and generally make things a lot more comfortable.

You'll be more working as a team to get rid of the dysphoria, rather than you begging for help and him being a gatekeeper with a checklist and a bunch of hoops.

Hell, I'm gay, I had a long term relationship when pretending to be of the opposite gender, and he didn't hold that against me in any way! .

People go there in all stages of transition. I happened to rock up with everything under control (which, apparently, is a little unusual!). Most people are still in a state of distress, and he's there to help with that.

Be honest with the real reason you're there. He's heard it... well... a lot! (You did read his CV, right? It's on his web site).

I was nervous going in there, but he's really easy to talk to. Just... something I can't put my finger on. He's really chill, accepting, and respectful.

Just as a sidenote - don't be entirely surprised if I'm not around the forums a lot during the week - I work some pretty hardcore shifts . I'll try to drop in to keep answering things when I can - but I may very well disappear for a few days at a time.

[Yip]

This is getting exciting now, you've helped alot ! I have to start preparing then writing down my thoughts etc I probably
wont be seeing a GP until well into next month so i guess things slow down a bit but thats ok. I'm the kind of person who likes to know
what i'm in for or i'll worry over it and snowball.  Exciting life changing times ahead haha!.

[Teknoir]

Glad to be able to help someone out for once!

You've probably figured out by now there aren't many people from the Hunter around here. There are a few Aussies, but they're all interstate.

It's a good place to transition. I never had a spot of bother. Even the counter staff at the RTA, Medicare and Centerlink were nice when it came to changing my details. I do miss the area sometimes .

Finding a GP is a pain in the butt around there though. They're in short supply, and they don't bulk bill. You have to book days in advance. I eventually said screw it and drove to Gosford

Good luck with everything! Fun times are ahead indeed! .

[Yip]

The GP i normally visit does bulk, but I get in free anyway with health card. But I'm not going to see my regular since i'm not diagnosed, I know what it is and what i want to do about it but i cant dismiss the possibility that its something else which is why we need to see the therapist I suppose. I dont want to drop a bomb shell I cant take back from a doctor I dont want to stop seeing (out of embarrassment) if i'm wrong haha like you said good ones are hard to find!.

Yeah I need to get over uni exam's right now before i move on this, and buy a mobile since the phone is shared want to keep it all private until i'm ready (Yes i'm one of those mobile less freaks).

Do you sometimes doubt yourself your further along then me but back before you did anything and was at the crossroads i am i suppose?,  I have moments when I can almost convince myself that maybe i can deal with it and then day's when i'm just going to pieces over it, I think its more fear of facing the Therapist and family the world frankly, I've spent my life trying to disappear and be unseen etc and even though it's done nothing but hurt and destroy me its hard to stop doing that.

[Teknoir]

That's a hard one.

I don't have any doubts now, and I didn't have any serious doubts regarding my gender when I went in to therapy.

But - I did leave it more than 6 months between starting full time and going for therapy to make sure I was really certain about what I was doing, and that it really was the right choice.

Essentially, I went through my "crossroads" before I went to therapy.

That "crossroads" is awkward, yeah. I don't envy your position. Coming out is difficult and nerve wracking to say the least.

Even though I knew what to do, I was still nervous about if I was doing the right thing. Hell, I was still nervous as I was getting the needle full o' T, and I'd been almost a year FT at that stage!

I think it's natural to be nervous about making a huge decision like starting transition. There's always the thought that if you've put it off this long, then maybe you can live a while longer without going through the hassle.

And then it comes back and bites you, and the rush to get HRT is back on!

You're right - a lot of that is fear, nerves, not wanting to change the status quo, and resisting letting out something that been a deep dark secret (however badly hidden!) for so long.

I eventually got sick of the cycles of "I can deal with it" and "ARRRGHHH! NO I CAN'T!!!", and just made the damn appointments. I think there is a bit of a leap of faith there.

I found it helped to keep a diary of thoughts regarding transition (and anything gender related) for a few weeks. Looking over it, and seeing the thought patterns over a longer span of time really helped me give myself that shove into action.

That and keeping track of the bouts of anger every time I got clocked, the desperation for HRT day after day, how good it was to live as the right gender, etc.

I didn't see just how badly the GID effected me until I looked back on it, and saw that I spent more days struggling with it than "doing ok". I think for me, the good days tended to wipe out memories of the bad, because it's easier and more comfortable to ignore something than do something about it.

Every time I'd go to make an appointment, I'd feel better and end up not making the call. Took me a bit to spot the cycle there. Then a day or two later, it'd all go to hell again and I'd regret not making the appointment.

Just remember that therapy is just talking. If you're not ready to do more than talk, then you don't have to. It all goes at your own pace. No matter which way it goes, if it's something causing you distress, then it's worth talking about.

Try not to worry about facing the therapist. He's nice .

[Yip]

You just described what i'm going through exactly!, I could not have said it any better,the cycles get me, thats it exactly i can convince myself for very short periods that i can handle this and then i crash and go into despair its such a relief that others know what its like and have gone through this.

Yeah i'm 100% sure of what my problem is and what i want to do, but transition is such a massive thing some part of me deep down still wants the therapist to say, no your wrong actually you suffer from this and i can help fix that!. Then i wont have to upset my family, the pressure to conform and try to live up to what others wanted is so strong.

I know thats not the case and the solution is arguably one of the most extreme solutions a person can put themselves through, but i dont think anyone really wants to go through the process they just want the end result and
i'm so scared, I guess something as big as this you can never really be prepared for or ready you just have to do it.