Kira, I am so happy for you that you've taken that important first step! I remember taking that step (it was a long time ago). I had moved to the East Coast, and I wrote a letter to an ex-girlfriend who was safely 3,000 miles away in California, telling her about me. Just writing the letter was horrible -- I paced up and down in my room for 15 minutes before typing (that's how long ago it was ... typewriter) each new sentence.
She was very accepting. (I sort of guessed she would be. She was living in Berkeley.) And it has gotten easier and easier as time goes by.
If you can get low-cost therapy through your mother's health plan, then by all means, do it! It may happen that the therapist you're referred to may not know much about gender issues. If you start to feel that the therapist is trying to steer you toward being "normal" (whatever that is!) rather than discovering and cherishing your deepest feelings, then it's okay to say, "This isn't working. I need to see a different therapist."
Please come back soon and tell us how it goes!
Hugs!
*** Jenna ***
