How long does it usually take?

[Robert F.]

I'm starting therapy soon (hopefully, if my mom can find one that deals with gender identity). I was wondering how many therapy sessions it usually takes for a therapist to tell you to start the RLE. Does it vary between people? Do they tell you to start as soon as they diagnose you with GID?

[Nicky]

It is totally up to you. You just tell them "I am starting now". Whenever you feel ready honey, you don't need anyone to tell you when to start living the way you want to.

If you have a requirement for RLE to get hormones or surgery then really you just need the therapist to note when that started so you have a record of it.

Best of luck!

[Colleen Ireland]

Not sure if this applies in all areas or in all cases, but I've been told that a requirement for RLE to "count" (i.e. as a pre-requirement for SRS), there has to be documented evidence of full-time living, i.e. paychecks in the preferred name, etc., which would generally make a legal name change a pre-requirement of RLE for the purpose of getting approved for SRS.  That does not apply to HRT as far as I know.  But you might want to ask to see if simply cross-living "qualifies" as RLE, or if you need to do more, such as the name change and document change...

[Arch]

My therapist didn't have any RLE requirement, and I don't know any other guys IRL whose therapists required this. A bunch of other guys I know went the informed consent route.

[Lacey Lynne]

Not sure if this applies in all areas or in all cases, but I've been told that a requirement for RLE to "count" (i.e. as a pre-requirement for SRS), there has to be documented evidence of full-time living, i.e. paychecks in the preferred name, etc., which would generally make a legal name change a pre-requirement of RLE for the purpose of getting approved for SRS.  That does not apply to HRT as far as I know.  But you might want to ask to see if simply cross-living "qualifies" as RLE, or if you need to do more, such as the name change and document change...

Yes, this is what I've heard too, Colleen.

To that end, I begin my sessions with Portland's best (in my opinion) gender counselor specifically to document my beginning my RLT on 31 October 2010, 2 weeks for this very day, I believe.  Am I psyched?  Yes!  Nervous?  A little.  Worried.  No. 

It seems that different counselors will tell you different things and have different requirements.  Colleen gives good advice here.  It's best to document your starting your RLT officially.  Perhaps it's best to tell your gender counselor what you plan to do and what your time-line is as soon as possible.  Of course, they would have to issue your GID diagnosis first.  Have they done this for you yet?  Good luck!