Quote from: HayleyMcCombs on November 02, 2010, 08:27:30 PM
I'm just wondering what the first visit might consist of.
For your initial visit you will speak with two clinicians, you should know who they are from your letter.
I met Dr Brown and Dr McIntosh. They are both new to the clinic (a few months and over a year respectively).
The interviews will mainly discuss your life history with respect to gender, from childhood to date (the older you are, the more you will have to discuss), including any relationships you have had, as well as some questions on sexual history and fantasy (but they don't linger on this). They will also ask questions about your mental health (depression, anger, anxiety), your social experience (hobbies and friends) and consumption of drugs (alcohol, cannabis and hard drugs). They will also ask questions about your family, and anybody you live with. The interviews last around an hour each.
After the interviews they discuss cases at an internal conference, both interviewers write their own evaluations, and they will send a letter one month later to your referring physician with a reccomendation to make a six-month follow up appointment.
Both of the clinicians who interviewed me were pleasant, they are typical shrinks, but I noticed Dr Brown asked me very open ended questions requiring me to elaborate on my own accord, and Dr McIntosh asked more specific questions.
As I mentioned, the clinicians were both new and don't carry a lot of the baggage of the older names like Dr Dickey or Ms Peterson.
However, the policies of the clinic with respect to treating trans people has not yet changed, and I will not be eligible for reccomendation for surgery, as despite transition at 14, I am only 19. I would in principle have to wait 2 more years.
This probably does not concern you if you are 20 or older, but I will elaborate a bit anyway. At the end of my interviews, I asked each of them what they made of the yearlong waiting period and the lower-age restriction of 21. They said they are still current policy. However, they also said that the policy is open to review in the new year. When I asked them if the policy review is routine (their policies haven't changed in 35 years, as their pamphlet boasts), they said the policy review was happening as a reflection of the change in staff of the clinic, and would be open to public input, so some or all of current policy may or may not change. They were very watchful of their language and could not tell me if anything would come of the policy review, but that they was some potential.
I am currently divided as to whether or not I should file a human rights complaint, to allege discrimination on the basis of age in the area of equal provision of services (age is defined as an age that is 18 or older). I want to have my concerns met at the upcoming policy review. I wonder what I ought to do.
Anyway as for both of your upcoming interviews, there should be nothing to worry about, just keep yourself composed and ready to answer questions honestly and intelligently.
I did not have any physical examination, but that could be because I am already on HRT.
Beware of the secretary, she's a total cow (and everyone knows it).
