East Bay Area (San Fransisco East Bay, CA): Looking for

[BloodLeopard]

I see alot of groups for Berkeley and San Fransisco, but nothing for around Fremont/Hayward.
I've searched online for groups, and came to alot of dead websites. It's just really costly to travel to those places, and alot of times, since I'm not living in the area, I don't get to participate in the services they offer (mostly what I have seen with SF places).

I think I saw that Kaizer over here? But I don't belong to it... nor do I have any health insurance because I can't afford. I guess saying I'm 23 would also be something to state.

Just looking for support groups, and maybe find anything for therapy.

[Alexmakenoise]

I haven't found much in Berkeley or SF either.  It looks like the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community Center offers A LOT, but aside from that, there are just a lot of dead websites.  What have you found?

And as for the cost of getting from Hayward or Fremont to SF or Berkeley, what about taking the BART? 

PS - I'm in the East Bay.  If nothing turns up, we could start our own support group.   

[tekla]

There used to be some stuff in Berkeley, maybe one or two meeting a week deal, at the gay center.  But pretty much life in the Bay Area is centered in SF, and having built that huge center there I think really centralized stuff to a much greater degree than it was pre-center.

[BloodLeopard]

BART is expensive. To get into SF it's $12 round trip. I can feed myself for a week or so on that. I can't do much if I starve myself.

Berkeley:
Pacific Center - http://www.pacificcenter.org/

SF:
Trans Thrive - http://www.apiwellness.org/trans_thrive.html
LGBT Center - http://www.sfcenter.org/
Dimensions - http://www.dimensionsclinic.org/

Santa Clara/San Jose:
BillyDeFrank - http://www.defrankcenter.org/

Fremont: (But this place doesn't really offer much for FtM at ALL. It's all MtF)
Trans Vision - http://www.transvisiontricity.org/

There's hardly any resources around here. The only trans one is Trans Vision, and I'm not even getting my hormones from them, but from the family planning/STD clinic. I can't get therapy there because it's only for HIV+.
I can't get help in SF because I'm not a resident.
BillyDeFrank, when I went, didn't really offer much nor did the Pacific center. I can't afford $10 + the trip to go to counciling + the time it takes to get there and back.

The "councilor" at the community college I'm going to isn't competant at all. She can't even help with any issue I have and only tells me such. She's only there to help with time management, mild relationship trouble, and school-related stress.

[BloodLeopard]

Even if it's just a meetup or something though. If I can't find anything that's like a counciling support group... just being around other transguys... and transgirls, intersex and other gender varients... that would be just really awesome.
(Hell even straight, cis-genders who are accepting too). Just to have a group to be safe and sound with understanding would be nice.

Though of course, FtM interaction for me is a huge want... almost need.

[tekla]

Fact is a lot of the "support" stuff - meetings, designed social events, and the like - began to fade away about 10 years ago and was replaced with legal aid services, employment assistance, political efforts, and work on specific issues like violence in the community, AIDS, and outreach to the sex worker community.  There is a thriving court system still, but since trans persons are accepted in so many other kinds of groups, societies, scenes and all that, there is far less call for trans-specific events and group meetings.

[BloodLeopard]

Well it doesn't mean it has to stop all together.

I was only 13, 10 years ago, and wouldn't even be able to get the support. Support is something that's an ongoing need... plus even if people are "accepted" it doesn't mean a full understanding. It would be nice to be able to help one another, rather it going on ears who don't really understand.

[Ms.Behavin]

Yes alot of the services cost money, though there are therapists with slideing scale, I used one in Berkeley who was pretty good, trans too.  How about the Diablo Valley Girls over in Wallnut Creek.  They meet once or twice a month I think.  Safe group,

As Telka said, many places in the Bay area are Trans friendly.... So less of a need for Trans Only meetings, etc.   

oh, I'm East Bay too.

Beni