Therapy and Hormones. I'm really confused.

[nico_nico]

I tried to look up on how to get started on T but so far have been coming up with blanks. I'm seeing a therapist now but recently after looking through this site I've found out there are 'gender' therapists and 'regular' therapists. And now I"m not sure which I have. She works with transgender issues but does that make her a gender therapist or do they have like a badge that they show you saying "I'm certified"?
And getting back to the hormones issue how do I bring it up? Do I say "I want to get started on T" and then *bam* they sign a paper and that's that? I suppose a little personal experience from someone who's been through this can help me out tons. I've been looking at T and the different ways it can be administered - pills, shots, and such - and what it can do to your body, but I just don't know what to do to get it.

[regan]

If your therapist works with gender issues, then you're already on the right track.  It takes around three months of therapy to get to the HRT stage.  Some people get it sooner, some later, but the guidlines suggest three months.  Best advice is to ask your therapist.  If she already works with gender issues then you're probably not the first client she's referred for HRT.  She should be able to explain her process to you and what happens once she makes the referral to an MD.

[Arch]

The therapist doesn't have to specialize in gender issues. Does your therapist already know that you are trans?

[nico_nico]

Arch: Yes my therapist is aware. And I feel that she understands just how serious I am about this. Ok, now I know that it's not really an entirely different type of therapist where I have to go to another person *sigh of relief*.

regan: Thank you so much for the 'timeline' so that I know when I should consider to talk to my therapist about hormones.

[Arch]

If your therapist knows that you're trans and you've been seeing her for some time, then you could get your letter very quickly. Some therapists require one visit. Some seem to think that three months is not nearly enough. Most seem to fall between these extremes. My therapist, for instance, let me call the shots and had no trouble writing me a letter as soon as I decided that I needed it. I had my first T shot six months after I started therapy, but my therapist would have written it a bit sooner had I been ready.

[regan]

With my history of a failed transition and a couple DIY attempts, I made the decision to wait the three months before I even talked about it with her.  I started the session by saying I wanted to talk about HRT and she had no problem approving me.  I go back to see her in two weeks and she's going to start me on AAs, we've still got some other issues to work out about full HRT, but she had no problem approving me otherwise.