Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Does anyone know how the process goes in CT if you want to start T ? I dont really want to go to weeks and weeks on therapy just to get a letter for T. I already go to my Psychologist at University for over a year and when i came out to her she agreed. Are there any Endo. doctors you recommend that don't require a letter ?? I find it irritating that i need a permission slip to do something with my own body. Jeeezzzz it was so much easier getting my tattoos .... hahaha :laugh:

- Landen Scott

I'm not from Connecticut but I just googled "endocrinologist Connecticut transgender care" and came up with the following.

Dr. ILJA Hulinsky, PhD, MD
755 Campbell Avenue
Westhaven, CT. 06516
Phone : (203) 374-4490

I suggest giving them a call and see if they can point you in the right direction.
Best of luck to you.

Hugs
Bethany

Landen,

Can you get up to Boston? I don't know too much about it, but the Fenway Community Health Center does "informed consent" for T.

You might want to look into that. I'm not sure how that would work for an out-of-state person, but it might be worth a shot.

Good luck!

Thank you !!!

Good call on Fenway Health Andy, I go there myself. I just wonder if out of state insurance would be covered there.  You can call and find out

Landen, The number for Fenway Health is 617-927-6202 (New Clients)
                                                              617-927-6204 (Psychiatry)

   Thank you Bethany !!!!

Your very welcome Landen, Best of luck to you.

If your psychologist is willing to write the letter for you, Dr. Browne-Martin at Baystate (which is just over the border into Springfield) is a heck of a lot closer to CT than Boston is, and does very nearly informed consent - she likes the letter on file to cover her butt, but doesn't actually use it. She's fantastic, and treats a lot of trans men in the CT/MA area.

Do you have the number to her office as well???...the more doctors the better chances of me getting one that will give me the OK for T :)

Just googled her and this is what I found.

How to Contact Dr. Browne-Martin
2 Medical Center Dr Suite 210
Springfield, MA 01107
(413) 734-4661 (Office)
(413) 737-1930 (Fax)

Thank you Everyone !!!   :D

Yep, that looks like her numbers. :) Thanks, Bethany!

[edited to remove something that I suppose could get the dr. in trouble] We also live in CT, actually, but our insurance is through MA so she was the most convenient. Baystate is fantastic, too - labs, specialists, etc. all in one huge complex.

Does anyone know about how much an Endo Doctors appointment are ? I have Aetna insurance through my college. I know T isn't that expensive . Thank You, You all are so helpful.

Quote from: blueconstancy on March 05, 2013, 08:05:05 PM
Yep, that looks like her numbers. :) Thanks, Bethany!

Your welcome, Glad to help.

Quote from: cezcal20 on March 05, 2013, 08:12:25 PM
Does anyone know about how much an Endo Doctors appointment are ? I have Aetna insurance through my college. I know T isn't that expensive . Thank You, You all are so helpful.

Call and ask would be your best bet

I was just wondering because i'm only a sophomore in college , so i would only have the insurance through my school for two more years then thats it. Would i still be able to get T in the future if i was already using ( past a year ) it but my insurance through the school ran out. Do i have to keep going back to the doctor every 6 months to get refills or do i just go to Walgreens..etc to the T , after a year ?? Just asking cause i dont know how thing whole process works.

- Landen Scott

I go to Callen-Lorde in NYC. It works for me.

Okay so i called Dr. ILJA Hulinsky, PhD, MD in West Haven. $275 for an appointment and $125 after that and i still need to go get a letter she said -__________- . Why must this be so difficult, its my body. I dont want to spend $100s of just to get a permission slip ..... on top of the $400+ 

Landen can't the psychologist you see at your school who you are already out to write you the letter of recommendation? Have you even asked her?

@Bethany, i asked her today and she said i need a clinical Psychologist to get a letter. She is looking around the new haven area for me.  This is her info : http://www.southernct.edu/counseling/staff/drjuliealiefeld/ (http://www.southernct.edu/counseling/staff/drjuliealiefeld/)

But i did call this Doctor : http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/prof_detail.php?profid=116092&sid=1362603090.8391_18131&city=New+Haven&county=New+Haven&state=CT&spec=187 (http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/prof_detail.php?profid=116092&sid=1362603090.8391_18131&city=New+Haven&county=New+Haven&state=CT&spec=187)

and she said that she is going to research if she can write me a letter or not and what the whole process is. She will call me back with in a week. So im hopeful. She sounded very nice on the phone and was eager to help me :)

I just wish i didnt NEED a letter.....if we can vote, get a tattoo, smoke and fight for our country at 18 ( i'm 22) , why must i have a ( permission slip) letter saying i can and can not do with MY body....

My friend gave me the name of the person he got this letter from:

Robina Altbrandt LCSW MPH
New Haven, CT
Phone : (203) 640-6564
Email : robinaalt@earthlink.net
"I am an experienced transgender therapist."

I also found this one:

Irwin Krieger, LCSW
357 Whitney Avenue
New Haven, CT. 06511
Phone : (203) 776-1966
Email : irwin.krieger@sbcglobal.net
Email : irwin@gay-therapy-ct.com
Website : http://www.gay-therapy-ct.com/transgender.html (http://www.gay-therapy-ct.com/transgender.html)
Providing evaluation, psychotherapy, referral and support for transgender youth and adults, and their families.

Apparently they have to have a "LCSW" in order for you to get a letter and a referral to the Endo Doctor.

Quote from: cezcal20 on March 06, 2013, 03:12:58 PM
Irwin Krieger, LCSW
357 Whitney Avenue
New Haven, CT. 06511
Phone : (203) 776-1966
Email : irwin.krieger@sbcglobal.net
Email : irwin@gay-therapy-ct.com
Website : http://www.gay-therapy-ct.com/transgender.html (http://www.gay-therapy-ct.com/transgender.html)
Providing evaluation, psychotherapy, referral and support for transgender youth and adults, and their families.

Apparently they have to have a "LCSW" in order for you to get a letter and a referral to the Endo Doctor.

I had the 'privilege' of working with this guy. I would not recommend going to him unless you absolutely have to.

Just think about how big of a decision this is to switch genders. The doctors need to know that you have thought this out, and that it's the right thing for you.

In essence they are covering their backs with the letter of recommendation.

I'm from western mass so I go to J. Aleah Nesteby at the Baystate Health Center in Springfield which depending on where in Connecticut you live could be close. She uses informed consent and she's awesome. This is not an easy thing to do and she's been incredible during the whole process.

A reminder, you are personally and legally responsible for all comments made about medical professionals or facilities. If subpoenaed, this site will release your communications.  Thank you, hugs, Devlyn

Quote from: spacerace on March 06, 2013, 03:23:08 PM
those therapists are injecting themselves into the process unnecessarily to get clients. 

if you genuinely want/need to talk to a therapist about being trans, or transitioning, or whatever - that's fine, go to one, better a specialist in trans people than another for that purpose.

but really - if you just want to get on hormones ASAP, you don't need to spend the time or money on a therapist.  here is what you do:

go here: http://www.glma.org/ (http://www.glma.org/)
use their provider search to get a list of GLBT doctors in your area

look up the name of the doctor listed, so you can see their website to find out their specialty.  If they are a primary care doctor or an endo, call them. Say, "does dr. soandso work with transgender patients?  If they act confused like they don't know, say, nevermind thank you.  If they say yes, ask them the same questions you asked the one you called before.

again, if you just want to talk a therapist, that's cool and perfectly understandable - definitely call one of them.  it is probably not a bad idea anyway, transitioning is a lot to handle.

Thank you!! This is what i was looking for :)
This is what it came up with :
https://glmaimpak.networkats.com/members_online_new/members/dir_provider.asp?action=profile&location_type=Z&address_zip=06517&address_zip_radius=10&address_state_code=CT&address_city=Hamden&country_name=United+States&ind_id=3002 (https://glmaimpak.networkats.com/members_online_new/members/dir_provider.asp?action=profile&location_type=Z&address_zip=06517&address_zip_radius=10&address_state_code=CT&address_city=Hamden&country_name=United+States&ind_id=3002)

I am looking for a person with an MD ? right? not a LSCW....

This will save me so much money :) and time haha

Thank you !

Okay so everyone i have called so far has said i need a "letter" or a referral from a doctor in order to start T. I'm going to call this Endo from Yale Hospital that the lady said she works with trans people. I'm about ready to give up -_________-

Quote from: cezcal20 on March 07, 2013, 12:26:09 PM
Okay so everyone i have called so far has said i need a "letter" or a referral from a doctor in order to start T. I'm going to call this Endo from Yale Hospital that the lady said she works with trans people. I'm about ready to give up -_________-

Callen-Lorde uses sliding scale. They don't exactly require a letter, however they will give you a general basic psych evaluation.

Yale doctor just said no also...

don't get too frustrated - you are making progress towards your goals just by beginning this process

I'd check out the place Nygeel listed.  Do people in New England go to NYC for stuff all the time even if it is not that close by? 

if they all want letters, that sucks. next step would be to find a therapist that is the least likely to drag it out in order to get you a letter.  You might be able to find one who will do it in 1 - 2 sessions.  Who knows, maybe it will be good for you to talk things out a bit anyways - think positively

did you talk to these people?  they can probably answer questions about finding a therapist or a doctor, and they have a trans support group

http://www.hglhc.org/index.htm (http://www.hglhc.org/index.htm)

I called Callen-Lorde and im put on a 6 weeks waiting list for an appointment and i can get on T within 2 visits :)