Sometimes I wonder if a large portion of "transgender specialists" are more biased than an open-minded therapist...
I'm curious as to how many of us had to educate our therapists about ->-bleeped-<-. I live in a very small town and it seems like I have no other alternative but to find an open minded therapist willing to learn about transgender issues.
(By the way, thank you for the help Ativan Prescribed)
Questions
How did you educate your therapist? (basic online articles, research documents, or other resources)
How long did it take them to finally "get it"?
Are there any articles you would recommend?
Did you start out with the basics, or give them in depth scientific articles?
-Sky
I didn't have to educate my therapist. She was lesbian and understood me right away. I also felt more comfortable working with a woman than I ever could have with a man.
My TG group is in western MD, aka the hicks. I live 90 miles further out in the hicks. In the area around my TG I was told of 3 therapist that have some sort of exposure. Primarily because of the trails blazed by the other group members. Pretty much they were the first ever real live TG they had to deal with. A lot of "teaching" had to take place.
Even the therapist I see now, who I know has seen a few of the group members for many years before I showed up I need to educate ocassionally. Probably a lot more if my goal was going full-time and SRS. He is not quite what I was hoping for but the alternative for an experience gender therapist is an additional 90 mile drive to Washington DC or Baltimore, or Pittsburgh.
It seems a lot of therapist lump transgender in with gay issues, or LGBT friendly. When I was doing some initial screening it seemed most in the boonies never really had trans clients. The leads from my "local" group yeilded far better results. Still, aside from if you are looking for what I call a "rubber stamper", I cannot recommend the guy I see if you have a lot of questions or concerns.
Quote from: Sarah Louise on April 10, 2013, 01:22:55 PM
I didn't have to educate my therapist. She was lesbian and understood me right away. I also felt more comfortable working with a woman than I ever could have with a man.
This is almost exactly my experience too.
I didn't have to educate my therapist ... she has a ftm brother & trangenderism is her specialty - she attends and gives trainings on the subject. I don't even begin to know how you educate the person
Like the others, I did not have to educate my therapist. He is FtM.
I'm in a liberal town you would ALL recognize and I have to do some training! She's a lesbian and markets to us but is secondary on the known list by gals like us. I chose her for her other therapeutic abilities (solid to very good), and she has other clients currently on the continuum. It underscores that for ALL health care, one must be their own advocate.
During our first meeting, my therapist was pretty clueless even though she had told me she'd had a few other trans clients. She asked me what my plans for the near future were and did some serious research over the 3 weeks between our visits. As busy as she is, she's definitely earned my respect. I wish I could've been able to afford visits to someone who specializes in gender issues, but now that she put the effort into really understanding what was going on I have no problems with continuing on with her.
About 25 years ago i came out to my male therapist, wishing to transition. He did his professional best to talk me into being a gay male. It didn't 'cure' me but sure trashed what little self-esteem that i had at the time.
Forgot until just now... the male electrologist that i was using at the time (1987), made me uncomfortable. Also assumed that i was or should be gay, offering to introduce me to men. Grrrrr i know cis-genetic women deal with this crapola on a daily basis. Doesn't make it any easier
After experiences such as that repeated themselves, I have little ability to trust men. I'm worried anyway that my new female therapist will 'pass' me for both hormones and SRS. Unfounded but i worry nonetheless until the referral letters are actually in my hand.
Good news is my appointment with a new female doctor in Vermont for HRT and regular checkups, for later this month. In Vermont, good doctors have long waiting lists, or are not taking new patients. Only news that could top that? Dr. Nicole is an OB/GYN !!! I'm looking forward to small details such as sitting in her waiting room... ;)
Quote from: Sarah Louise on April 10, 2013, 01:22:55 PM
I didn't have to educate my therapist. She was lesbian and understood me right away. I also felt more comfortable working with a woman than I ever could have with a man.
I had to go to an online therapist since there were none in my area. I didn't have to educate her. She specializes in transgender and sexuality issues.
Thanks, Malachite... it's encouraging to have this fallback position. I simply did not think of it, DUH ;)
Yay for Susans !!!!
Quote from: Malachite on May 02, 2013, 01:39:29 PM
I had to go to an online therapist since there were none in my area. I didn't have to educate her. She specializes in transgender and sexuality issues.
I will have my psychologist and psychiatrist doing Skype meetings after
They meet me..
I didn't have to educate my therapist either. Then again, I went and found one that specifically specialized in gender issues. I never out much stock in the value of therapists before hand. I'd been to many in the past and they never really did me any good. Then again, I never went of my own volition, and when I went I never talked about my feelings in regards to my gender. I always thought that I would be told I was crazy. So when I finally figured out what it was exactly that was going on with me, I knew that I had to find somebody knowledgeable and sympathetic.
My therapist wasn't the first that I went to, even. It took me talking to two others before I found one that I thought was a hood fit for me. I'm lucky in that I live in a fairly large and progressive city and that even I had the luxury of having several to choose from. I'm actually finding it harder to find an endo in the area, which I find strange. :P
My college has a pretty excellent set up in place so the psychologist that I'm seeing probably knows more about the technical/medical side of trans* issues and mental health than I ever will.