So my first therapy appointment went extremely well! It was amazing talking with someone who understands who I really am! So we also discussed hormones. And she wants me to figure out what I want in recommendation letter so she can send it to an endocrinologist. so what does a good letter look like?
Congratulations :)
A letter may mention a persistent feeling of being the opposite gender than your birth sex. Also, dysphoria related to having the wrong body and a desire to change your body to match your gender with HRT or CHT (cross hormone therapy). Furthermore, she may mention that her observations and belief is that HRT will be a correct coarse of action for her patient.
http://indianatransgendernetwork.com/resources/medical-info/hrt/sample-referral-letters-for-hormone-therapy-and-gender-confirming-surgeries/
I used this from Indiana Transgender Network although I live in Washington. My Therapist used it and all seemed to go well with the prescribing Doc. I don't know if this becomes a hyperlink or you have to cut and paste.
The letter for HRT from that link is pretty much what my therapist wrote. My doctor was good with it and he's treated a lot of trans people here in Georgia.
My own, as well as other formats I've seen online also go into the therapist qualifications and experience with TG clients to help cover all the bases. After all, this is a CYA letter for the prescribing doc who carries the burden of any liabilities.
I never got to see my letter. It went straight from the psychologist to the endo. Whatever it said though it worked.
It is a very well formulated German letter and I will do a quick and dirty translation, I hope that it is not to crude.
My letter was something like this:
<Surname> Theresa is since July 2015 with diagnosis of IDC F64.0 respectively DSM blalbla in Psychotherapy in my practice.
This statement is in female form to honor my patients feeling even though my patient is still registered in male form.
The reason for psychotherapy is an ongoing transident feeling since childhood that my patient consistently tried to suppress. My client has a strong discomfort with her assigned gender at birth and wishes to live an be accepted as a member of the opposite gender. She wants to start HRT. Further planned are the change of the civil status, a name change and GRS.
Psychotherapeutic, clinical-psychological and psychiatric diagnosis: IDC-10, F64.0 MtF
From current point of view it is very unlikely that the sense of belonging to the desired gender as woman will change.
A short summary of the treatment. Like when did I visit the other shrinks (Clinical psychologist and Psychiatrist)and their diagnosis.
From psychotherapeutical view there is no objection to start HRT. As case leading psychotherapist I confirm consensus with <mentioning shrinks again> the diagnosis of F64.0 MtF and the possible start of cross gender hormone therapy.
I'm starting to think that my therapist isnt the most knowledgeable, as getting her to agree to HRT was too easy. I don't think she asked enough questions to correctly diagnose me as a transexual. Did anybody else think that? I do have other therapist that I could go to if need be.
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This is the one time you need to diagnose yourself. The main function of a therapist is to ensure you are not overlooking anything and to determine that you don't have another condition that could cloud your judgement. Informed consent clinics make this judgement with an hour session so for most people, getting a HRT letter should require more than a few sessions. However I am not speaking from my history because I was close to 4 years total therapy before getting my letter. Talk about a waste of money.
Quote from: Dena on July 30, 2016, 12:48:22 PM
This is the one time you need to diagnose yourself. The main function of a therapist is to ensure you are not overlooking anything and to determine that you don't have another condition that could cloud your judgement. Informed consent clinics make this judgement with an hour session so for most people, getting a HRT letter should require more than a few sessions. However I am not speaking from my history because I was close to 4 years total therapy before getting my letter. Talk about a waste of money.
So I should probably see a new therapist then.
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Unless you have a problem I don't know about, it sounds like this therapist is working well for you. HRT functions so slow you have a good deal of time to explore yourself and if you are comfortable working with this one, I don't see a problem. My 4 years were the result of neither the my therapist or me having a clue what we were doing. Knowing what I know now, I could have greatly reduced the 8 years I spent in treatment without altering the quality of treatment.
Quote from: supergirl23 on July 30, 2016, 12:39:52 PM
I'm starting to think that my therapist isnt the most knowledgeable, as getting her to agree to HRT was too easy. I don't think she asked enough questions to correctly diagnose me as a transexual. Did anybody else think that? I do have other therapist that I could go to if need be.
From my point of view you need to feel comfortable with you decision.
It took me six months of psychotherapy and the visits of the two other docs to fulfill the social security requirements to get my letter but due to this requirements I had enough "talk time" to sort out my feelings. To become comfortable and be sure that this is what I want and need for my future life.