Wanting to know just feedback from therapists they have had that live here (or got it here) just to know if they are, well, helpful or not. I don't have much money, so I can't just spend it on unhelpful people (I think everyone should give a short trial session to see if you match up).
I just don't want anyone spouting the same things over and over. And ones that won't instantly label me as too weird to talk to.
I know several people who swear by Anne Vitale, Ph.D. in San Rafael. But there are a pile of people in the area who have lots of experience. Try the LGBT Center in SF, I'll bet somewhere there they have a list.
I saw Valeria Igl in El Cerrito for a while. She's very easy to talk to, works on a sliding scale and will listen to your financial concerns and try to work out something you can afford, and I don't think she'd consider anyone "too weird". She's very pro-diversity, just wants people to be comfortable and confident being themselves.
Therapy sessions are goal-oriented. I don't think you'd feel like you were going nowhere. However, she is experienced in a lot more than trans issues, and if she sees any possible signs of anything else, she'll bring it up. I think it would be possible to get side-tracked and end up covering a lot of ground in addition to being trans. Not necessarily a bad thing.
I think she'd be worth looking into.
Here's the website for her practice:
https://feministtherapyassociates.com/home.html (https://feministtherapyassociates.com/home.html)
Her thoughts on the meaning of "transgender":
https://feministtherapyassociates.com/Transgender.html (https://feministtherapyassociates.com/Transgender.html)
I'll Second Anne Vitale, also Rebecca Auge in Berkeley on Ashby