I began HRT at 19yrs old, transitioned at 20, legally changed named at 22. I am now 26 and will turn 27 in February. I have yet to see a gender therapist so i guess i've been doing my own documentated RLE for the past six years living and working as a woman. But I want SRS and i know to obtain it there is certain protocal that must be followed(like therapy/ counseling to obtain the letters). So my question is: are there any ladies with a similar story who were transitioned for some time more than a year without ever seeing a gender therapist? And when you did seek therapy to obtain letters for surgery did you still have to follow their rules for RLE and wait for surgery? I'm just confused as to how it works when you show up already transitioned and adjusted. Are you put on a faster track to SRS? Any experience and help regarding this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!!!

Not sure about SRS but I had been living full time for 3 years and wanted to start HRT, had to jump through a bunch of hoops, wait about 3 months and multiple therapist visits before she thought I was "ready. Of course after she explained how some of my feeling were the result of my now dead mother or some craziness...

Like you I had never felt any need for "therapy" for this. BTW this therapist was a post-op TS so I would have assumed that after 3 years of living full time someone was pretty sure they wanted to "transition", wait I already had...

You would think already living full time would count for something but I wouldn't assume it will. I think they feel a "fast track" for people like us would = less money they make off therapy sessions.

Hi Aryana,

I am pretty confident saying you could schedule SRS with minimal therapy.  Maybe as little as 2 or 3 visits.

It all depends on finding the right psych, your location, and your choice of surgeon.

I live in the western US and went to Dr Suporn for surgery.  In my experience I saw a general LCSW with
some gender experience for about 6 months when I first started HRT.  I then transitioned and lived for about
two years before I decided to have SRS.  I was able to book surgery, based on answering their basic questions.
There was a 6 month waiting list, I picked a date 9 months out based on my schedule.  I had already picked out
a local psych to work with.  I had probably 10 -  12 sessions with her but I know from the way those went, I could
have had my letter in the first 4-5 hours.  With Dr Suporn you need to provide one letter and then you will have a
quick interview with a psych a day or two before surgery.

I try to only write about my personal experience here, not "I know something because it happened to somebody I
know".  But I know people from my local support groups who have gone to the "right" local psych.  Then gotten
their letters with a significant "unsupervised" RLE (2 - 3 years) and 4 hours of therapy.

Start shopping a surgeon which will take a bit of work.  Start shopping for your psych.  If you have a local support
group ask for suggestions and people's experience with their psychs.  You could also start writing a fairly detailed
life history/essay.  Or if you keep a journal think about if you would be willing to show it to a psych.

There is no reason you should be made to spend lots of time and money in therapy if you don't want it.  Do your
home work, shop, know the latest standards of care, be upfront and firm.  It sound like you have already accomplished
a lot in your life and transition.  You must be an in charge of your life person to have gotten this far. 

I am glad to share any thing I can, just ask.

Best Wishes,
Elaina

Quote from: Stephe on September 23, 2012, 11:22:25 PM
You would think already living full time would count for something but I wouldn't assume it will. I think they feel a "fast track" for people like us would = less money they make off therapy sessions.

What a cynic!  I love it

if the therapist sees you have been fulltime and stable (not multiple personality, schiz, etc), you'll get the letter lickity split

I knew someone who did exactly what you did. She got her first srs letter after one month (3 sessions) and the second letter at a lunch meeting with the second therapist.

yeah. i agree with some of the others. i think you could SRS really soon. i know for me they skipped alot of steps. they said they do that for some people and i think you would be one.