I was just wondering how many sessions with my therapist would I need to qualify for SRS or any surgeries. In order to get hormones I went once a week for ten weeks. Then I got my letter. He told me I needed to go to him for a year. I understand that. At first he wanted me to go to him once a week for a year. I can't afford that!! So he said I could go every other week. Still seems a bit much. I have not gone the past few weeks due to the lack of funds. I thought once a month would be good. I don't have insurance so I am paying out of pocket. I really like him. He is a FTM. When I was going to him every week I was struggling on what to say to him. I find it easier to just ask him how he is doing.

If I am not mistaken the WPATH SOCs say there should be a one year Real life experience requirement that has to be met and two therapists (one a psychiatrist or psychologist) have to co sign the SRS letter. I just started my one year Full Time period one week ago. Hopefully someone with better info will write you shortly. Good luck!

Quote from: Jessica Merriman on January 19, 2014, 12:58:36 PM
If I am not mistaken the WPATH SOCs say there should be a one year Real life experience requirement that has to be met and two therapists (one a psychiatrist or psychologist) have to co sign the SRS letter. I just started my one year Full Time period one week ago. Hopefully someone with better info will write you shortly. Good luck!

I'm not better informed , but this has been my understanding, I don't know if there is a specific number of sessions

You have to go a year! That seems like pure gate keeping. I hope things turnout for you in a good way. I finally got a reply from the gender centre in Adelaide, they need me to go up there three times in a three month period. However I can not afford it. Plus I need to see a local GP... which two have refused to get on board with. So I am in limbo now
too

The SOC has no specified minimum number of visits. I personally have around 55 visits over the last two years.

Quote from: Missy~rmdlm on January 19, 2014, 04:55:59 PM
The SOC has no specified minimum number of visits. I personally have around 55 visits over the last two years.

This is true. Each doctor will have there own tests that you must do before they are willing to write you the letters.

Sorry to say it comes down to you the most. When you start full time, when you change your name, when you keep or change your job in the new gender, when you live that whole year with out stoping and returning back to the old gender. That is your test to prove to yourself that this is the path you wish to live. It is hard as ell but if you show the doctors this is your path in life they will be more then glad to give you the letters needed.

One last thing, check with what ever doctor you will be doing your GCS with and see if they have anything else they wish you to have before. Everyone has there own requirements

Lots of luck
Isabell

Ive been full time for a year, and I havnt seen my therpist since I started HRT, it wasnt till I wanted my srs approval letters that I seen both of them again. And they gave it to me that visit.  They just fallowed up with some friends and relatives on if I stuck to being full time, my general mind set through out the year, and how they felt I fit into my role I was assuming.     I just gotta come up with the 5k to get the surgery now.

Quote from: Nicolet J. on January 19, 2014, 12:41:37 PM
 
...In order to get hormones I went once a week for ten weeks. Then I got my letter. He told me I needed to go to him for a year...

According to the SoC (Page 41) neither psychotherapy nor ongoing counseling is required for the initiation of HRT. Strictly speaking, since you have your letter, you don't have to see him again if you don't want to. Since he's been through the process himself he should be aware of that, so I have no idea why he'd say you 'need' to see him for a year.

For SRS you require two letters from two different doctors (or one letter signed by two doctors). Your original doctor would be one of the two.

There's no minimum of sessions. I was cleared for HRT/RLE after four and then was told that I was 100% guaranteed to get my SRS letter after my *mandatory* RLE. I have only done a total of 12 sessions with my doc and 1/4 of those were up front. I have another therapist that I see for other reasons and she's my second letter for SRS but I don't see her for GD stuff and she's irritated that I keep messing up my money and thus, delaying my, at this point, doctor-ordered surgery.

Every case is unique and every person has their own mess to sort out. I've seen two GID specialists and they were wonderful people who really understood the needs, mindset, and readiness of their patients. If you're not getting cleared for the next bit yet, you're probably not ready.

P.S. - Do your year of RLE. Really. You *neeed* to go through that before committing to permanently altering your anatomy. The questions that come up while you're going through it are crucial to your well being and it's my personal opinion that not going through it properly and with care could screw you up even if you *were* cut out for SRS.

What everyone else has said is true there is no specified number of visits required, The SOC (standards of care) states you have to have been fulltime also known as RLT, for 1 year, and you need to have (2) letters from a psychiatrist, psychologist, certified gender specialist, or a combination of, and no one letter with 2 signatures will not work.

I am post-op and had to deal with the letters before I had the surgery.

Thanks for all your input.  I know I am not ready yet. I am not trying to rush things. Even though if I could get it all done tomorrow I would.  I definitely want to do things right. As of now I am living as me full time. But I still need to do the legal name change. 

I think it varies wildly person to person. I got my srs letter after one visit, I never saw a therapist for hrt. The New Zealand health system has it's flaws but, it's been plain sailing for me.

Went to the therapist two days prior to SRS. I sat there drew pictures of men and women and told him flat out I though it was a crock of ->-bleeped-<- that I was even talking to him. That was the one any only time I ever went to a therapist.

Katie

PS I might add that in the SOC there is a passage that says some people don't need therapy. Just pointing out what the thing says.

Like Katie, I told my therapist I already knew my gender, and didn't need another party to confirm it. She gave me my HRT letter.
I asked about SRS, and RLE. She said my RLE was done, as I had been full time for nearly two years, and to call her for my SRS letter. No further meeting with her nessasary. She said I would need another letter from a psychiatrist, but that was a one time evaluation.
So, in short, one meeting with each.
Things that got me fast tracked- I was fifty four, and fulltime. I live in Canada, where, in general, your legal gender is taken as what you say it is    I was presenting with some serious GD, so my Drs. wanted to get me going PRONTO. I went in very well researched.
I would think a younger patient may meet more gatekeeping, as they really want to dot their I's and cross their T's before consenting. Good luck!

The big thing for you Paula is you were living full time. Contrary to what some people here think the real world lives by the "put your money where your mouth is" sort of philosophy. If a guy walks into a therapists office and tells the therapist he is a woman........ well that goes back to me telling all of you I am transpecies and becoming a zebra. Nobody seems to believe me though............

Finally I know there are people here that are going to take what I am saying as negative and that's totally ok. I am not talking to them they can continue to think whatever they want............but then have they transitioned? I did so its actually from the zebras mouth...............


Katie

Quote from: Katie on January 24, 2014, 10:09:21 AM
The big thing for you Paula is you were living full time. Contrary to what some people here think the real world lives by the "put your money where your mouth is" sort of philosophy. If a guy walks into a therapists office and tells the therapist he is a woman........ well that goes back to me telling all of you I am transpecies and becoming a zebra. Nobody seems to believe me though............

Finally I know there are people here that are going to take what I am saying as negative and that's totally ok. I am not talking to them they can continue to think whatever they want............but then have they tnansitioned? I did so its actually from the zebras mouth...............


Katie

Oh I see, so actually my doctor should have had me 'put my money where my mouth was' and hand me a knife when I first went in for depression so that I could prove that I was depressed. Yes that is [/b]exactly[/b] the kind of logic you are using. Posting the same insulting drivel again doesn't make you any more right, and adding the '...but have they transitioned? I did...' holier than thou attitude sure as hell doesn't make your view any more valid.