Over the past many years I have been on and off SRS hormones achieving them through mainly non traditional channels and non prescription Web sites.. Over the past 6 mos I have finally decided to fully complete my mtf HRT...  I realize that in the world of gender transitioning the idea of seeing a therapist in order to achieve clearance for HRT, if you will, can be a split decision.... I've done my homework... I've done my research... I know within close proximity what E and anti T to take ,and how much I must take daily .. and well to be perfectly blunt...it's my body and my mind.  Personally, I feel that it's offensive that in order to follow protocol I must convince a therapist that I am the woman I know that I am inside... I realize that this position will ruffle a few feathers and possible may even get me lectured .... But I'm wondering what others feel.... Is therapy really truly necessary or is it just a legal satisfaction hoop to jump through? Because despite the increase in financial cost to achieving hormone supplements and random blood work checks I don't see why I must protest my position to a therapist to become fully ME..??

Thoughts??

Well, for one thing, many actually, it's cheaper doing it the right way. For starters, by being monitored, you insure that you do get the proper dosage and don't destroy any vital organs. You know, you do only have one of some of those things. Secondly, at least here in the US, by going thru a Doctor, the HRT meds are actually pretty cheap, much cheaper than the method you are employing now. Thirdly, therapy is a good thing. While you may view this as 'gatekeeping', just get past it and accept it and move on.  If you're thinking of any future surgery such as BA, SRS/GCS,  you'll need to do the therapy thing anyhow.  And all of this is part of really coming to terms with accepting who you are. Just my two cents here.

A good therapist is going to be supportive and not adversarial in general. There's quite a few therapists and docs out there that follow the informed consent model, in which they put most of the decisions in your hands and take more of a guidance role without any of the obstructive gate keeping behavior.

I have an awesome therapist, and going to her was one of the best decisions I ever made. 

If done the on/off and diy route also. I finally went 'Legit' a few months back after 5 years on HRT. I found that in the world of injectables there is between what I was getting and locally produced. Tenderness became like when I first started

Quote from: ErinS on July 05, 2014, 09:12:20 AM
A good therapist is going to be supportive and not adversarial in general. There's quite a few therapists and docs out there that follow the informed consent model, in which they put most of the decisions in your hands and take more of a guidance role without any of the obstructive gate keeping behavior.

I have an awesome therapist, and going to her was one of the best decisions I ever made. 

This was pretty much my response to the OP as well. 

My therapist has been a wealth of information to me and very supportive as well. 

Therapy is less about gatekeeping as it is about making sure you don't destroy the unreplaceable pieces of your insides during HRT, and to help cope with stress and everyday dysphoria, my therapists only sees me once a month but she told me to seek stress counseling and I do that weekly. It has helped soooo much. You really SHOULD go to therapy.

I might as well be the one person in the thread to say I really don't like therapists. Mostly because they are currently the biggest obstacle in my transition, medically speaking. I can't afford to go to therapy. I'm dirt poor. I *might* be able to afford the hormones (according to a few peoples' estimates on how much they'd cost. Others have quoted me "cheap" prices that are still out of my range.), but I couldn't afford the therapy sessions. It's particularly frustrating that girls like us have to go through this unnecessary step. I understand that some need therapy to help figure things out, but I did that a LONG time ago. Now I just want to get on with becoming me, but I can't.

Anyway, I'm too much of a paranoid worrier to self-med, so I haven't done that, either.

Quote from: Pikachu on July 06, 2014, 07:18:25 AM
I might as well be the one person in the thread to say I really don't like therapists. Mostly because they are currently the biggest obstacle in my transition, medically speaking. I can't afford to go to therapy. I'm dirt poor. I *might* be able to afford the hormones (according to a few peoples' estimates on how much they'd cost. Others have quoted me "cheap" prices that are still out of my range.), but I couldn't afford the therapy sessions. It's particularly frustrating that girls like us have to go through this unnecessary step. I understand that some need therapy to help figure things out, but I did that a LONG time ago. Now I just want to get on with becoming me, but I can't.

Anyway, I'm too much of a paranoid worrier to self-med, so I haven't done that, either.

I'm not sure where you live, but therapy isn't expensive at all... I'm a college student in Tallahassee, and currently my therapy cost me $10 per session. I do only go once a month but that's because my therapist changed me to that, my stress counseling cost about $30 per session and I do that weekly.

Quote from: ThePersona on July 06, 2014, 08:59:10 AM
I'm not sure where you live, but therapy isn't expensive at all... I'm a college student in Tallahassee, and currently my therapy cost me $10 per session. I do only go once a month but that's because my therapist changed me to that, my stress counseling cost about $30 per session and I do that weekly.

I have $20 a month to spend... Seriously, only $10? Are you sure that isn't after insurance or some other mitigating factor that I don't have the benefit of?

Quote from: Pikachu on July 06, 2014, 09:08:30 AM
I have $20 a month to spend... Seriously, only $10? Are you sure that isn't after insurance or some other mitigating factor that I don't have the benefit of?

I'm sure because my insurance denied me coverage, also when getting a job don't be afraid to ask how much you earn monthly/yearly, if they ask why just tell them medical reasons. For me I need $2,750 p/year and I make roughly $5,000 p/year. Knowing how much you make and how much you need always helps, especially when choosing between 2 jobs. I also find some extra work acting at the Florida Repertory Theatre in Orlando (3 hours from where I live but I love acting) and I was recently in a Pink Venue production of Jekyll 'n' Hyde: A Rap Musical. Point of the story, find how much you need (ask a therapist how much it will cost and if she gives you a weekly value use math to find monthly weekly value x 3 = monthly approximation) then find a job that allows for that much in the spending budget. I'm pretty sure some other people could give better math than that for it, I'm not good at math, I'm studying Theatrical Performance.

If getting a different job was an option, I'd already be doing that.

And I still don't have much hope of affording it... $10 for therapy only leaves me $10 for hormones, plus there's still the issue of finding a place to get either with no transportation.

It's hopeless for me. Some girls will just never be on E, I suppose...

Thanks for caring enough to respond, though. *hugs*

Quote from: Pikachu on July 06, 2014, 07:18:25 AM
I might as well be the one person in the thread to say I really don't like therapists. Mostly because they are currently the biggest obstacle in my transition, medically speaking. I can't afford to go to therapy. I'm dirt poor. I *might* be able to afford the hormones (according to a few peoples' estimates on how much they'd cost. Others have quoted me "cheap" prices that are still out of my range.), but I couldn't afford the therapy sessions. It's particularly frustrating that girls like us have to go through this unnecessary step. I understand that some need therapy to help figure things out, but I did that a LONG time ago. Now I just want to get on with becoming me, but I can't.

Anyway, I'm too much of a paranoid worrier to self-med, so I haven't done that, either.

I understand and sympathize with your situation, but there's more to therapy than just figuring out if you're trans or not. I didn't go to my current one until I had already pretty much accepted it, but she's been very valuable in helping me integrate that realization into the rest of my life and explore just how far I want to go and how to deal with friends and family.

A good therapist is an ally. That doesn't mean they're head nodding rubber stamp yes-men however, as it is their right and duty to gently challenge you if they believe you aren't thinking something all the way through or are proceeding with an erroneous belief. That also is not the same as obstructive gate keeping. Mine questions my statements on occasion, but it's always in a caring and constructive context.

I don't know your life or area, so I'll refrain from telling you what to do. But the above has been my experience that I thought I should share for input for anyone considering therapy.

Yes, I'm aware therapists aren't simply there for the HRT, and I've heard many people make similar statements about how helpful they were with different things. I don't doubt they are, for some. I just don't see myself as one of the ones who would benefit from therapy. I don't need help with coming out -- I'm already out to everyone. I already know how far I want to take my transition. -- It's just financial and other stuff getting in the way of accomplishing my goals.

I just don't see the benefit of having an ally in a therapist. If I want to open up to someone and get others' opinions, it seems to me that's what my friends are for. And I don't have to pay them to listen to me. I also think I'd feel EXTREMELY uncomfortable talking to a stranger about my personal life.