I had my first meeting with gender therapist in late October, but my next appointment is in January and I can't wait that long anymore. I need to talk about stuff, and not just about trans issues either.

The reason that it's so far off is because her schedule is backed up since more patients are coming out as trans and seeking treatment - at least, according to her. I'm hoping that things will be normal after January comes around, and I'll see her every other week, but I honestly doubt it. Thinking of changing/seeing someone else soon since the wait is killing me.

As the title says, how often do you see your therapist?

My therapist always schedules our next appointment at the end of our meeting.  I tend to look in my future schedule, and estimate how stressful things will be.  When my dysphoria was the worst, I would schedule an appointment in the next week.  Nowadays, I try to see them between monthly and twice a month.  Of course... when I can't afford therapy, I have to skip. 

I was weekly and then monthly before it disappeared. Truth be told during the time I still had therapy part of what I did was exactly what Sparrow does which is take account of what is coming up that might be stressful on me. Hugs
Mariah

Although I don't feel like I need to talk to someone other than to ask them about the procedure and "what's next" in transition, there is a person I'm supposed to see three times. I'm not actually sure what she is, psychiatrist, psychologist, gender therapist or what because she says she can't "diagnose" or give any affirmation of my condition for me. But she asks questions about what I think is wrong with me and writes a lot of stuff down when I answer, supposedly to pass on to doctors/specialists next?

The first session was last month, the next is late this month. It's a fairly long drive to get there so I'm kind of glad they're not too close together.

Hey Toddin,

You might find it a good idea to book a few sessions at a time. That way you can keep it reasonably current. Spacing s of a fortnight are usually good. Gives you time to focus on what was said and work through it.

I now visit mine once a year for a check up from the neck up. Never hurts. Keeps me on track.

Speak to you as soon as I mop the front verandah

Huggs
Catherine

I see my therapist every 2-3 weeks. Offhand I'd say only 1 out of 3 sessions are directly TG related. Many times I feel I am wasting her's and my own time with my "broken record, wow is me". There is a LOT on my plate whose priorities put me between a rock and a hard place and are higher then some possible future transition.  Plus I still have baggage I still carry from a good 40-50 years of stuffing any/all emotions as well as a major hope/wish/dream. I'm still around, so I figure seeing her helps.

TBH-When I first started therapy 6 years ago the sole reason was baggage issues developed over decades of how I was NOT handling being trans. All I had access to was a generalist that was somewhat T knowledgeable, which for the boonies was great. Since moving back to the NYC metro area I've been a gender therapist. She has been a lot better at helping with the steamer trunks that remained

Quote from: Toddin3D on November 08, 2015, 12:29:28 AM
I had my first meeting with gender therapist in late October, but my next appointment is in January and I can't wait that long anymore. I need to talk about stuff, and not just about trans issues either.

The reason that it's so far off is because her schedule is backed up since more patients are coming out as trans and seeking treatment - at least, according to her. I'm hoping that things will be normal after January comes around, and I'll see her every other week, but I honestly doubt it. Thinking of changing/seeing someone else soon since the wait is killing me.

As the title says, how often do you see your therapist?

Just, no, that is nuts!

That's like three whole freakin' months of never being able to talk like that to someone who can actually help you with this.

I had my first real session with the right therapist just a couple weeks ago and will be seeing him again tomorrow. Back then, I probably would have thought that even that was too long of a wait. But since my mood has improved tremendously ever since I came out, I feel like I could actually get by much easier without therapy for a little while longer.

But damn, three whole months of no therapy??? Is there someone else you could see at her practice as a sort of substitute to get you through those three long months just until she returns to her normal scheduling? Cause this is duck crap ridiculous!

Hang in there...that's all I can say...or consider another therapist. This is about you getting better, not waiting for nothing and getting worse.

~Nixy~

twice a month for me. like JoanneB I'm an older gal (58) and have a train load of baggage that needs to be opened up and examined. my work schedule only allows twice a month visits. sometimes I think weekly sessions wouldn't hurt. so far therapy has been a very positive experience

Quote from: lostcharlie on November 08, 2015, 09:11:53 AM
twice a month for me. like JoanneB I'm an older gal (58) and have a train load of baggage that needs to be opened up and examined. my work schedule only allows twice a month visits. sometimes I think weekly sessions wouldn't hurt. so far therapy has been a very positive experience

I'm glad in the end, the therapy sessions are doing you alot of good it sounds like.

But you ever considered doing therapy over Skype or something like that? I hear alot of people are doing this now. Not only does it make the availability of appointments a whole lot easier but it feels more discreet and less anxious too.

I would try this myself if I had the money to pay the therapist by the hour. All the therapists I know of in Florida who have this as an option always charge by the hour..like $150.00/hour! Man, I can't do that right now. Not when I like only get $50.00 spending money for the whole friggin' month from a very stingy, unsupportive, narcissistic and hateful payee representative for my SSI.

Luckily my therapist charges based off of my income. He's SUPER generous, is all I can say!

~Nixy~

Being from the UK, where we don't have therapists, we have three or more assessment sessions of an hour. I have never had or been offered a therapy session.

I originally started therapy due to depression which was causing me to eat myself to death - at first it was weekly - after session two therapist asked me if I felt transgendered as she thought that might be causing the depression - I still wonder how she picked that up after two sessions but it was the start of a new path - had 2 more weekly sessions and then went monthly for a year - now just see her occasionally (maybe 2 or 3 times a year)

be well
jenifer

Quote from: King Phoenix on November 08, 2015, 08:05:27 AM
Just, no, that is nuts!

That's like three whole freakin' months of never being able to talk like that to someone who can actually help you with this.

I had my first real session with the right therapist just a couple weeks ago and will be seeing him again tomorrow. Back then, I probably would have thought that even that was too long of a wait. But since my mood has improved tremendously ever since I came out, I feel like I could actually get by much easier without therapy for a little while longer.

But damn, three whole months of no therapy??? Is there someone else you could see at her practice as a sort of substitute to get you through those three long months just until she returns to her normal scheduling? Cause this is duck crap ridiculous!

Hang in there...that's all I can say...or consider another therapist. This is about you getting better, not waiting for nothing and getting worse.

~Nixy~

According to the person that screened me over the phone, the therapist I saw was the "only one available with training and experience with transgender individuals". I honestly think that there might be a couple of other therapists like her, but they must be either unavailable or don't nearly have as much experience as she does. To top it off, Kaiser doesn't have a big supply of therapists.

I most likely have to either (A) look for therapists outside of Kaiser, but I don't have the money for that, (B) look for a therapist that has little to no experience with transgender individuals, or (C) deal with it and wait a little longer.

At the moment, I'm looking at Option "C" because I made the just made mistake of asking my mother about how to look for therapists in the Kaiser database. Great, now she knows and will look into my KP inbox (since she has the insurance plan and everything, most of our family is connected/reliant on her and thus she can see our emails). UGH. ->-bleeped-<-ing no privacy, I swear.

Anyway, right now I have to wait for my doctor to come back from her leave (on the 18th) and give her a phone call to ask for a referral to a different therapist (how awkward, yay). I don't want to give anyone else a phone call and get screened again, because the last time I brought up my issues, no one took me seriously and they just offered pills (Prozac) to make me shut up. Heck, it's been years and nobody asked how I was doing in that subject (heck I only took Prozac for one day and that's it) until I visited the gender therapist. GOD I hate Kaiser and the entirety of its staff.

Quote from: Toddin3D on November 08, 2015, 01:54:55 PM
According to the person that screened me over the phone, the therapist I saw was the "only one available with training and experience with transgender individuals". I honestly think that there might be a couple of other therapists like her, but they must be either unavailable or don't nearly have as much experience as she does. To top it off, Kaiser doesn't have a big supply of therapists.

I most likely have to either (A) look for therapists outside of Kaiser, but I don't have the money for that, (B) look for a therapist that has little to no experience with transgender individuals, or (C) deal with it and wait a little longer.

At the moment, I'm looking at Option "C" because I made the just made mistake of asking my mother about how to look for therapists in the Kaiser database. Great, now she knows and will look into my KP inbox (since she has the insurance plan and everything, most of our family is connected/reliant on her and thus she can see our emails). UGH. ->-bleeped-<-ing no privacy, I swear.

Anyway, right now I have to wait for my doctor to come back from her leave (on the 18th) and give her a phone call to ask for a referral to a different therapist (how awkward, yay). I don't want to give anyone else a phone call and get screened again, because the last time I brought up my issues, no one took me seriously and they just offered pills (Prozac) to make me shut up. Heck, it's been years and nobody asked how I was doing in that subject (heck I only took Prozac for one day and that's it) until I visited the gender therapist. GOD I hate Kaiser and the entirety of its staff.

Hey, man, I'm really sorry about what you are going through. I can only imagine how hard this must be for you. May I ask how old you are? If you are at least old enough to work, I would say save up some money and become independent. I'm finding out that having money and independence means your freedom. Do you live with your mother? If so, I swear I can relate with you and I am 26. But I live with my pops. He is very controlling also. He wants to know all of the doctors I am seeing and what we talk about. And its like, dude, the man wants total control of me even my finances and meal times! I only eat when he says I can. If I try to eat when he is in the kitchen juicing for six to eight plus hours a day, he screams at me to get out and go to my room. I feel like I will collapse on this computer right now as I am typing because all I ate so far today was some vanilla wafers about 7 this morning and here it is 3 in thee afternoon and he has been juicing ever since.  I literally have to ask, "Hey, Dad, can I eat?" This is bat ->-bleeped-<- psychopathy right here!

And you do not have to take medicine if that is what you do not want. Even if you are a minor. Its ultimately up to you whether or not you want to take those or not cause its your body.

Also, you need to apply for your own insurance if you are no longer a minor. Have you actually looked into that? Maybe go on a website like psychology today and look up providers there. Try everything you can think of that will possibly help you even if you think its a waste of time. Cause whatchu got to lose, dude? And I am in the same boat as you. It took me months to find a therapist. But I kept at it and finally found one who accepts payment based on low income. If you really desire change than you will risk almost anything to achieve it.

You need to get in touch with a case manager or social worker. They can be very helpful in a time like this. But that doesn't mean a free pass. You still will fail quite a but before you succeed. You gotta keep at it and never give up!^^

~Nixy~

Quote from: King Phoenix on November 08, 2015, 02:39:23 PM
Hey, man, I'm really sorry about what you are going through. I can only imagine how hard this must be for you. May I ask how old you are? If you are at least old enough to work, I would say save up some money and become independent. I'm finding out that having money and independence means your freedom. Do you live with your mother? If so, I swear I can relate with you and I am 26. But I live with my pops. He is very controlling also. He wants to know all of the doctors I am seeing and what we talk about. And its like, dude, the man wants total control of me even my finances and meal times! I only eat when he says I can. If I try to eat when he is in the kitchen juicing for six to eight plus hours a day, he screams at me to get out and go to my room. I feel like I will collapse on this computer right now as I am typing because all I ate so far today was some vanilla wafers about 7 this morning and here it is 3 in thee afternoon and he has been juicing ever since.  I literally have to ask, "Hey, Dad, can I eat?" This is bat ->-bleeped-<- psychopathy right here!

And you do not have to take medicine if that is what you do not want. Even if you are a minor. Its ultimately up to you whether or not you want to take those or not cause its your body.

Also, you need to apply for your own insurance if you are no longer a minor. Have you actually looked into that? Maybe go on a website like psychology today and look up providers there. Try everything you can think of that will possibly help you even if you think its a waste of time. Cause whatchu got to lose, dude? And I am in the same boat as you. It took me months to find a therapist. But I kept at it and finally found one who accepts payment based on low income. If you really desire change than you will risk almost anything to achieve it.

You need to get in touch with a case manager or social worker. They can be very helpful in a time like this. But that doesn't mean a free pass. You still will fail quite a but before you succeed. You gotta keep at it and never give up!^^

~Nixy~

I'm 20 and I live with my mother. I'm covered by her health plan until the age of 26, which is super valuable because of the large time span and it completely covers top surgery and hormone treatment. As much as I hate Kaiser, at least I got that going for me. So, I might as well milk that for a bit. I do plan on leaving after college is done, because by that time I'll have a degree and have a job that'll actually support me when I live on my own. The field that I'm going into has a high demand for workers and decent pay, but I still have a few more classes to complete for my GE and then transferring to a university to complete my major.

I do have a job right now, but it's only a measly $200 a month and it requires me to stick around the house. So, I have to rely on that and also helping out grandma for saving up cash. Better than nothing though.

Woo boy, I know what you mean about a controlling father. I don't live with him anymore though, but the control is still there. I don't know that much about his life, but simply put, he's trying to get his life back together and getting better. Hopefully he'll be completely on his feet next year, he seems pretty close too.

Thanks for mentioning PsychologyToday, I totally forgot about it. I'll definitely look there.

When do I go to therapy?

That really depends on how stubborn I am, my work schedule and what is really bothering me.

Believe it or not - when work is stressful or very busy, my thoughts on being trans can be shrugged off. It is when i am not very busy, when I think about it all the time and other cracks appear.

Take care

I'm based in the UK, but I've been paying out of my own pocket to see my therapist for just over a year now. At the start it was weekly, it moved to monthly when I tried to pause any further transition, but now back to fortnightly. An hour each time.

Megan.

Quote from: JoanneB on November 08, 2015, 07:54:04 AM
Plus I still have baggage I still carry from a good 40-50 years of stuffing any/all emotions as well as a major hope/wish/dream. I'm still around, so I figure seeing her helps.

Ditto.

I'm still going once a week, but I have met some people using different insurance/medical systems who were going once a month. When I first started, I was so desperate and screwed up that I had to go twice a week and literally didn't know whether I could survive a week off when he went on vacation. I'm obviously feeling much better now...in fact, I'm thinking of cutting back to once every two weeks now. Maybe after I get through hysto.