I have an appointment on Monday for counseling, hopefully I can get a letter from this service. If not I don't think I'm going to do it. Lol but I just thought I'd share with you guys cuz I'm excited and I wanted to lol. I thought it was cool that the receptionist who called and scheduled me was named Susan too. I'm going to ask if they can get me a letter for HRT eventually, I'm not 100% sure if they can because this center is an LGBT center and it's cheap. I don't have a job so it's going to be about 37 dollars a year. The fact that it's on a sliding scale makes me feel like they won't be able to help. I'm nervous and rambling, so I'll wrap this up. Wish me luck and I'll post an update on monday when I get home!

Good Move! 

I'm very happy for you, and dare I say, I am proud that you have decided to get counselling. Now it's up to you to be yourself and totally open and honest to the counsellor

Lots of love!

Any counselor with a PhD is qualified to write a letter recommending HRT. Even if your particular counselor doesn't have his/her PhD, they're almost definitely under the supervision of a counselor with a PhD who can.

Thanks Sarahm! I definitely think I'm ready to get started! I get so restless thinking about starting HRT. Haha. I'm ready to talk about whatever I need to to get this started. I'm glad it's all happening. I don't want to be older when I start to transition. =/

and thanks Anthrogal! I'm only a little worried that since it's on a sliding scale for payment, that makes me feel like it's going to be like not legit or something. I'll ask before I sign up for anything though. I'm just so excited!

By the way, judging by your profile pic, you have very feminine facial features. If I were looking at the photo not knowing that you're trans, I would have totally thought you were genetically female. Hormones will just accent that more. 

Thanks hon you totally just made my day! <3

I think it's good that you intend to be clear on the front end regarding what you'd like to get out of counseling (in part, the letter), as that really does make a counselor's job easier.

Don't let the sliding scale itself throw you off, though. Sliding scales are very common ways to make counseling available to people who are economically disadvantaged but have legitimate needs.

Going in with an open mind and an intention to respectfully express your goals & concerns seems a sound approach to initiating the process. And of course we're all rooting for you!

Quote from: Vanessa_yhvh on July 08, 2010, 04:14:56 AM
I think it's good that you intend to be clear on the front end regarding what you'd like to get out of counseling (in part, the letter), as that really does make a counselor's job easier.

Don't let the sliding scale itself throw you off, though. Sliding scales are very common ways to make counseling available to people who are economically disadvantaged but have legitimate needs.

Going in with an open mind and an intention to respectfully express your goals & concerns seems a sound approach to initiating the process. And of course we're all rooting for you!

Well that makes a lot of sense and is good to know! I've never looked into therapy of any kind so, I didn't know what to expect in means of payment or anything. And I'm glad I'm not crazy going only for the letter haha. I get so paranoid and self conscious about things but this isn't something I can just let go or avoid! They are going to call me to remind me about the appointment, I don't see how I can forget it! It's all I seem to think about, but I'll ask then.

Just feel lucky you don't have schizophrenia on top of gender dysphoria. I have both, and my going on hormones has been put off indefinitely because of my illness. Apparently, 40% of genetic males with schizophrenia have gender dysphoria issues. As such, she wants to make sure my dysphoria isn't a delusion before writing the note. How someone who has never gone off her medication and has been convinced of gender dysphoria for the past 3 months has a "delusion" is beyond me. I can see where she's coming from, but that doesn't make it any less of a pain is the ass.

Oh well, I guess I can work on losing weight and hopefully by the time I hit around 150 I'll be granted access to hormones.

I'm hoping to hit 150 before I start hormones too! Last year I lost 50 lbs and then I was at 160 all year and recently I've gained 5-7 lbs (it fluctuates) and I blame it on me being off school and sitting around the house doing nothing! I'm so frustrated! I wasn't happy at 160 and I might want to be less than 150 but 150 will be a new goal and hopefully I get there soon! And I'm sorry to hear about that! I'm glad I don't have anything "wrong" with me. I feel really lucky because I don't think I've ever really suffered harshly from dysphoria but I have my moments. Which is why at first I wondered if I was really trans or just a really feminine gay male. But the fact that I struggle with calling myself a man, and I never have any urge to have sex with my penis at all, and the fact that I've always felt like a girl...I know I'm a girl. I've always know but I never came to the conclusion of being trans. Ahh Now I'm just rambling and going off topic haha, I tend to do that a lot, when I'm excited or something haha sorryyyy <3

I have to agree, my first thought was "wow what a beautiful young woman" when I saw your avatar you're going to be the total envy of natural-born women everywhere I was going to say the same thing about the sliding scale because that's how many of them are here where I live too, and they all have the ability to either write or obtain from their supervisors a letter for HRT.

As far as weight, I am about 5' 10" and usually around 145 lbs. I've been on hormones for somewhere over 4 months now and my chest has shrunk more than an inch and my hips have grown about an inch. My breasts are coming in very well too, and my rear fills out jeans better than ever I now weigh around 154 lbs stark naked, and my belly is filling out a little more than I would like, so I am going to try to get that under control ASAP! Congrats on the counselor too, I hope that goes really well for you!

~April~

April thank you so much for that! You made my day! <3 You're beautiful as well. When I told my sister, she was like omg you're going to be so much prettier than me! hahaha <3

And about the HRT I guess I'm just nervous because I get paranoid about everything lol.

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Post Merge: July 12, 2010, 07:56:43 PM

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So I went to my therapy session today and I'm so excited! It's affordable and it can get me my HRT letter! I'm so excited. I was so nervous driving out there but once I got in and we started talking, I felt really comfortable talking to him! My therapist was really nice and he asked me if I had any alias' and I said no and he asked if I had a female name picked out and I was like oh yeah...and he asked what it was and I said with a huge smile on my face Kimberly and he laughed and he was like Awesome! I loved it and I can't wait to go back next week! I'm so excited right now. I left there feeling so happy and I drove home with a huge smile on my face. I can't believe it! I'm actually in baby steps of my transition. I actually feel like it's really really happening!