How much therapy do you need until you can get a letter saying you can get top surgery? What about until you can start T? Also, I had another question: I have a mild case of clefted palate and I got some surgery done on it a long time ago but it's still noticable. I'm wondering since T makes your voice lower will it make my voice any clearer somehow or more understandable? What do you guys think?

I went to therapy for about 3-4 months every other week before I got my letter for T. As far as my top surgery letter I emailed my therapist because i don't still go and she said that I would just have to go back in probably once or twice so that she could write a letter that reflects my current situation, not my situation when I saw her 6 months ago.

I'm on my 8th session right now, out of 12. i heard you have to attend at least 12 therapy sessions, some people go for 14.

I went to therapy once a week for 3 months, got a letter to start T with a doctor who then recommended me to Brownstein once I was financially able to afford it and thus was able to use the same letter to get top surgery done as well. Not sure how it works in other areas of the world but it was a pretty fast and easy process to obtain both for me. It was a snowball effect once I started therapy.

I had therapy once a month for 3 months and got my t letter on my 4th meeting. When it came time for my surgery letter i had 2 sessions and she gave me my letter. I know every therapist is different though and more trans guys go in there at a differnt stage in their life and transition process, so that makes a difference as well. but it's all worth it!!!

It's probably complicated by the fact that I'm a minor, but I looked into a transgender specialist in Boston I think who required the equivalent of 12 months of therapy at 2 sessions a month. The physician I chose instead asked for 6 months I believe, but was also willing to replace it with some sessions with an employed therapist at the clinic. I don't know how you guys are getting T letters so fast, but it's good to hear.

It also varies with therapists, mine hadn't had a transgender client before so he needed to look into the standards of care and such. I've been seeing him weekly since February and am only getting a T letter by next week, but I also have dozens of other issues that we've been focussing on rather than gender.

I've heard you're supposed to be on T for a year before getting top surgery so there's no risk of regrowth and so the surgeon can get a better contour working with male muscular structure and fat distribution. So therapy sessions might not be what takes the time.

My therapist said about 4-5 sessions for a letter for t (so depending how long that takes). I know she's had a lot of trans clients, so that might make a difference. Not sure about top surgery though she mentioned a year of RLE for bottom surgery (if I recall correctly).

Pretty sure it's different for everyone...I've heard "3 months" so many times but that can mean a variety of things.

Quote from: Nikolai_S on November 09, 2010, 09:37:40 PM
It's probably complicated by the fact that I'm a minor, but I looked into a transgender specialist in Boston I think who required the equivalent of 12 months of therapy at 2 sessions a month. The physician I chose instead asked for 6 months I believe, but was also willing to replace it with some sessions with an employed therapist at the clinic. I don't know how you guys are getting T letters so fast, but it's good to hear.

It also varies with therapists, mine hadn't had a transgender client before so he needed to look into the standards of care and such. I've been seeing him weekly since February and am only getting a T letter by next week, but I also have dozens of other issues that we've been focussing on rather than gender.

I've heard you're supposed to be on T for a year before getting top surgery so there's no risk of regrowth and so the surgeon can get a better contour working with male muscular structure and fat distribution. So therapy sessions might not be what takes the time.

twelve months of therapy??? thats crazy. I went to the Sidney Borum Jr Health Center in Boston and only went to therapy for 6 weeks and then got my letter. Who did you see in Boston?

for my T i honestly never had therapy i got my hormones in oregon  all they did was a evaluation and i got it the next day. but it takes a while to get into the program unless u have everything ready at the first appointment. now for surgery im not sure

Dr Spack, he normally does younger kids - puberty blockers and such - but he sees older patients too sometimes. Up to 17 maybe? Supposedly a well known specialist. Eh. Wasn't crazy about him. His process was way over complicated, he insisted my parents be interviewed and I take evaluations and such from psychiatrists there as well as my therapy. Which with younger children I guess is somewhat reasonable. But his schedule is also packed because of his experience in transgender pediatrics.

And it was just session based, so you could also do weekly for 6 months, which is what I would have done if I was willing to put up with that nonsense.