I just wanted to get some personal opinions about beginning HRT, FTM or MTF.

I am an FTM and I have the option to either seek out therapy from good therapists who can provide me a letter so that I may begin HRT or go to a near by LGBT center where they provide Informed consent and a health clinic that can take care of basically all my needs towards beginning T in an environment that would be completely comfortable and understanding.

I won't be having insurance soon, I believe, because I am going to move oiut of my parents home. Even I would be convered, there is still coming out to my parents that I need to do.

I personally feel as though I should go to therapy, but I don't want to have to wait even longer for T. Then again I am still nervous about taking this next step because it's such a major change from the sweet monotony of my life.

Any advice?

MODS: Feel free to move if this is in a bad section. Thank you.

my 2 cents

probably easier to go with informed consent since you can cut therapy if cost of living dictates more easy then doctors visits.

Well, a big portion of why a therapist gives the letter is to help you know for sure you are trans and that any issues like depression, anxiety, and stuff have been worked through. My therapist told me he needed to know I was trans and that I was not gonna get hormones and then stop, there was more to it than that but that was the bottom line I guess.

If you're sure your trans which from your posts it sounds like you are and you know the risks/changes which I'm guessing you do then I would do informed consent if I were you. I would've had done things that way myself but informed consent around here is tough to get so I went through therapy.

Informed consent dramatically reduced the strain I felt from the process itself. It simply requires that you have genuinely given reasonable thought to what you're doing.

The other approach creates an environment in which to do this with assistance (in an ideal world).

Judging by your posts I would say informed consent at the LGBT center. It's great that you have this option. Just go when you feel ready, no need to rush.

Flan: That's what it is like for the time being and probably for quite some time in the future. This is the second reason I was reconsidering Informed Consent for myself.

Michael: That's a reason I had been considering going the therapy route. While I'm sure things with my mental stability are well within my control now, though occassionally troublesome, I just overthink and worry that maybe it would be safer to go with a Therapist Letter.

Sydney: Probably the third reason I keep Informed Consent as a desire. Though I may have been through therapy before and am happy I've gone through with it, it can be stressful sometimes with beating the issues to death. I know how it goes and this is also just such a big thing in Psychology.

Shayne: I appreciate the suggestion and I definitely won't rush into this. I need to zen myself before I go so I don't burst into confetti. 

It seems that you all believe I'm ready for this step in my life. That makes me feel more confident in myself. I'm just such a worry wart. 

Thank you for those who've replied so far, it helps a lot. I do hope to hear a few more opinions. I keep thinking that there's someone lurking out there who is strongly biased toward a Therapist Letter and detests Informed Consent... Maybe not. 

You wanted the other side, so here goes.  It isn't the therapists letter that you want, it is the therapy.  If you were 100% sure you would be doing T by now, not typing on your computer.  A therapist can reaffirm your feelings, point out inconsistencies in your thought patterns, or, perhaps, show you an easier, middle way.   When I read some of the postings here, it seems as if some people just think it is hip or cool to transition. (yeah, I know I sound old-I am.) Isn't happiness and the integration of your mind and your body the really important thing? It will fundamentally change your life.  Getting a little older won't stop you or change you like it might with MTFs.  Why not take a while.  Does the LGBT center have a list of therapists who charge sliding scale?  They might.  When I see people rebel against any sort of gatekeeper (not you, but plenty on this site) I see immaturity and a lack of vision for the future.  The fact that you are asking indicates that you realize the seriousness of your course of action.  Go get the second opinion, and if you give it a chance and don't like the answer, do informed consent then.  Of course, then maybe you won't want to.  Either way, good luck on your decision.     

Cindy: Thank you. That really was the response I was looking for. Genuine concern, not condescending. Though I haven't started T because I actually live at home with parents I'm not out to, but that's besides the point. I feel as if there are some loose threads I might want to take care of and that's why I've considered therapy. I know that this clinic has listed therapists who have sliding scales, so I'll surely check into that.

Well thank you everyone for all your input. It really has helped.