Hey all!
I'm thinking about going to gender therapy. I was wondering what it was like for all of you who've gone? What kind of questions did the therapist ask?
I'm really trying to figure out my gender so any input helps!
Thanks all

Jude, you might want to take a look at the therapy board and see if that gives you any good info.

But you barely get responses in this board

...or do an advanced search. Lots of people here have talked about their therapy experiences. If you want a good assortment of responses, look at multiple threads.

My therapist is terrific. I swore off therapy for life because I had some not-so-good experiences with two therapists. Then I couldn't hold on anymore. I knew I would have to go through therapy again, but this time for real.

In the beginning, he didn't really ask questions as if he were diagnosing me, if that's what you mean. He didn't challenge my gender identity or ask me to prove it. We had conversations or he let me do most of the talking; he would ask questions if he wanted clarification or details about what I was talking about.

He has never pushed; good strategy because I don't respond well to pressure.

I used to get stuck and be unable to talk. In the first year or so, he had to tell me again and again that I was safe with him, that he wouldn't judge me, that nothing bad would happen to me in his office. Now I talk to him easily and don't clam up anymore.

Best of all, we exchange really bad puns.

I've only been to 2 sessions so far but it's been great.

I think that it depends on who you see.

She doesn't ask too many questions. She just lets me talk. It's cathartic.

The only advice I can give is be as open and honest as possible. It's a safe environment.

Quote from: Rach_A on May 27, 2011, 12:37:40 AM

She doesn't ask too many questions. She just lets me talk. It's cathartic.

The only advice I can give is be as open and honest as possible. It's a safe environment.

That was my experience over the year and a half or so that I had a counselor. Other than a lead in question about my homework (if any) or about something she might have recommended near the end of the preceding session, it was pretty much me, blabbing my mouth off and feeling good and more confident.

Robyn

thanks for the input everyone!
it makes me feel a lot better about hopefully starting therapy soon

I'd like to say from personal experience, if you get a bad reaction or just can't connect with your therapist, don't get too discouraged.  There are good therapists out there who can help you, so try again until you find one!

Agreed - a therapist-client relationship is a human relationship like any other, and if you don't click you're under no obligation not to move on. The better ones always insist on e.g. a 6-session test run to see what you make of each other first, before thinking longer-term. I'm off for my 3rd session right now .

Personally, I had never seen a therapist before in my life and was scared to go see one.  In fact, so much that I took my wife with me & I started my counseling as a couple's counseling.  We focused in on making my wife more comfortable with my transition.   I had 3 couples sessions before she meet with me alone.

However, with that being said -- the sessions in the beginning focused around getting to know me as a person.  She asked questions about a variety of things - nothing terrribly personal - stuff you would talk about with someone your first getting to know.  She never challenged me on my gender identity -- immediately called me by my male name and used male pronouns.  She did tell my wife that since i was the primary concern in the process that she was going to do that and she was sorry if it made her uncomfortable.

Now, 2 months later -- I actually enjoy going to therapy.