My therapist recently informed me that sje doesn't write hormone referral letters due to legal complications in the past. But she tells me that there are a few physicians who do not require these letters at all. Has anyone ever heard of this?

I have meet a few therapists who don't write letters, usually it is out of ignorance. I have read about doctors who prescribe without the letter, they are fine. The letter is just a formality really, meant to protect the doctor at the expense of the TG patient.

I would find another therapist, because it seens to me he would not be willing to refer you for SRS either and I don't think it would hurt to schedule a consultation with one of the doctors he mentioned.

I got the treatment without seeing a therapist at all.
I'm sorry yours doesn't,  try to find a new one asap.

The VA (Veteran's Administration) does not require a letter for HRT. Considering all health records are on there a computer system so any doctor can see your therapy session, blood work and so on.

Isabella

What area do you live? I can send you referrals to docs that don't require a letter.

If your prescribing doctor will accept it, it will be a "Informed Consent"

So does that mean she wouldn't provide any recommendation for any medical treatment over the fear of being sued!!!  On second thoughts, your therapist is just being a hypocritical bitch!  Did she tell you up front that she would not provide a recommendation letter. 

Plus, if you are planning SRS/GRS or BA/Top Surgery - is she going to give you a letter?  Now you have to find two new therapist to get letters for genital surgery.

Quote from: JessicaH on September 30, 2011, 10:46:59 AM
What area do you live? I can send you referrals to docs that don't require a letter.

I live in Tampa/St. Pete area. And that would be amazing.

Quote from: jamiejo on September 30, 2011, 11:08:51 AM
If your prescribing doctor will accept it, it will be a "Informed Consent"

So does that mean she wouldn't provide any recommendation for any medical treatment over the fear of being sued!!!  On second thoughts, your therapist is just being a hypocritical bitch!  Did she tell you up front that she would not provide a recommendation letter. 

Plus, if you are planning SRS/GRS or BA/Top Surgery - is she going to give you a letter?  Now you have to find two new therapist to get letters for genital surgery.

She did tell me up front. Her goals are for mental treatment only. She works with patients to help them through issues, but she's had issues in the past for being sued so she has decided not to deal with it. Honestly, I understand where she is coming from. She's amazingly nice and since I have social anxiety issues when meeting new people, it took me a lot of courage to talk to her as it is. She made that very easy for me. Its also just stressful to THINK about getting a different therapist. So if possible, I'd rather stay with her, and go through doctors who do not require the step of a letter.

see a different therapist.

If she wont give you a HRT referral letter then she sure as hell wont be given you a SRS letter. In terms of WPATH you are just throwing money out of a window.

Unless you have no plans for SRS, then your current therapist may be ok. If you do want SRS, then you are just paying her for non gender WPATH related treatment. She may be helping you but it's not official if she wont hand out letters.

Will she hand out a reference and recommendation for gender identity change for your license? That's another important question to know the answer for.

This therapist isn't Dr Clark is it? If it isn't you should see her.

I agree with Annah. I think it will be much easier to change therapists than to find a doctor/surgeon who will not require letters, especially for SRS.

Quote from: DanniNaveen on September 30, 2011, 01:41:07 PM
I live in Tampa/St. Pete area.

I live in St. Petersburg, too. Go see Dr. Farrell. She is a wonderful therapist, and she has a well-established roster of contacts. She can probably help you find an endo, and she will write letters for everything up to  and including surgery.

http://www.tgtherapist.com/index.htm

As JamieJo said, Informed Consent. You should do some research in your area. In another five or ten years everyone will be practicing IC and it won't be an issue much to behavioral health specialists everywhere. Don't get me wrong, I think therapy is important, not specifically for transpeople but for everyone

I hate that everyone keeps telling me to go to Dr. Farrell. I can't. She doesn't accept insurance and I don't have the money to pay for this on my own. That's why I wasn't in the first place. Wish I could though.

I only suggested Dr. Farrell as just an alternative suggestion (because you mentioned your therapist won't write letters) to the (potentially) more difficult route of finding a doctor who will put you on hormones strictly through informed consent. While this isn't further suggestion to see her as a patient, why not contact her and explain your situation to her?  She may help you even if you aren't her patient.

I think the issue of finding a doctor to prescribe hormones is less about them being unwilling to because of a lack of a letter from a therapist; rather they just may not know what regiment to prescribe and don't want to take the risk without some sort of reference to other regiments of HRT.