Can A Regular Therapist Be Just As Good?

[Guest Evee18]

Ok i'm sure this question has been asked before, but if you see a regular therapist can they write the letters necessary to start hormones or do you have to see an actual therapist that specializes in gender related issues?

[Carolyn Marie]

Evee, a therapist who does not specialize in gender issues can be just as effective and just as good as a G.T. They should familiarize themselves

with the Standards of Care recommended by the Harry Benjamin Institute http://www.wpath.org/Documents2/socv6.pdf. They can also recommend

HRT.

When you call to inquire or make an appointment, be sure and ask if they are comfortable dealing with gender issues, as some may not be.

Look through the Therapy and Therapists forum for more good information and the experience of folks who have been there before you.

Post if you have more questions, or PM me and I'll be happy to help.

Carolyn Marie

[Guest Evee18]

Evee, a therapist who does not specialize in gender issues can be just as effective and just as good as a G.T. They should familiarize themselves

with the Standards of Care recommended by the Harry Benjamin Institute http://www.wpath.org/Documents2/socv6.pdf. They can also recommend

HRT.

When you call to inquire or make an appointment, be sure and ask if they are comfortable dealing with gender issues, as some may not be.

Look through the Therapy and Therapists forum for more good information and the experience of folks who have been there before you.

Post if you have more questions, or PM me and I'll be happy to help.

Carolyn Marie

Thanks for the advice. I am currently seeing a therapist on campus and was wondering if the were able to help. Thank you for clarifying that for me. *hug*

[Guest Joanna Phipps]

My therapist is not a GT but she is helping a couple of us. The key thing, as youve been informed, is that they be willing to familiarize themselves with gender management and be willling to interface with specialists if the need arises.

[Guest Donna Jean]

Ok i'm sure this question has been asked before, but if you see a regular therapist can they write the letters necessary to start hormones or do you have to see an actual therapist that specializes in gender related issues?

Well, as said above, Sweetheart....YES! a regular therapist can do it...no problem...

But you might want to be careful.....A Gender therapist is trained in these issues and a therapist not specializing in gender issues

may be learning on your dime...

What I mean is..a regular therapist may take longer as they come up to speed on gender issues...but, if they're willing to read up at home, there is no reason not to use a general therapist!

Good, Luck, Honey!

HUGGS!

Donna Jean

[Guest Melisa]

Well, as said above, Sweetheart....YES! a regular therapist can do it...no problem...

But you might want to be careful.....A Gender therapist is trained in these issues and a therapist not specializing in gender issues

may be learning on your dime...

What I mean is..a regular therapist may take longer as they come up to speed on gender issues...but, if they're willing to read up at home, there is no reason not to use a general therapist!

Good, Luck, Honey!

HUGGS!

Donna Jean

My therapists has been a therapists for many,many years, I just started seeing her two-and-a-half-months-ago, and I'm her second person she's seeing with gender issues, she just opted to start working with gender issues not to long before I started seeing her, and she's great.

Melisa

[Guest krisspykriss]

They should familiarize themselves with the Standards of Care recommended by the http://www.wpath.org/Documents2/socv6.pdf.

They have some rather rigid views that have under fire from the transgendered community and metal health therapist. The DSM-IV covers treatment of transsexualism and is a much better guide in offering care to transgendered patients. The Harry Benjamin Institute has revised their SOC some, but the DSM-IV is what is normally utilized in diagnosing and treatment.

I could go into specifics, but I could end up debating this all day. I am just saying there are things in their standard of care that many members of the APA do not agree with.

hugz,

Chrissy

[Guest Joanna Phipps]

The DSM IV-TR, the SOC and the ICD 10 are the best we have right now with out those getting what we need would become extremely difficult

[Carolyn Marie]

The DSM IV-TR, the SOC and the ICD 10 are the best we have right now with out those getting what we need would become extremely difficult

Do we have links to all those docs on this site? If not, perhaps we should, unless it would cause

too much confusion.

Carolyn Marie