Questions To Ask

[Guest Sotha]

Okay, so my first appointment with my therapist is on Thursday, and I was wondering what I should ask him about.

I've already thought of a few:

What is your experience with transgenderism?

What is your plan for me (i.e. the number and frequency of sessions)?

Do you work with a specific endocrinologist?

Would you be willing to recommend me for hormone blockers before hormones?

Are these okay? What else should I ask?

[Guest Donna Jean]

Very good and valid questions!

But, I think that this one is very important...

What is your experience with transgenderism?

I'm wondering...is this a gender therapist to begin with?

Because it's imperative that they understand why we are going to them...

I wish you the best of luck....

Huggs

Donna Jean

[Guest viv]

Hello Sotha, Hun , you are well on track as far as your questions are concerned .

Why not write down all the related stuff over the coming days and read it all back

to yourself ,,,,right up to sitting in the waiting room of your GT. Take a deep breath

and take your time in asking what you need to know ,,information is everything .

You will be cool Hun ,,,,,let us know how you got on yeh ???? luv,viv

[Guest Alex Blitzen]

I can make some suggestions... I don't know if they will help

How many people have you recommended for surgery?

I would ask about their education too, see if they have a Ph.D.

Ask if they follow the correct standards of care.

How much do they charge.

hope this helps

[Guest Bunny]

Ask about their views on medicating.

My GT wont even start you on hormones unless you know all the pros and cons of what you are taking, what your delivery methods are and pros and cons of those as well.

Also. If you've ever had a bad time with a past therapist give them the situation and ask how they'd react. If they have the same outlook and make you feel in a negative way like the past bad one you'll have a better idea if you're okay with them.

Well if you have the ability to pull up a past situation anyways.

-Jaden

[Paula ult]

Okay, so my first appointment with my therapist is on Thursday, and I was wondering what I should ask him about.

I've already thought of a few:

What is your experience with transgenderism?

What is your plan for me (i.e. the number and frequency of sessions)?

Do you work with a specific endocrinologist?

Would you be willing to recommend me for hormone blockers before hormones?

Are these okay? What else should I ask?

Congrats on your first appointment,

What is your experience with transgenderism? the answer to this is going to be crucial to any others you ask, if they are not, do they know what the SOC (standards of care) is, if not you are probably going to have to educate yourself in order to educate them, a daunting task, if it is a group practice, are any others gender therapist's yours can rely on to answer their questions, if not you need someone who is.

Sessions are 50 minutes long so ask a few of the important ones, the remainder of the time will be your therapist asking questions to get to know you.

Many therapists, mine included did weekly sessions for around 3 months, then i got my letter for hormones, since you are not 18 yet your parents will need to give their consent to any decisions about hormone blockers or hormones. Later the frequency of sessions can be extended, my last few were 6 weeks apart, and after i get my letters for surgery i will extend it to 6 months or if i need a session i will schedule one.

Paula

T

[Guest Elizabeth K]

I have another slant on this. Why ask questions?

Just say you need to know if the therapist knows how to deal with gender dyphoria because you don't want to educate him! Is that a question? Even so - find out if you are the first one he has ever worked with.

Then be brutally honest with how you feel and what you have done throughout your life. Don't hold back.

You two are essentially getting to know one another - jump in immediately! Save a whole bunch of time!

Lizzy

[Carolyn Marie]

Sotha, I did a topic on this question a while back. Some of your questions are the same as the ones I listed, and

I have a few others.

Here is the link: http://www.lauras-playground.com/forums/in...showtopic=13018

Hope it helps.

Carolyn Marie

[Guest Sotha]

I'm wondering...is this a gender therapist to begin with?

Because it's imperative that they understand why we are going to them...

DJ,

I don't think he's a "gender" therapist per say. The LCSW therapist I was seeing sent a message to the directors of several nearby Kaiser facilities asking if they had anyone who specializes in or has a lot of experience with gender identity issues, and he came back. Even though he only sees adults, he's willing to work with me.

[Guest tori319]

I have first therapy session on Friday I guess I should study these questions.

Good luck