I have no idea where to begin

[Guest Saguusa]

Well I do, but I don't.

I haven't started to transition yet and I'm trying to start with the therapy and finding an endocrinologist. My goal is the referral letter right now. I know you need a gender therapist to get it, but what counts as a gender therapist? Will a standard LPC count? Or do you need someone with a PHD? Do you need a psychiatrist, psychologist, or just a councilor? I know most of you have far more experience with this than I do so I look forward to your advice.

Thanks! <3

Rayne

[Guest Robin Winter]

The person who sent my referral was a social worker and therapist. He has no Ph.D. It might be different in Canada though.

[Guest Saguusa]

I shouldn't even need a letter, but I think a lot of the endos here might want one. Also the whole therapy thing is my choice. WPATH just changed the Standards of Care recently so that three months of therapy was no longer a requirement. Also the requirement of a year full time went to six months full time for SRS. Although I think this was all posted on Laura's. I don't remember but I got a newsletter the day they changed it. Anyway, it's like I said. Some of the clinics here still require the letter and I want to go to the therapist. Not just for insurance though, that's my excuse. They'll pay for it no matter what I do.

[VickySGV]

Actually the SOC's were written to give the gender therapists leeway on when THEY would give a recommendation, and when they would consider a person ready. It varies from patient to patient and the hard nosed ones that know it all when they first sit down to talk about the situation may be the ones that take a full two years. The SOC's are not HOLY LAW either. But, they do describe what constitutes a person qualified to practice gender therapy. Surprise, it can be an ordinary MA/MFT therapist if they ethically think you will benefit and feel that they are competent to say so. You are lucky on that score, but your state may have some wrinkles in their Business and Professions laws, or local Endocrinologists may be fussy about who and what is in a referral letter. Where the SOC says no letter is required, it really means in those states where Therapists and psychologists can prescribe the hormones on their own prescription pads. The alternative is an endocrinologist who has branched into Gender Therapy in states where only MD's can write scripts.

There are a number of sites, including Laura's here that have a list of therapists in each state. Find the list here, and start calling legitimate doctors. It will work.

[Carolyn Marie]

Rayne, the new version of the SoC's no longer recommend that therapy precede hormones treatments, but does suggest that therapy is helpful. I concur with that. In any case, like Vicky said, the SoC's are guidelines, not requirements. Some doctors, especially those familiar with trans patients, follow the "informed consent" model, wherein you only need to know and understand the risks, and sign a document that you do, before they will begin HRT. Most G.T.'s will know of doctors to whom to refer you.

Does it need to be a G.T.? No, but it certainly can make a big difference, in many ways, and I highly recommend that you find one.

HUGS

Carolyn Marie

[Guest Saguusa]

Yeah, that's what I thought. Well I'm going to have to stick with the people I have because otherwise I'm not able to get my insurance to cover it. It has to be a networked provider. I know that too about the SoC. I'm just really impatient and anxious right now. Thanks though

Rayne