Thinking about a Gender Therapist? Ask Yourself This Question.

[Guest ~Lana~]

If you are about to have your first or want to plan a visit with a gender therapist (GT) please ask yourself the following questions.

If you want to save yourself time and money... share the answers with a trusted therapist before your initial visit. This will help them become familiar with your history and circumstances before you meet.

Now for the legal stuff... I have authored these same questions in various formats as "Transgender History Questionnaire" for several licensed therapists. This is a generic version and does not include the Military or Spiritual sections of the questionnaire.

Please do not respond with any personal information on LP that could be used to identify you or your location.

Name:

Also Known As (AKA):

Age: Date of Birth:

Employment and Occupation Information: What work do you do?

Problem List:

When you think about your gender and sexuality, describe what help you are seeking from counseling.

Describe any problems you are having functioning in your day to day life.

Are you currently having a problem with the following?

depression or sadness yes/no anxiety or fears yes/no family problems yes/no

problems at work yes/no financial problems yes/no unemployment yes/no

physical or emotional abuse yes/no partner problem yes/no

Have you ever had a problem with the following?

alcohol use yes/no violence yes/no suicidal thoughts or behavior yes/no

drug use yes/no legal problem yes/no hearing voices yes/no

child abuse yes/no depression yes/no

Have you experienced any of the following in the last month?

sadness or emptiness yes/no disturbed sleep or insomnia yes/no

low energy level or lethargic yes/no loss of appetite yes/no

poor attention or concentration yes/no unable to experience pleasure yes/no

poor self-esteem yes/no excessive guilt feelings yes/no

irritability yes/no hopelessness yes/no

thoughts that death is better than life yes/no thoughts about suicide yes/no

Gender Identity Information:

Describe how you feel and think about your gender.

Explain how you are currently expressing your gender in your everyday life?

Describe what problems or conflicts with gender you are experiencing.

Describe any difficulty you experience between your gender and biological sex.

Do you identify with any specific gender or sexual group? Please explain.

Describe any past or present experiences with gender support organizations:

Who have you spoken to about your gender identity issues, what do they know, and how have they responded?

Medical Information:

Are you currently taking medications, hormones, or supplements to induce feminine or masuline changes in your body, for example estrogen or testosterone?

If you are taking hormones or supplements, please list name and dosage. No dosage allowed on LP!

If there is a prescribing physician, please list address and phone number:No names or numbers on LP!

If you have taken gender medications in the past and stopped, list the medications, when you took them, and why you stopped:

Describe any surgery to alter gender appearance, the surgeon's name, and when the surgery was performed:Please don't list the name on LP!

If you are currently taking any medications for a medical condition, list the medical condition and the medication:

Mental Health Information:

If you have seen a psychotherapist in the past, please list their name, when seen, and the problem at the time: No name on LP please!

If you have taken any medications for mental health reasons, for example depression or anxiety, list the

medications and when taken:

If you have ever been in the hospital or emergency room for mental health reasons, list when, where, and the reason:

Family Information: Please use an alias name for family members on LP!

Currently Married: yes/no Spouse's Name:

If you have children, names and ages?:

Have you been previously married? yes/no List dates of any previous marriages:

List parents, brothers, and sisters with their ages:

Briefly describe any important impressions about your childhood family life:

Briefly describe your current relationships with each of your family members:

Life Story: Please write a personal story about how your experience and understanding of your gender identity and sexuality has changed over the course of your life. How did you first discover that your biological sex did not fully express your inner experience of your gender? What have you learned about yourself and how have your grown?

How have you tried to resolve your gender identity issues throughout your life? What is your vision for your future as a transgendered person?

[JJ]

hi Lana

A useful template to fill out and take to your therapist. Thank you for pointing out we shouldn't fill out any personal info here. In fact while this is a very useful tool for the therapist it would probably be best not to fill it in on LP. Most people won't go through that much info in a post and so the poster's original need or question would be lost in the process. Sometimes the more you say the less is communicated in this format

But as I said it sounds like an excellent tool to be ready for your therapist and save time as well as organizing your thoughts. There is a wide variation in therapists and some may want you to talk about all those things as well as recording them because they learn as much from how you say something as what you say but you will still have it organized in your mind even them

Johnny

[Guest ~Lana~]

Thanks Johnny,

The point is to get folks thinking before their first encounter. Yes It is long for a post but any medical provider worth their degree will ask these questions and more. If this helps one of the young (or late bloomers) in our community then I have accomplished this small task.

Hugs to you and the family. I enjoy reading your posts. Funny how the pendulum swings the other way for us occasionally but that is how families work.

Lana

[Guest Leah1026]

Lots of stuff.

First of all I call deceptive advertising. You said "This question" meaning ONE question.

Then you overwhelm possibly very vulnerable newbies with this lengthy list.

I fear this will only cause them more anxiety and may in fact deter some from seeking help at all.

My simple advice is this:

You cannot solve this problem on your own, seek help. At your first appointment be open and honest about how you feel.

That's it. The most important parts are just showing up and talking; don't worry about specifics.

[Guest Melissa~]

That is lengthy. Back at the beginning of my therapy we spent a total of five minutes or so on gender questions and that was that. No long template needed. YMMV but it likely because I went to a dr that specializes in ts for 30 years and doesn't need their own journey too.

[Guest ~Brenda~]

Therapy is fluid end evolutionary. Allow the therapist to ask the questions.

Trust them with your honesty.

Remember, they are on your side. Therapists are there to help you.

No need to go to a therapist with an agenda.

Just be yourself.

Love.

Brenda

[Guest boogie]

These questions are very helpful..thank you so much for posting..

anyone knows if seeing a GT is covered by health insurance?

[Carolyn Marie]

Depends on the policy, hon. Some do, most don't. You have to read the policy exclusions to see if they do or do not.

HUGS

Carolyn Marie