FYI on online counseling

[Mia Marie]

I got some good info from an LPC I talked to yesterday. After I told her that I paid for a couple of months of online counseling she informed me to get a receipt for service to help with getting to my deductible with my insurance company so that it will not take as long to get to only having to pay the copay when starting to use a therapist who takes insurance. I take this as good advice in that it might cost more than you will want to pay for the long term. So, if anyone has done the online counseling, I suggest getting a receipt for service so you will have proof of payment and you may also need to get a copy of the back and forth conversation with your online counselor. May all your hopes become realities.

[Carolyn Marie]

That's very good advice, Mia Marie. Thank you!

 

Carolyn Marie

[Mia Marie]

Your welcome. I am trying to get a receipt from the online service I used.

[lauraincolumbia]

Where did you find an online counselor?

[SaraAW]

@lauraincolumbiaI found mine using the find a therapist feature in Psychology Today.  These days with the pandemic, most therapists or counselors are using phone our video sessions.

[lauraincolumbia]

Ill try psychology today.  Hopefully I can find someone taking new patients.   That seems to be on-hold during the pandemic.

[Mia Marie]

Most are using telehealth right now until the pandemic problem shrinks to almost no cases. As for an online counselor I used betterhealth.com

[Mmindy]

I'm ten minutes from logging into my therapy session waiting room. This is the third session of 7 the my wife's company EAP agreed to pay for, and I'll be inquiring about continuing with her about: what her rates are? does she have a working relationship with this company and the insurance program?

 

Best wishes everyone

 

Mindy???

[Mmindy]

This morning's therapy session went well.  We covered PTSD issues first, because I woke up after visiting an old ghost. I reviewed my plan on how to tell my wife that I'm transgender, and the therapist said it sounded reasonable. Then at lunch with my wife I was talking with my wife on some of the general cares and concerns I'm dealing with and my main goal was to reinforce my love for her and our long term marriage. In the process I used the term convenient support vs unconditional support. The analogy I used was a real family event. I sat with my niece and between her mother (my sister) when she came out as lesbian. Mind you that my family has a lesbian couple in the family who have be partners since the late 1970s and married within the last five years or so. Everyone in the family proclaims their love for Vic and Nancy even my sister adores Vic and Nancy. However when my niece came out to her... All HECK broke out and my sister disowned my niece cutting off all college funding and everything. I asked my sister how she could be supportive of Vic and Nancy but not her daughter? She blasted me and said Vic is my cousin not my daughters! So after reviewing this event with and say my sister's LGBT support was one of convenience and not unconditional. My wife looked at me and asked; Are you coming out? Since we were in a public place I said no... well not yet with a smile, and she laughed. So guess who's coming out this Friday Afternoon?   Me, Mindy.

 

Love you all,

 

Mindy??? 

[Tori M]

On 6/2/2020 at 12:21 PM, Mmindy said:

My wife looked at me and asked; Are you coming out? Since we were in a public place I said no... well not yet with a smile, and she laughed. So guess who's coming out this Friday Afternoon?   Me, Mindy.

Mmindy, if you're scared, I'm scared with you.  Keep us posted on how things are going.

[Susan R]

On 6/2/2020 at 12:21 PM, Mmindy said:

So after reviewing this event with and say my sister's LGBT support was one of convenience and not unconditional. My wife looked at me and asked; Are you coming out?

Your wife is very intuitive, imho....either that or she’s a prophet..lol?  Things in your life seem to be coming together to a point where the timing might just be perfect for delivering your news.  The topic is ‘top of mind’ for your wife and sets the stage. If the opportunity arises, you’ll have a big choice to make.

 

Best of Luck,

Susan R?

[Susan R]

On 5/6/2020 at 7:44 AM, Mia Marie said:

Most are using telehealth right now until the pandemic problem shrinks to almost no cases. As for an online counselor I used betterhealth.com

I’m with United Healthcare insurance for all my Behavioral health needs. They have a handy search module to locate telehealth therapy and counseling. Looking at it a little closer, I noticed they’re really using the same Psychology Today search module as @SaraAW mentioned above just packaged in a different wrap. I found my current therapist through this service so I know it works very well.

 

Susan R?

[Mmindy]

@Tori M and @Susan R Yesterday I went on Amazon Prime (which I never do) and rented "Transformer" the Janae Marie Kroc documentary. The billing for Amazon Prime goes to my wife's accounts so she will see it. Tonight is the big reveal and I'm asking her to watch it with me. I wish I could have her listen to it like a podcast, because the words of Janae are nearly exact to my life and times. If I'm on here this evening crying you'll know it didn't go well. If I'm on here tomorrow with a Morning Coffee Smile it when well.

 

I'm stepping out of the closet at home tonight.

Thank you to everyone here on the forums for all the support over the last three weeks.

 

Mindy???

[Susan R]

57 minutes ago, Mmindy said:

I'm stepping out of the closet at home tonight.

Thank you to everyone here on the forums for all the support over the last three weeks.

I’m so exicted for you @Mmindy. I saw that documentary a few months ago and I highly recommend it to everyone here. I can relate to a lot of Janae Marie in that. This will be a great segue into your sharing your true self!  I be watching for your update believe me. This has me rooting for you ALL THE WAY! Stay strong...you have this!

 

My Best,

Susan R?

[Mmindy]

36 minutes ago, Susan R said:

This has me rooting for you ALL THE WAY! Stay strong...you have this!

Thank you Susan, while its nothing like watching for smoke from the chimney as they pick a new Pope. It will be a huge burden off my heart and mind.

 

Love everyone here,

 

Mindy???

[Tori M]

1 hour ago, Mmindy said:

It will be a huge burden off my heart and mind.

Yes it will!  It really really will!

 

I'm reminded here of something that happened to me, something I almost forgot... about the couple who "forced me out".  My ex and I had became very close friends with another couple, Anthony and Shannon.  After we split up, I was still close friends with the couple.  I had started HRT, was still in the closet but was almost ready to tell somebody.  I didn't know who it was going to be, but the news was pushing ever closer to my lips.

 

One night while I was visiting them, Anthony started talking about work that day.  He had been at some office for a while that day and spent some time talking with the receptionist.  He said he had "noticed something was different about her."  Anthony wasn't shy and somehow he had ended up asking the lady "if she was a transexual."  She admitted she was and they went on talking about it.  Telling us this story, he became a bit emphatic about how he had told her he "was really cool with that and how he hoped everything went well for her."

 

I noted his emphasis on this and began realizing what was really going on here.  His story was made up.  By that point they were both just silently looking at me.  They had obviously concocted this tale to make me trust them enough to come out, which I did right then and there.  I was petrified for a moment, then the air just went out of me.  I felt a euphoria wash over me like I'd never felt before.  I remember actually getting a little dizzy and the room spun.  They were the first people I ever told besides my ex (who had likely clued them in behind my back).  We stayed friends for years until we drifted apart.

 

Forgive me for going off with my own nostalgia here.  Good luck, Mmindy!

[Mmindy]

55 minutes ago, Tori M said:

Forgive me for going off with my own nostalgia here.  Good luck, Mmindy!

Thank you Tori,

You will never be a burden to me, we're sisters walking the same path, and I need your kind input.

 

HUGS

 

Mindy???

[Mia Marie]

I actually started to talk to a PhD psychologist and no longer using better health and am looking forward to eventually getting to do the face to face sessions and finally getting my letter to begin HRT.

[KayC]

21 hours ago, Mmindy said:

I'm stepping out of the closet at home tonight.

Congratulations, Mindy!  I know this is a big moment for you.  Praying for the best possible outcome?

[Mmindy]

42 minutes ago, KayC said:

Praying for the best possible outcome?

I'm out to her, and only time will expose her true heart. Right now mine is broken.

[KayC]

34 minutes ago, Mmindy said:

Right now mine is broken.

? I'm so sorry, Mindy.  Sent you a comment on "Coffee" also.