Counseling

[britneyb]

Have any of you gone to counseling because of your cross dressing, if so what did you get out of it?

Was it just you that went or did you go with your partner?

Did you go more for you or her?

Thanks, :)

[docrobbysherry]

When I was still married, we went to a counselor. Together, and also separately.
The counselor and I discussed my CDing briefly. She decided it was NOT a problem for me, or our relationship, and we moved to other issues.

I SHOULD note that I had only just begun to dress. And it was very irregular at that time period.

I'm SURE the same counselor mite show some concern with my dressing now. As it consumes so much of my time and thots!:doh:

If I thot I needed help, I wouldn't hesitate seeing her, or another counselor tomorrow!:)

[curse within]

I went for her,

Didn't get much out of it maybe a emptier pocket book, you really have to have problems due to crossdressing cause there are no cures.
But some Quacks think they can cure you while others just treat the problem that crossdressing may bring onto some. Example marriage problems such as divorce, depression, so on so on.

A gender specialist is where one needs to go to cope with crossdressing and it is my opinion that doesn't do any good unless you enjoy dressing . Lots of roads one can go down to find a Doctor to suit your needs.

I resorted to:drink:..Hey maybe its a cop out but it sure takes your mind away from it sometimes..

[docrobbysherry]

I resorted to:drink:..Hey maybe its a cop out but it sure takes your mind away from it sometimes..

I replaced drinking with CDing!:heehee:

[Dressing Jill]

We went before we got divorced. She never even heard me. I told the counselor that I was a female in a mans body. She said something like bs..... Well needless to say she didn't come very often so we didn't get to go very deep. I really thought she might listen to me there. But no.

I am very sure about my self. I have some lesbian friends who will tell you that I am a lesbian in a mans body. Now I can talk to them and they are very OK with my feminine side. I love them.

A good counselor can really help your relationship. However if you go to find out who is right or wrong it won't work.

There is lots of books to read.

Be kind to yourself.

Hugs

Jill

[LisaM]

I have gone to a therapist and I am still seeing one about every 3 months.

I went because of lifetime gender issues. I was extremely depressed and filled with anxiety. I wanted to find out if there was any way to 'cure' my gender issues. I guess I knew the answer but it really helped to talk about it. We explored where I was on the TS/TG/Cd spectrum and we brought my spouse into the conversation.

It has been helpful and I still enjoy going. My wife has learned some things as well although she doesn't see a need for her to continue. She is aware of my condition and accepting as long as I don't want to transition.

[RylieCD]

I am seeing a counsler on a monthly basis. I believe it has helped. Like lisa we talk about were I am on the spectrum and what I want to do about it. Wealso talk about my wife and our feelings, at times she has joined in the sessions but we usually have our own session afterwords which also seems to help get us talking about an issue we really dont want to talk about.

[Joy Carter]

It gets into your medical record. My advice, don't go to anyone for this unless your in dire need.

[audreyinalbany]

The wife and I went together to see a local gender specialist a year or so ago. It opened up some conversations between the Mrs. and I, but it didn't really lead to any breakthrough. We're still pretty much living the 'don't ask, don't tell" mode, although I have to say I think I'm mostly the one to blame for that. I'm the one who is hesitant to bring it up...

[Gabrielle Hermosa]

A couple of months ago I decided to go back to my therapist after taking a 9 year break from it. Previously, I had never told him I was a cd (for more than a decade of sessions with him).

Honestly, it was when I came to this forum that I realized I needed to get my head examined again. It wasn't because of my crossdressing, but rather the overflow of emotions that struck me when I came here. All the pain and suffering I read about really got to me, I guess you could say.

After going back to see him and finally telling him that I'm a cd, he asked me a series of questions, some of which were quite unexpected, and he determined that I'm very comfortable with my cding and not confused in the slightest. He gave me a clean bill of mental health and said we should continue sessions for a while to address my recent burst of emotions.

For what it's worth, my therapist said that crossdressing is very normal and not a sickness. He added, and I quote, "most crossdressers start out as very normal people until society has their way with them." I wrote about that in greater depth in my blog here (http://www.mycdlife.com/2009/03/until-society-has-their-way-with-them). It's pretty long, but an interesting read.

The great thing about talking to a therapist or counselor is the ability to speak 100% openly. There is no need to mask or hide any feelings. It's all straight talk, without holding back. Society's rules don't apply in therapy - there is nothing to be embarrassed about, or ashamed of. There is also nothing you can tell the therapist that he/she has not heard before, so that may help put one at ease.

My sessions have been going great, btw. I've made more progress in the last couple months than I ever did in my previous decade-plus run of sessions with him. The difference is I was not truly ready to work on my life before. Now, it's full speed ahead. :)

[Stephanie-L]

I got lucky and found a counsellor who was very comfortable and relatively knowledgable about TG issues. I went to her not to "cure" my CDing but to deal with it in terms of my marriage. We basically got to the point that for me to be truely happy either my wife is going to have to accept my CDing, which I highly doubt, or we will have to get a divorce, which I am not ready for yet. So, I am sort of stuck in limbo, but at least I know the way out when I decide I need to take it. She did help me become a bit more comfortable with myself in terms of defining myself as TG. Good luck in your search...Stephanie

[Hope]

It gets into your medical record. My advice, don't go to anyone for this unless your in dire need.

This is true, if you are one of the few who are fortunate enough to have insurance that pays for mental health issues. For folks paying out of pocket, or for folks who don't care if their health care professionals are aware of their "condition" this isn't an issue.

And I would bet, that if you were one of the lucky ones who has mental health coverage, and you were to talk to your provider, and discuss your concerns about your medical records, that he or she would be willing to report your diagnosis as "generalized depression" or something similar rather than GID... at least, to the point where more involved treatment might be appropriate - at which point - the cat is going to be out of the bag anyway.

Seriously folks - don't let fear of getting a mark on your "PERMANENT RECORD" keep you from getting the care you need.