Educating a therapist/counselor

[kathrynjanos]

Good evening ladies and gents,

I guess this is a general and specific question at the same point.

I haven't been here in quite a long time, but I think there's hardly a better location to ask this question.

I am seeing a general therapist/counselor/social worker as of this past Saturday. He's a very good therapist, but he's uninitiated in the realm of transgenderism/transsexualism. He would like some good reading materials on the generics of the subject, and also some specifics to MtF, specifically on hormones.

This is specifically because I have my suspicions that I'm dealing with manic depression, and he'd like to know more about the TS issues, and especially the hormones so he knows what changes to expect from me, and also for medication issues. But he'd like to know more about me/us so that he can give me general advice and thoughts about what might be tied to what.

So, preferably just a couple basic couple page articles on each subject would be a great place to start for me. I mean, part of me knows that I can educate him, but I would also be paying for that, and it took me months of intensive searching and research to get my bearings. I'd rather give him the basics to start and he can either ask more specifics if need be, or take other links and resources I give him to do more on his own time.

He will NOT be my gender counselor, obviously, he is just my general counselor, but he's a trusted resource, so I'd like to bring him up to speed rather than start fresh.

Thanks lovelies!

- Katie

[Super Amanda]

I would point him to the magical and all powerful Internet. It's where I learn almost everything these days.

[Miranda09]

Well, I don't know of any specific sources, but the internet is a powerful library. I recommend he search under transgender issues or something like that as a start. I must say that I am impressed by his willingness to educate himself on the subject, before handing out any advice or counceling. He sounds very professional. :)

[Loni]

third the internet....



but if your therapist does not know this info already:doh:..time to get one that does.:D

that is what the time in

high school,

local collage,

major collage,

advanced university,

etc. is all about.

.

.

[kathrynjanos]

Thanks, but I was hoping to get a bit more specific. I'll just do some more searching and see if I can find a good "one pager". I am educating him because I have a previous history with him, like him, trust him, and feel that I really actually don't WANT someone with a deep knowledge of this to start off with.

I mean, I will have a gender counselor, but that's something separate. I want to deal with other issues separately, and I'm not looking to have a long term relationship with a gender counselor anyway.

Loni, that's a nice thought, but really, not very useful. This is a subject barely understood by psychological professionals, and still an evolving subject at that. So it's not fair to just say "He should know, and if he doesn't, he's an idiot." I'm a computer professional, it annoys me to no end when someone says "Some help you are, you don't even know what I'm talking about," and it's an obscure new program.

Kitty, the LAST thing I want him getting as the "Established" course is HBSOC. Historically, it was a good starting point. But not for modern education.

I'll dig up some stuff, and probably cobble it together myself, as I should probably do anyway. I'll need to educate my coworkers, and at least one of my family members.

[Kaitlyn Michele]

K-

Is he focused on transsexuals? or crossdressing or both?

I think you can help people by educating him...my first two therapists were clueless about this...and one of them I will never forgive for some of the things she said to me..

Of course, I've focused on ts folks and here is one link I've posted before.

http://www.avitale.com/developmentalreview.htm

[kathrynjanos]

Kaitlyn,

I am TS, and that's what I'm going to be working to help him understand. I can detail some things about CD'ing, but this is why I asked in the TS forum. I started as "just a crossdresser" but have found that my mentality is aligned much more closely with a TS, and I just started my Spiro last night. My Dilestrogen isn't at my pharmacy until today, hopefully.

- Kathryn

[Melissa A.]

Kathryn,

I happen to have been extremely lucky in my choice of a Therapist. Arlene Istar Lev is a liscenced clinical social worker, activist, therapist, speaker and author.(And one heck of a nice woman) She has been involved in several publications, but one in particular, "Transgender Emergance: Counseling gender variant people and their families"(2004, Haworth Press) may be of the most interest to your therapist. In addition to counseling people like myself, Ari is also very focused on the emergence of gay, lesbian and trans children and the effect on Families. She is currently involved in re-writing the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care, and is peripherally involved in attempting to have some influence on the upcoming DSM V. Her body of work is impressive. She runs Choices Counseling and Consulting, located in Albany, NY, and is easily googled on the internet. Hope this is of some help.

Hugs,

Melissa:)

[Kaitlyn Michele]

Kaitlyn,

I am TS, and that's what I'm going to be working to help him understand. I can detail some things about CD'ing, but this is why I asked in the TS forum. I started as "just a crossdresser" but have found that my mentality is aligned much more closely with a TS, and I just started my Spiro last night. My Dilestrogen isn't at my pharmacy until today, hopefully.

- Kathryn

Anne Vitale is a great place to start...I liked her writings because she goes right to the point, and seems to have a very honest way of hightlighting what it can mean to be ts..

[kathrynjanos]

Anne Vitale is a great place to start...I liked her writings because she goes right to the point, and seems to have a very honest way of hightlighting what it can mean to be ts..

Kaitlyn,

Thanks for the Anne Vitale link. It was a good article, and so I printed it and brought it to him. I think it'll do a nice quick "catch up" version for him.

On the upshot, though I won't stop therapy yet, I'm feeling very happy since I started my Spiro. It's nice to see that this could all well be a very nasty side effect of the wrong body chemicals. I wish it'd come a month earlier, of course, it might've saved my relationship with this wonderful girl, but ah well, if it's meant to be...

And on that note, Happy Valentine's Day, ladies. I do hope that you're able to spend it with someone special who deserves you. :love:

[Rianna Humble]

I am seeing a general therapist/counselor/social worker as of this past Saturday. He's a very good therapist, but he's uninitiated in the realm of transgenderism/transsexualism. He would like some good reading materials on the generics of the subject, and also some specifics to MtF, specifically on hormones.

Hi Katie, I don't know if it will cover what you're looking for, but the British NHS has a series of articles on transgender and health with a sort of overview at http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Transhealth/Pages/Transoverview.aspx