So soon I lose my therapist

[StephanieC]

After years of going it alone, I finally looked up a therapist last week and had my first session. I used a number of sites, plus my health insurance site, to find someone who was listed as having experience with Transgender. The location was very convenient and the woman was quite nice. Her card indicated she was a psychotherapist. The first session went well.

Today was my second session. I was completely enfemme (I think I was terribly cute). She indicated her assessment was going to be something like 3-29 (or something like that) which is a pretty generic diagnosis, explaining that gender disorder might draw red flags. Anyway, she wasn't sure I had any disorder, explaining that such things cause stress and angst and clearly I have no such thing....I know what I am and where I want to go.

So far, so good. But it turns out she can't prescribe. She had that ability when we was back east but when she moved to the midwest, she did not renew that...something about more potential for litigation. So we could do counseling for with/for significant others but could not help with hormones. She did, though, refer me to the local LGBT center.

That means I'm back to trying to find someone new. I'll try the LGBT center but they are not very nearby. Unfortunately, she did caution that this sort of thing was hard to do in the midwest, much easier on the coasts. And, as it turns out, I was only her second patient (here) with my, um, situation.

[Amber99]

My therapist can't prescribe but after three months of seeing her she wrote a letter to my endo and I got on hormones right away.

[Jorja]

It does not matter if the therapist can prescribe or not. The thearpist only needs to write a letter to an endo or your GP. See the HBIGDA (Wpath) Standards of Care for more information http://www.wpath.org/Documents2/socv6.pdf

[Stephenie S]

Listen sweetie, therapists cannot prescribe. Only doctors can prescribe hormone therapy. Of course SOME therapists are doctors. Psychiatrists are doctors. THEY can prescribe. But most therapists will refer you to an endocrinologist when you and he/she decide that the time is right. Then the endo writes a prescription and cares for your endocrinic health. Your primary doctor can also prescribe hormone therapy and may well do so on the basis of a letter from your therapist. But therapists traditionally are not doctors. And most doctors would rather an endocrinologist prescribed hormone therapy.

S

[Melody Moore]

I can only agree with what others have said here about therapist.

If your therapist is a psychologist, then she cannot prescribe hormones, but she can write a
letter on your behalf recommending hormone therapy. However is she is a psychiatrist, then
she is a qualified doctor & psychologist, so then she might be able to prescribe hormones to you.

[renee k]

Hi Stephanie, You would be better off under an endo's care while undergoing HRT. I see my my endo quarterly and have blood work done at each visit. I wouldn't be discouraged that your therapist can't perscribe hormones. The best they can do is write a referral letter to an endo. That's what mine did after three visits. Like Jorga mentioned it's the way the HBIGDA standards work.

Renee