Therapist questions

I know this varies from person to person, but I'm curious as to how many sessions with a therapist people have had before they were diagnosed with gender dysphoria? I've been to my therapist twice now, and after the first session, she told me that GD was definitely a possibility for me, and after the second, she has basically implied that it is likely that I do have it.

My question is basically stemming from a worry that things may be progressing too quickly, and I don't want to end up jumping in to something I may later regret.

Any advice or other experiences with this matter would be appreciated.

Thanks.

I think that only you will know whether its right or not to "jump in" so set the pace of your therapy sessions and don't rush to get a conclusion. You can always take a few more sessions to confirm GD and i'm sure that you will get that feeling and "know" that the diagnosis is correct. It is good that you are questioning this, because it is something to take very seriously and not rush. You may have several "markers" and you want to see how you really feel before moving forward....

I think that the sessions will give you the needed results if you're not ready just hold it for a while but remember, time is priceless and the earliest you can move better results but if you're afraid and not sure just hold it and take time to think about it.
I was in my third week on HRT and had a panic attack and quit from hormones but a week after I retake it because my mind was so clear a out the no other options. Now I'm almost 6 Ionths and believe me, the benefits, the huge changes I'd experienced are worth of any sacrifice, but not talking about the physical changes as boobies or else more but the peace of mind and how I do see the reality now.

I could give you a number, but it would be meaningless. If anyone gives you one, don't bank on that for yourself.

A good therapist will not tell you that you are <insert label here>. You may have described some symptoms of gender dysphoria, in which case, acknowledging that possibility is valid.

If you are concerned about anything arising from your sessions, you should communicate that to your therapist. She will want to know that, and will likely spend time helping you to sort out those reservations. It sounds cliche, even glib, but this kind of therapy is a process, one that is designed to help you examine your own thoughts and feelings so that, hopefully, you can come to a place where you are happy with the answers you find. Gift yourself with patience and honesty and your therapist will help you find the way that much quicker.

Good luck to you.

Hugs,


Kelly

Wow! That was fast! In my case I’m on my fourth weekly session and was told that in the next one she’ll start giving me feedback! So far she needed to really understand who I am and who Carolina is (one and the same though). That took four sessions going through my life timeline as Carolina (I enjoyed going through the many events that made Carolina who I am now...) I’m looking forward to next week’s session and some feedback...

this question makes me wonder. As GD becomes a non-clinical situation, with self-declaring being enough around many countries now, perhaps the question is better phrased: "how many questions and answers do i need to satisfy myself that I have GD?" - as a geniune life situation and not as a psycho-emotional compensation to unresolved childhood issues?

Being asked to emerge one's own unconscious, and being challenged as to the validity of our personal conclusions, feels to me, to still be the smart thing to do. So the question is: when are you satisfied with the evidence as to whether you have GD or not?"

It's hard to know what goes on in someone else's therapy, but a real gender specialist is listening to what you have to say and reflecting it back to you in the context of her specialized knowledge. (I'd be much more cautious about non-specialists, who may not have had many trans clients and likely never studied GD formally.)

Anyone on this forum probably has it to some degree -- the few cis people I can fully confide in tell me that not once, never, ever, in their whole lives have they ever had even a flicker of a notion that they might not be the gender they appear. So when you go to that therapist and start raising doubts, however mild it might seem to you since you've been living with it, it looks pretty dramatic to the therapist.

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Originally Posted by skylance

I know this varies from person to person, but I'm curious as to how many sessions with a therapist people have had before they were diagnosed with gender dysphoria? I've been to my therapist twice now, and after the first session, she told me that GD was definitely a possibility for me, and after the second, she has basically implied that it is likely that I do have it.

My question is basically stemming from a worry that things may be progressing too quickly, and I don't want to end up jumping in to something I may later regret.

Any advice or other experiences with this matter would be appreciated.

Thanks.

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Sky,

I went in to my first session knowing I was gender dysphoric. But there were so many other issues that needed to be addressed, not only in relation to my GD but to life in general. As I kept going to see my therapist we slowly worked to resolve all the other issues to see if maybe they were contributing in some way to my dysphoria. There was a possibility that my crossdressing was just an escape from the other issues and once they were resolved I'd have little or no need for Sarah. I first went in just over 3 years ago and it was only a few months ago I decided to begin HT.

If you have concerns or fears that it may not be right for you, you and your therapist should do your best to find the basis of those fears and see if they represent something other than GD. This isn't something any of us should go into without being confident because it could only get worse if you question what you are doing every time you take your next dose.

Just a few things to think about ...

. Symptoms of gender dysphoria can manifest from non gender-related issues.

. Symptoms of gender dysphoria can be transitory, can come and go, and can vary in intensity.

. You can have symptoms of gender dysphoria and not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of Gender Dysphoria.

. You can be trans without exhibiting any of the clinical signs of Gender Dysphoria.

. People have been known to exhibit symptoms of gender dysphoria in BOTH directions ... even after transition (and I’m not speaking of so-called regretters).

. Most of the psych literature regards Gender Dysphoria as a self-diagnosis. (The provider formalizes the diagnosis, of course.) Think about that for a minute then ask yourself what you are looking to get from a formal diagnosis.

. And naturally, you can be cross-sexed, have all the classical symptoms, and fully meet the criteria for a Gender Dysphoria diagnosis under the ICD. ... Then what?

In answer to your question, I was in therapy for appx 5-6 months before *I* pressed the topic of hormones, asking at the end of one session if she would she write a letter. The answer was “of course” (which kind of floored me, actually), and the diagnosis was in the letter when I received it a week later. It wasn’t like she pronounced a diagnosis out of thin air.

I don't mean to be glib or sound flippant, but the only one that can diagnose you as TS is you. Run the other way if anyone tells you different. And should you decide you are, what you do regarding that revelation is entirely up to you.