So... this guy randomly decided to date me, and he ended up telling his therapist a little bit about me today. And the therapist apparently wants to work with me. He's worked with LGBT people before, is willing to help me get testosterone if I decide that (which I'm heavily leaning toward right now), believes that being transgender is NOT a choice (unlike most people here)... and oh my gosh I'm freaking out a little bit (in a good way). So that brings me to a few questions. What are the requirements for getting testosterone in the US? Or does it vary? And what can I actually expect with therapy for all this gender mess? And... I also guess this means I need to work out how to tell my parents, if I'm this seriously considering testosterone and may actually be able to get it at some point in the semi-soon future. Haha, and maybe I'm a little too excited here. Or getting ahead of myself. Oops :icon_redf
If you're gonna date this guy, you probably shouldn't be seeing his therapist. Ask him to make a referral to another, telling him the requirements you have like not believing you're choosing this.
It varies from place to place. I've heard people getting hormones from their doctor and others have to see a therapist to get a letter or a referral to an endocrinologist. For me, I've had to see a therapist for 7-8 sessions (set on my own terms) and a second opinion from a psychologist; mostly a short test to make sure I'm of sound mind then I'm cleared to start T (I have that evaluation on Thursday and I'm currently waiting to hear from an endocrinologist that my doctor referred me to). With therapy, it will vary most likely. But in my case, it was asking questions about how I feel and what certain things like dysphoria mean and do to me. I explained that most of my anxiety and depression is rooted within my dysphoria, and it was refreshing to hear something other than badgering and "it's your faults" like I had with other people. If you've already seen a psychologist/therapist, they should be able to give you a letter of recommendation to an endocrinologist, and possibly help you find an endocrinologist or toss some names out. If you're in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York; the Mazzoni Center in Philadelphia might be your best bet. Since there's little to no resources in my city, I might go there.
This a thousand times. And furthermore, the therapist is a shitty therapist because s/he is letting his or her codependent/caretaking behaviors interfere with his/her therapeutic objectivity. It's not appropriate, and incredibly unprofessional, for a therapist to ask a client to refer a friend that the therapist has decided (based on a client's description) needs help. It is also not appropriate for a therapist to be seeing the boyfriend of one of his clients, because it creates a triangulation dynamic that almost invariably ends up damaging both clients. I understand the reason why it sounds tempting, but the better choice is to have the therapist make a referral to other people s/he knows that you might talk to.
