I told my mom this morning that would like to medically transition. She was supportive though she did have money concerns as we are tight on money. Even with insurances the co-pay will be expensive. She also thinks I will have to stay in therapy for the whole two years it will take to start HRT and get top surgery. But I'm not sure if that is right. But she did say we would try to find an affordable therapist in our area. Problem is, I have checked and have only found 2-3 gender therapist in our state, all of which are a hour to two hour drive away. With only one car to take 5 people to work and back we can't really drive that far to see a shrink. I did tell her about online therapy, which might be cheaper anyway but she wasn't thrilled on the idea. I know people have said to check out trans groups around me or planned parenthood, but to be honest I have no idea how to find them or if we even have them. I mean this is the South, I'm not expecting much in the way of support groups. And before someone mentions it, there is no LGBT center in my town or the sorrunding towns. The only one that I know of is in Columbia, and that is an hour away. My insurances states I have to go to a gender clinic or gender therapist for them to cover the HRT. So I'm not sure what to do. What's more I havn't come out to the rest of my family. My mom is one of the more accepting members of it. As is her twin. Its my other two aunts, and my brothers, that worries me. My grandma will probably cut me out her life all together but I'm not upset about that all. If there is anyone in South Carolina who has a gender therapist, got any advice?
Is there by any means public transport you can use to meet the therapist? Maybe you can mix personal with online therapy. My therapist and myself prefer personal meetings but she can also provide meetings via Skype when I'm traveling for my company.
Sometimes there are people that are not labelled as gender therapists that do work with transgender people. Gender therapy is not necessarily a classification of the mental health community. You can find planned parenthood locations and gender group locations from google. I would also ask your insurance about the informed consent model, because that is a newer model of transgender health care, and it should be covered.
Do you know if there are any endocrinologists in your area? If so, you may have to go with the online route for therapy, and then you can make sure your letter gets to the endo closest to you. It would be worth calling to see if they have had any experience with transgender people first, or calling to let them know that you are transgender.
Okay well from a list I found on the website of the LGBT center in Columbia, SC all recommended endo (as well as therapists) live in Columbia, Charleston, or Greer ---------- Post added 6th Jul 2015 at 07:55 PM ---------- And to the person who asked. No there is no public transportation between where I live and where the city is. Just a grey hound bus.
I will talk to my mom about online therapy. I'm hoping to be out to my whole family by time and if it all goes well perhaps I can have one of my aunts to take me to the of the T friendly endos Columbia or Charleston. Though I have been meaning to talk to my aunt about me going to a tech college in Charleston that offers a vet tech program, since the tech college in my current location does not have one. If she agrees to drive me back and forth till I can find a job and apartment there, I could probably somehow sneak therapy appointments in as well.