What Can I Expect from Therapy For Gender Reassignment Surgery?
No two people are exactly alike, and no two people seeking therapy will have exactly the same issues, the same goals, or work toward their goals in exactly the same way. Take two people suffering from depression. The depression may arise from different situations; the two individuals may be seeking different outcomes of therapy, and may need different types of therapy to get where they want to be. Therapy is no different for transgendered individuals in that each person will have a different experience from therapy.
If you would like a little more information on general guidelines, look up The Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association’s Standards Of Care For Gender Identity.
In my practice, I like to take a “client-centered” approach to working with those who are considering hormones or surgery. For me, this means that you are your own expert on your life. I provide insight from a therapeutic perspective and can offer education regarding options available to you, but I will never pretend that I know you better than you know you. I treat each person as an individual and will work with you and use questions and observations to help guide you to the right path for you.
Many, though not all, doctors who perform surgeries or prescribe hormones will ask for a letter from a therapist stating that you have been in therapy for a specific time period, usually 6-24 months, depending on the doctor and the desired treatment. The doctor may want to know that you are aware of the effects of hormones and that these effects are permanent, that you know what surgery will entail, that you are seeking treatment based on an honest feeling that you were born in the wrong body, and that there are no underlying mental health issues leading you to desire hormones or surgery.
In regards to the last point on mental health issues, if you are suffering from depression, a doctor will want to know that your depression is caused by the feeling that you were born in the wrong body and a desire to live as the person you feel yourself to be, and that it’s not a matter of your depression leading you to an unhappiness with yourself and making you want to try something different. In the first case, hormones and/or surgery will help. In the second, it may take time in therapy for you to figure out if hormones and/or surgery is truly the right answer for you.
If you are looking for a gay friendly therapist or Transgender friendly therapist in Long Beach, Lakewood or the surrounding areas, please call to set up an appointment.