Therapy and More

You know, I've been meaning to talk about this subject for a while, but never got around to doing so. As it happens, therapy can be a pretty touchy subject for any trans* person. I know, because it was for me at first. See, the word "therapy" implies that something is wrong with the person, and it needs to be fixed. This is NOT the case for trans* people, expecially if you find a good therapist.There is nothing about being trans* that needs to be fixed or cured or whatever. A therapist is there to help you transition, not make it worse. They can provide many resources for surgery, endocrinologists, support groups, you name it. Not to mention that they are there to help with your emotions. Considering that estrogen and testosterone can turn your emotions as you knew them inside out, as well as the stress of having to keep a secret for so long, you're gonna need some way to let your emotions, joys, and concerns out without hurting yourslef or anybody else. Believe me, I bullied my sister for years, and that was just because I needed an outlet for my own experiences being harrassed in middle school (this is before I even started to question my gender). Imagine how bad it can be if you're harrassed for being yourself when others don't want you to be.

Anyways, it's not really therapy, so much as meeting with someone who can help you on your way to becoming the real you. Almost like seeing a good friend who is always there for you. And really, you shouldn't be seeing a therapist/psychiatrist just so you can get a letter of recomendation. You should be seeing them for help getting to your goal, especially emotional support. Trust me, you are going to need it.

My suggestion for finding a trans* friendly therapist in your area is to look around for therapists, then ask their opinions on the whole LGBTQ and about trans* people. If the response is good, question a little furthur about "treating" (for lack of a better word) trans* people. If this response is also good, then book an appointment! If you get too many bad reactions (I leave this for you to decide what is good and bad), then look for someone else. Therapists these days should be getting more trans* friendly.

On a side note, school is going well for me so far. Well, as well as school can be when you aren't out yet. At least there's a GSA (Gay Straight Alliance). And, I guess, Video Club, which is basically about making movies outside of the classroom (Video Produtions), especially this year. I won't say much, but it's the next movie in a series almost as old as the class itself. And I think I will be part of it this year.