FINDING A PSYCHOTHERAPIST
Gender Dysphoria Psychotherapy
Many people with Gender Dysphoria and who are exploring their gender identity issues are struggling to make a decision about their futures. Others may have made a decision to transition from one gender role to another or indeed may actually be transitioning. Whatever the situation it is often helpful to get support via Psychotherapy and Counselling.
Like many other decisions facing Trans people, and faced with a myriad of choices, this can be a daunting exercise. Without getting to know you I cannot know which style of therapy is best suited for your individual needs. The individual practitioner’s expertise is more important than their theoretical approach however it is important to find a genre that suits the individual seeking support.
Qualifications will carry different emphasis depending on the individual therapists governing body. e.g. membership of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) has a requirement that members have a minimum qualification of a diploma level that is not far short of MSc standard. Training courses have to be approved by the governing body.
Membership of British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) does not have the same high requirement at membership level but they have an accreditation process for members who choose to become accredited by them. In short, you should not necessarily exclude a practitioner because they are not full members of UKCP providing they are accredited by BACP. Conversely, you should not necessarily ignore a practitioner who is not accredited by BACP as they may be registered by UKCP.
Choosing a Practitioner
The therapeutic relationship is both vital and very much about chemistry but some fundamental requirement should be sought. Having narrowed the search by checking with the above websites you might ask them:
How long have they been practicing?
What experience do they possess in the field of gender identity?
What do they think they can offer you?
Are they prepared to see you on a session to session basis so that you can leave if it isn’t working for you?
You should get a clearer picture by the time you have gone through this check list but please call the office if you would like to discuss this further. I make no apology for suggesting you go through this process but want you to get the best possible support.
FACE & VOICE
VOICE THERAPY FOR TRANS WOMEN
Many Transwomen struggle to adopt an acceptable female voice and find that although their physical presentation is acceptable to them, the voice often lets them down.
Many of the available voice feminising surgeries appear to be limited and, even when they do work, still require voice therapy and/or coaching.
Deciding whether you need to work on the voice is a very personal decision but for those of you who do, the programme by Kathe Perez may be invaluable.
FACIAL FEMINISATION FOR TRANS WOMEN
Cosmetic (aesthetic surgery) of the face can be directed toward many aspects of facial appearance. The majority of facial aesthetic surgery in this country is to reduce the effects of aging – reducing wrinkles, lifting sagging skin, or removing fat deposits. Facelifts, brow (forehead) lifts, blepharoplasties (cosmetic surgery of the eyelids), and removing excess fat in the neck are among the most frequently completed aesthetic facial soft tissue procedures that I do. A great deal of my aesthetic surgery, though, is directed toward changing facial contours by modifying the basic bony supporting configuration of the face.
Surgery such as a rhinoplasty (nasal surgery), chin, cheek and forehead modifications (either reduction or augmentation), changing the shape of the mandibular angle, and – in certain patients – moving the upper and/or lower jaws are frequently completed by me as well.
There are basic differences between a male and a female skull – differences long appreciated not only by anthropologists studying skulls, but by artists as well. Females have a more pointed chin and less nasal prominence than males. The forehead is quite different, especially the areas of the brows and the mid forehead. The shape of the skull affects the drape and contour of the skin. Changing the shape of the skull will assist in changing one from distinctly male to female.
Modifying the angle of the lower jaw and the prominence of the cheeks can also help improve femininity.The techniques used and the areas modified are individualized. Quite obviously some transsexuals are already much more feminine than others. What is completed is based upon a combination of skeletal and artistic evaluations, radiographs (x-rays), anthropological measurements, asymmetry gauges, facial masks and photographs. Patient self assessment is also very important to surgical planning. Based on all of the above, a treatment program is established.