So therapy is the number one thing you should consider as a trans person. Your first priority should always be mental health, everything else comes second.
In general if you are questioning and in the earlier stages of figuring yourself out, having someone you can speak to without judgement is invaluable. An experienced gender therapist will also be able to help you figure out exactly what you are. Its impossible to move forward until you know what your end goals are, so identifying your goals and resolving any mental blocks is always the first step.
If you are transitioning, there can be a lot of hiccups in your life, starting hrt can be like going through puberty again. Relationships may be at risk or fail, and family relationships may change or cease to exist. In short your time transitioning is a turbulent life changing event, and having someone that you can talk through your problems as you have them makes getting through to the other side a lot easier.
In addition if you go the NHS GIC route of transition, being able to say that you sought and have had therapy to help you work through your gender, is a tick in a box, and can make the GIC process quicker & easier as its evidence of you moving forward.
So therapy, therapy, therapy!!!!
Standard Therapy vs Gender Therapy
Not all therapists are equal, when looking for a therapist, it is important to find one that specialises in trans patients. Many therapists have very few if any trans patients or experience with trans people, so they will use you as a learning exercise and you will find that your progress is rather slow. In general they will also use a form of listening therapy as they wont have the in-depth knowledge to guide you down the rabbit hole.
A therapist specialising in gender may only deal with trans patients, day in day out, several hours a day. They will have seen everything and you wont be a learning exercise so they will be more likely in a position where they can guide you, ad you generally make progress faster.
Changing Therapists
Therapy is very personal! If you don't get on with your therapist or simply don't feel comfortable after 1 or 2 sessions, it is important to move on and find a different therapist.
Likewise after about 10 sessions of therapy, you will find that your progress may start to stall. It is very much down to the individual needs at this point, as for some people switching therapists can provide an alternative view point and help get you unstuck, for others having that continuity can be a lifeline during a turbulent time.
So its important to periodically assess what you are gaining from therapy, and make a judgement call as required.
Free Therapy
Generally free therapy is with a generalist therapist. Generalist therapists often work with all client types and do not generally specialise in gender therapy. However saying that, the therapists from TSS/CMagic now have sufficient experience with trans patients to be classified as specialists in gender, thus removing this limitation.
TSS
TSS provides 6 free sessions of therapy for over 18s to work through any gender related issues, they do tend to have a large waiting time though. Refer to Tss for more information on this service. They are highly recommended and you can self refer to this service. These therapists have one day a week assigned to dealing with trans patients so have suitable experience for gender therapy.
CMagic
CMagic can provide therapy, as part of the CMagic service. This does use the same therapists as TSS. Refer to CMagic for more information. These therapists have more than one day a week assigned to dealing with trans patients so have suitable experience for gender therapy.
NHS
If you are suicidal or need urgent therapy, you can seek support from your gp. Often they will get in touch with CMagic to arrange emergency therapy. Do be aware that you may be assigned to a generalist therapist who may not have much experience with trans patients.
YPAS
YPAS is a specialist service for providing therapy for under 18s dealing with gender identity, please refer to YPAS for more information. I am unaware of anyone who has used this service, so if you do use this service, please consider updating our information :)
Support & Mentoring
GYROS
GYROS is primarily a support/social group for LGBT youth between 12 and 25. As part of this service they also offer 1:1 mentoring and support. Please refer to GYRO Note: They are not therapists, more like social workers.
THM
THM ran by sahir house has extensive support networks in place and can provide limited 1:1 mentoring and support. This is less trans specific and more focused on day-to-day issues. THM does however have very good links to all of the support services in the liverpool city region, so are often a very good first call and can get you signposted quicker than going via your gp. See Sahir House (Previously THM) for more information. Note: They are not therapists, more like social workers.
Mermaids
Mermaids is a charity specialising in supporting trans children, and young adults under the age of 25. They can provide support for young adults who are not out to their parents in a discreet way, and also provide limited support to parents. Note: They are not therapists, more like social workers.
Private Therapy
Private therapy as the name suggests, is a therapist that you pay for. The benefit is that you can often get therapy within a matter of days and at a time to suit you. The therapists listed below only work with trans patients, so you may find that you get more from a session with one of these private therapists than one of the more general therapists often found via free resources.
Aris Papaefstathiou
Aris is a trans-male therapist based in London, however he provides zoom based therapy and has been used by at least one trans person in the local liverpool support groups.
He also caters for couples, partners, family members or anyone close to someone who is exploring their gender identity.
He uses a person-centred approach.
Sessions are 50 minutes
Pricing
Aris charges £60 per session and £30 for the initial consultation.
Contact
Jackie Swarbrick
Jackie is a gendergp therapist and only really works with trans patients, her level of experience with various trans people means that she is a wealth of information and worthwhile going private for.
She is not based in Liverpool, rather down south in Devon, but works via skype, sessions are generally 50 minutes via skype. She can also do sessions as late as 9pm on some days.
Pricing
She costs £40-£60 per hour, pricing is generally specific to individual circumstances
Contact
You can contact her directly via email at: jacquelineswarbrick60@gmail.com She is also a therapist for gendergp, and can be contacted via the gendergp pages. https://www.gendergp.com/gendergp-network/jackie-swarbrick/
GenderGP
GenderGP is somewhat controversial as their primary purpose is as a provider of private HRT, however they have a selection of therapists working for them that only deal with gender based therapy. The fact that these therapists only treat trans patients and work via skype, means that these therapists are incredibly useful and should be considered if you have the funds and are wishing to look at a private online based therapist.
It should be noted, that we don't recommend GenderGP for private HRT, as most gps in the liverpool area have been advised not to work with them. We do recommend them for therapy though.
Pricing
Approximately £60 per hour.