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About Trey McGowan
Expertise
I am able to answer questions about transexual and transgender issues of many kinds, but in particular those tilted toward the FTM (Female-To-Male) transgender. I can offer tips for dressing, passing, binding, packing, behavior, and the like for both drag and full lifestyle. I may also be able to offer some help with finding local peer groups, should you be interested in peer counseling. Sexuality issues, MTF (male-to-female), and other gender issues can also be touched on and I may be able to help.
I am not a professional (I repeat: I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL!) but I can also offer some general peer counseling suggestions and help with finding groups for all branches of gender identification and sexuality. If you are in need of finding a professional, I may be able to find a name in your area to help.
Experience
I am personally FTM transgender, living full-time and accepting of my gender identity. I have not yet been through operations (so am unable to offer personal experience on most of these). I have been part of a number of groups, though moving has kept discussions to long distance since then. I am well-studied for a great many years in this area, having begun reading up on it when I first identified and having kept up on it since then. I have no medical credentials in the area of gender counseling but have been part of multiple peer counseling groups.
Organizations
Knox Boyz (FTM peer support group)
Nashville T'men (FTM peer support group)
Education/Credentials
I have completed grade school, some high school, and my GED.
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You are here: Experts > People/Relationships > Gay/Lesbian Issues > Transgender/Transsexual > re: T dose counseling
Expert: Trey McGowan - 9/14/2008
Question
Hi. I am in early transition. My doctor has me on 100 mg 1x a month. I have major moods swings with this dose and not sure how to talk to him and get him to really listen. I have tried.
Second; I have lived 20 years in a long term lesbian relationship. My heart hurts with her saddness at my transition. They guy I was seeing for counseling is...not really knowledgeable and was more supportive but for reasons I don't know, this is changing....I need/want someone else that I can afford.
Can you recommend anyone in NY State...also can you recommend someone besides Hawk Stone and Arlene Istar Lev. They are super cool but I know them from other things in community and it's hard to work with them as a client
Answer
Hi there, Ben!
When you say 'you have tried', how has it failed? Has it failed because you're just not comfortable with bringing up the situation? If so, then really the best thing you can do for yourself is remember that, as a doctor, he's experienced in quite a number of things. Bringing up that you are having extreme mood swings with it might just need to be done straightforward and direct ("Doc, about the dose you have me on..."). I know, it can be a lot easier said than done, but if he's the one who has you on the dose, then he should be the one to breach the subject with.
If, on the other hand, you *have* said something and 'something else' has gone on with it, it might be a little easier if you're more exact. I don't need to know what the reaction was in total detail, but knowing what the issue is, other than 'I've tried', might go a bit toward helping me figure out the answer. Because it could be anything from a change in the explanation, to the possibility that you might need to talk to someone else about talking with the doctor, to the thought that you might need to talk to someone else *period*.
I understand that you can't afford a lot, but I wonder: have you got (or deal with) an endocrinologist? That might be a way for you to bring up the issue. It's their specialty, after all, to know how chemicals work with the body, and on whether the mood swings are an issue or not.
As for the second question, I'm not in the NY area, myself, so I checked a few of the 'old links' I have and I found a number of therapists in the area. There are quite a few more that I was able to locate, but one is directly listed as being on a sliding scale:
Endress, Sean M. MA, LMSW
Albany, NY
Phone: (718) 887-1378
SeanMEndress@yahoo.com
Sean is a trans-masculine identified person offering support, education, and advocacy in the areas of gender identity, sexuality, and mental health. As part of his clinical training, Sean served as an individual therapist and group facilitator at the Gender Identity Project in NYC. Free initial phone consults and sliding scale fees are available.
For the entire list, if you want to start 'shopping around', take a glance here: http://www.tglynnsplace.com/transgender-therapist3.htm.
I wish I could directly recommend more of them, but just off the top of my head, I don't know of any doctors who were mentioned by name in the groups I was in. Primarily, mine were focused around the south, and NY is a tish further north than that.
I wish you the best of luck. Questions, comments, follow-ups, feedback, are always welcome! You know where to find me!
Trey
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