4. See a Psychiatrist

The role of the psychiatrist is basically to officially diagnose your transsexuality. The added bonus of this step is that it will help you determine if transition is really the thing for you, and if you are ready to endure what is a very difficult process that is irreversible in many ways.

It is stated in the Harry Benjamin's SoC that if one is over 18 and not had at least 3 months of documented real-life experience living in the opposite gender, then one should expect to have to undergo at least 3 months of psychotherapy before being eligible for hormone therapy. However, the HBSoC does acknowledge that each individual is different, and that the health care professional should treat each case individually to a certain extent.

The other criteria that must be fulfilled before being eligible for hormone therapy is that one must have demonstrable knowledge of what hormones medically can and cannot do, as well as their social benefits and risks. One of the reasons transsexuals are made to "jump through so many hoops" is the fact that there have been people who have undergone hormone therapy and/or Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) who have found that it hasn't provided a quick fix to their problems, and in some cases "ruined their lives", and so have turned around to sue the health care professionals involved.

In my case, I was fortunate to have Dr. John Parkinson as my psychiatrist. He operates out of Wollongong and Sydney, and was kind enough to return my phone call after hours for my first appointment. I found Dr. Parkinson to be very pleasant in appearance and demeanour, a gentleman through and through, and would highly recommend him. He managed to address key issues without coming across as intrusive or abrupt, and I found that I quickly felt relaxed in the environment he provided.

Note: You will need to have your GP write you a letter of referral to your psychiatrist, stating that you will be making the appointment for the purpose of discussing gender-related issues. Therefore, it may be a good idea at this point to find a trans-friendly GP if yours isn't capable of handling the situation, or if you're uncomfortable disclosing this information to your GP (e.g. if you have a family physician). In my case, I kept my GP "in the loop" so that he would be fully aware of my situation and thus be able to advise me appropriately as my main health care provider.