Gender-affirming care (hormone therapy, surgery, and other medical interventions) is well-documented as protective for transgender and nonbinary people’s mental health. One widely cited study followed transgender and nonbinary youth for a year and found 60% lower odds of depression and 73% lower odds of suicidality among those who received gender-affirming medical care, compared to those who hadn’t yet received this care (Tordoff et al., 2022). We likely don’t need to convince you of that here; if you’re reading this, you likely already know how crucial this care is.
Unfortunately, we’re living in a sociopolitical climate where politicians have been actively working to legislate trans and nonbinary people out of existence, out of healthcare, out of sports, out of public life. That’s the real barrier to gender-affirming care, and we’re not going to pretend otherwise. While there is a lot out of our control about this climate, we can reduce the barriers within our control.
Most providers and insurers require at least one, if not two, clinical letters documenting a mental health assessment before covering or performing gender-affirming procedures. Given everything else stacked against trans and nonbinary people right now, we’re committed to making that particular piece as easy as we can.
At TREC DC, we offer a free, one-time clinical interview and letter for gender-affirming care. No ongoing therapy requirement, no long wait. You can book simply by submitting our contact form here or emailing us at [email protected].
Another therapy practice that we’d like to highlight is Collaborative Pathways Counseling & Consulting, a practice in Baltimore, MD. The practice offers dedicated gender-affirming assessment expertise, including from Dr. Jessica Rothstein, who provides gender-affirming assessments and has specialized training in this area. You can learn more about their services at collaborativepathwayscounseling.com and see information on the insurance they accept here. While TREC DC is not affiliated with Collaborative Pathways, we feel it is important to shine a light on other practices that are doing this important work right now.
A Note on Shared Identity
We know that working with a provider who shares your gender identity, for a gender affirming care letter or for ongoing care, matters to many people, and we want to be transparent about our positionality. Currently we do not have staff at TREC DC who identify as trans or nonbinary, though we can help identify alternative practices and providers if that is your preference.
We are ongoing students of this work. Our team engages in regular continuing education, consultation, and training specific to gender-affirming care, and we hold ourselves accountable to that learning. But training isn’t lived experience, and we won’t pretend it is.
Whether you make an inquiry with us or another practice, our hope is the same: one less barrier, in a landscape that already has too many.
Ready to book your free clinical interview and letter? Visit our website to schedule.
Reference: Tordoff, D. M., Wanta, J. W., Collin, A., Stepney, C., Inwards-Breland, D. J., & Ahrens, K. (2022). Mental health outcomes in transgender and nonbinary youths receiving gender-affirming care. JAMA Network Open, 5(2), e220978.
