
Is 2018 the year you start your transition? Is it the year you come out to your friends and family or at work? Have you made a resolution to yourself this year that you intend to keep? I don’t tend to make resolution’s every year, but I do think it’s an exciting time of year to initiate changes in your life.
To many people, the new year represents an opportunity to form a new life, exciting changes and a do over for what didn’t work out how you thought last year. When making resolutions, it’s good to set obtainable goals. Set goals in steps that you can make the marks with a bit of work, but not overwhelm yourself if you don’t reach the entire goal at once.
First Steps to Transition
If you have set out that the New Year will be the time that you start your transition, it’s a great start to decide if you want to transition socially, medically or both. A well trained mental health therapist will be able to collaborate with you to begin your transition by allowing you to talk to someone about any concerns you may be dealing with such as family strain related to your transition, questions about your gender identity, relationships with your spouse or partner and a host of other concerns. You can find my blog about HRT letters here.
When you are ready to take the next steps in your goal, there are resources for you to obtain your goals. Organizations such as The Blackwell Foundation have resource guides for the transgender community. Your therapist should be an excellent person to ask for recommendations of providers and the people in your community should be an excellent starting point on where to find providers.
Process 2017 First
New Years may be the time of year that you are feeling overwhelmed by spending the holiday season with your family, or alone. The New Year is a wonderful time for renewal and gaining a sense of purpose in your life. It’s also an appropriate time to process the previous year and how you want to improve the coming year with a trusted therapist. You can find my blog about what to look for in a good therapist here.
Build on Your Momentum
If you find yourself with an amazing amount of excitement to make your planned changes in 2018, then I urge you to take that momentum and start to plan for your goals. If your goal is to transition, go ahead and research doctor’s offices and ask if they need an HRT letter or not. Then reach out and contact a therapist if needed. If your goal is to repair family relationships, then you may want to go ahead and think about what ways your relationship could improve, or how you want it to change. If your goal is for better self-esteem, to get healthier or to have less dysphoria, a therapist or nutritionist can help you with those goals as well.
Reach Out For Help
The point to all this, is to embrace your New Year’s resolutions and go ahead and take the steps to make the changes. Reach out to that doctor, send an email to a therapist (you can contact me through phone at 404-948-6186) or by email here or on the contact forms. But, make a plan and start to initiate it.