Cudmore Counseling Service

At CCS, our philosophy is: The better informed you are, the better you can deal with life's challenges. There are many myths and misconceptions about gender issues; a few of these are addressed below.

Gender identity (how you think of yourself) is not synonymous with sexual orientation (who you are attracted to)

Sex is essentially physical/biological; Gender is essentially psychological/sociological

Gender is not so much a bipolar model, but rather a broad continuum

According to Dr. Mildred Brown^*, clinical sexologist and therapist, there are eight factors determining sex and gender:

		chromosomes			hormones
		gonads			internal sexual and reproductive organs
		gender of rearing			external sex organs
		gender role			gender identity

If any of these are out of alignment with the others (particularly gender identity), a gender conflict could exist that may need confronting and analysis. For the psychological factors involving gender, this typically takes the form of professional counseling.

^* True Selves, p. 20 (orig. hardcover ed.)

FAQ

Why might I need counseling?

	Counseling can help the individual clarify and understand feelings of discomfort with one's gender status; for certain individuals, it can also offer guidance on negotiating the overall process of transition from one gender to another. There is no "one size fits all" here; people and their circumstances are unique, and must be addressed accordingly.

Why Cudmore Counseling Service?

	Simply put, the staff at CCS has been there---we understand the process of coming to grips with gender-identity and orientation conflicts; locating caretaker professionals for everything from electrolysis to hormone treatment; the often agonizing decision to transition; the legal processes and documentation involved in transitioning; and the final step of reassignment surgery. This path, one of many options, is not appropriate for everyone. CCS staff connects with virtually all kinds of transgender people, and yes, their spouses and family members as well. We can help chart the right course, the path most appropriate for you.

What is "transgender"?

	"Transgender" is an umbrella term used to describe variations in gender identity and expression, e.g. crossdresser, transsexual, and transgenderist. It is the 'T' in the oft-used acronym "GLBT" (Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender).

What is GID?

	GID, or gender identity disorder, is a term used to describe the dissatisfaction and discomfort that individuals may experience about their gender. It is codified in the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).

What are the SOC (Standards of Care)?

	The Standards of Care were set up in the late 1970s (and updated periodically) by the The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (formerly known as the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association, or HBIGDA) to provide health professionals a set of guidelines for the medical and therapeutic treatment of gender identity disorder (GID; see above). Treatments covered by the SOC include hormone replacement therapy (HRT), the "real-life test" for living in the preferred gender role, and medical intervention, including reassignment surgery.

At CCS, we subscribe to the spirit of the SOC guidelines, but do not regard them as inviolate law. We feel the value of the SOC lies in their use as templates from which to fashion the resolution of gender issues specific to each client.

Glossary

crossdresser		Individual (typically a heterosexual male) who enjoys dressing/presenting as the opposite sex, but retains natal sex identity and function

FTM/F2M		Acronym for Female-To-Male transsexual

GLBTQI		Acronym for gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender/questioning/intersexed
GRS/SRS		Acronym for Gender (or Sex) Reassignment (also Realignment) surgery; terms often used interchangably

HRT		Acronym for Hormone Replacement Therapy; for MTFs, refers to estrogen administration; for FTMs, refers to testosterone administration

intersexed		Individual born with mixed and/or ambiguous genitalia

MTF/M2F		Acronym for Male-To-Female transsexual

real-life test (RLT)		An SOC guideline stipulating full-time living in the preferred gender role; typically a period of 12 months prior to GRS

transgenderist		Individual who challenges traditional gender boundaries ("gender-bender"); may live androgenously

transition		Process of changing physical, psychological, and societal role from male to female or vice-versa

transsexual		Individual with strong feeling of being in "wrong" gender body, and undergoes corrective transition process