Therapy and Hormones
For some transgender or gender non-binary individuals, taking hormones may be a part of their transition. If you are interested in hormones or surgery, a good place to start is finding a therapist to help coach and support you through the process. If you are not sure where to find a therapist, the resources below are some good options to start the process.
If you are interested in hormones, it is very important that you get them from a health professional so they can monitored to make sure that the hormones are safe for you. Your health professional and therapist can talk with you about the risks associated with hormones, what changes to expect, and provide emotional support. Most therapists use the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Standards.
The new standards require that a health professional conduct a psychosocial assessment and get the informed consent of the individual before making a referral to an endocrinologist or other hormone provider, who will actually prescribe the hormones. The criteria for hormone therapy are:
- Persistent gender dysphoria;
- Capacity to make a fully informed decision and to consent for treatment;
- Age of majority in a given country
- If significant medical or mental health concerns are present, they must be reasonably well-controlled
Once you have hormones, the Shot Clinic in Minneapolis is a trans-specific space where you can get help administering hormone shots, learn to give yourself shots, and get free supplies. You can also schedule an appointment with Health Services if you would like our Nurse Practitioner to help guide you while you administer your hormone shot.
Local Resources
The MN LGBTQ Directory
The Minnesota LGBTQ Directory is a partnership between Rainbow Health Initiative and the Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition. This partnership provides a directory for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer people seeking health-related resources in Minnesota. They seek to highlight providers who currently serve LGBTQ people, are affirming and sensitive, have knowledge of LGBTQ health disparities, and provide competent care to LGBTQ people. By making these providers’ information easily accessible and searchable, they hope to increase access to culturally competent care.
University of Minnesota Center for Sexual Health
The University of Minnesota Center for Sexual Health’s approach to transgender health care is comprehensive. Located in Minneapolis, MN, their services are intended to provide clients with a “whole self” approach to healthcare. They offer individual, group, and family psychotherapy, psychiatry services, specialty medical care, hormone therapy, consultation and advocacy about gender issues, and referrals for surgical interventions.
Transgender and Intersex Specialty Care Clinic
The Transgender and Intersex Specialty Care Clinic is a multidisciplinary clinic serving patients with gender identity, gender expression or gender behavior that does not correlate with how the person feels emotionally. The clinic is located on the Mayo Clinic campus in Rochester, MN. Physicians from plastic surgery, endocrinology, psychiatry and psychology, laboratory medicine, and general internal medicine staff the center. They use comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic methods to evaluate and treat patients with all aspects of transgender and intersex medicine.
Family Tree Clinic
The Family Tree Clinic located in St. Paul, MN strives to create an environment that is trans-affirming so their patients feel safe in order to get the care they need. All of their staff members, from the front desk to billing and providers, participate in ongoing training about gender identity and transgender-specific health topics. They have a Trans Health Work Group comprised of staff members from every department that provides direct ongoing evaluation and feedback for their clinical services and organizational operations.