When a letter from a therapist doesn’t satisfy WPATH SOC
Dear Laurie,
Read the letter and this is the classic example of how a letter of endorsement should not be written. This type of letter is in fact seen when a therapist feels a certain obligation to say something but in fact has deep seated reservations about making any written commitment. This is akin to a “letter of recommendation” for an employee. Miss so and so worked in my office from June 1st 1999 to September 5, 2001. (Start, period, end of letter).
This is a more a letter of detachment.
The standards for how a letter should be written if the Dr. is interested are posted on WPATH. To wit:
The Mental Health Professional’s Documentation Letter for Hormone Therapy or Surgery
Should Succinctly Specify:
1. The patient’s general identifying characteristics;
2. The initial and evolving gender, sexual, and other psychiatric diagnoses;
3. The duration of their professional relationship including the type of psychotherapy or
evaluation that the patient underwent;
4. The eligibility criteria that have been met and the mental health professional’s rationale
for hormone therapy or surgery;
5. The degree to which the patient has followed the Standards of Care to date and the
likelihood of future compliance;
6. Whether the author of the report is part of a gender team;
7. That the sender welcomes a phone call to verify the fact that the mental health professional actually wrote the letter as described in this document.
The organization and completeness of these letters provide the hormone-prescribing physician and the surgeon an important degree of assurance that mental health professional is knowledgeable and competent concerning gender identity disorders.
More or less in the first paragraph the therapist should introduce him/herself by virtue of their background and training and societal memberships. Next the therapist should endorse the client for transgender surgery (“I recommend, I endorse, or Miss so and so would be a good candidate for transgender surgery, etc”).
Next suicidal ideation or attempts (yes or no) should be mentioned, as well as any drug abuse history or ethanol dependency (yes or no).
Lastly the therapist should invite the recipient to call their office for further discussion should questions arise.
Look at Dr. Mora’s letter hopefully and you will see the difference.
Sincerely,
Harold M. Reed, M.D.
305-865-2000
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