Transgender students who are seeking an evaluation at the University Counseling and Testing Center for hormone therapy or surgical procedures: What to expect…

Contacting the UCTC:

Please call 541-346-3227 or stop by the Counseling Center to schedule an initial appointment. When you schedule the appointment, please inform the front desk staff that you are seeking an evaluation for hormone therapy or surgical procedures related to your gender identity. This will ensure that you are seen by a counselor who has expertise in transgender issues. In most cases, your initial session will be scheduled within a few days.

Your initial session:

Please arrive to your appointment 15 minutes early to fill out some paperwork. You will need your student ID card to check-in. After you have completed your paperwork, an intake counselor will meet with you to review you situation and needs, answer any questions you have, and help you determine next steps. After your intake session, there could be a wait to see a therapist who has expertise in these evaluations.

The evaluation process:

If you choose to be evaluated at the UCTC, you will meet with a counselor who has training and experience in working with transgender individuals. If your counselor is not a licensed professional, they are supervised by a licensed psychologist with expertise in conducting these evaluations. Your counselor will work with you to help you meet readiness and eligibility requirements for hormone therapy based on the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care. Some of these requirements include:

Eligibility Criteria: 1) Age 18 years; 2) Demonstrable knowledge of what hormones medically can and cannot do and their social benefits and risks; 3) Either: a. A documented real-life experience of at least three months prior to the administration of hormones; or b. A period of psychotherapy of a duration specified by the mental health professional after the initial evaluation (usually a minimum of three months).

Readiness Criteria: 1) The client has had further consolidation of gender identity during the real-life experience or psychotherapy; 2) The client has made some progress in mastering other identified problems leading to improving or continuing stable mental health 3) The client is likely to take hormones in a responsible manner.         

Your counselor will go over these requirements in detail before and during the evaluation process. You should expect to meet with your counselor for at least three months, although the process can take longer depending on individual needs.

You have choices:

If you plan to receive hormone therapy through the UO student health center, you will need to be evaluated by a counselor at the UCTC, or by an approved counselor in the community.  If you would prefer to seek counseling outside of the university, your UCTC intake counselor will assist you in getting connected with counselors in the community who have expertise in these evaluations. Before you begin working with a therapist in the community, you will need to ensure that the UO health center is willing to accept an evaluation letter from your counselor. The UCTC can assist you in obtaining this information.