Route via independent psychologists

Route via independent psychologists

If you follow this route, it is important to know that most psychologists, endocrinologists, and surgeons follow the Standards or Care (*). In principle you will have to find endocrinologists or surgeons who can give you the desired treatment yourself. Your independent psychologist can help you with names and addresses of endocrinologists and surgeons.

(*) You can find the English language source text of the international Standards of Care and the Dutch translation of the international Standards of Care on the Internet.

Experiences with independent psychologists and tips

Most transgender people are much more positive about their independent psychologist than about the psychologists from a gender team. However, we have also heard about negative experiences with independent psychologists.

There are independent psychologists (some of them working in association with De Vaart) who mainly provide mental help and do not see referrals for hormones or surgery as their primary task. That can be a problem for transgender people who mainly need a referral letter and do not want mental help (or as little mental help as possible).

Some independent psychologists present themselves as a gender team: such a gender team comprises those independent psychologists, but also endocrinologists and surgeons they know (who are associated with one or more hospitals). This is misleading in our view. To us a gender team is not a real gender team unless all team members are associated to the same organization, which can at least offer care from a psychologist, a hormone expert, and a surgeon.

Addresses of independent psychologists (gatekeepers)

Schoonhoven, Woerden, and The Hague: Psycho Informa Groep:

Website: https://psychoinforma.nl/zorgaanbod/genderdysforie

Experiences from others: https://www.zorgkaartnederland.nl/zorginstelling/ggz-psycho-informa-instellingen-schoonhoven-3020030/waardering

Main location address: Nieuwe Singel 3, 2871 AX Schoonhoven

Assen, Aduard, Groningen, Hoogeveen: De Vaart:

Website: http://www.psychologenpraktijkdevaart.nl/praktijkinfo/

Experiences from others: <will be added>

Main location address: Vaart Zuidzijde 37-39, 9401 GG Assen

Veendam, Blijham, Orvelte: Stepwork:

From 1st of October 2017 also in Assen

Website: http://www.stepwork.nl/