Am J Psychiatry 1976; 133:1194-1196
Copyright © 1976 by American Psychiatric Association
Treatment of requests for sex-change surgery with psychotherapy
M Kirkpatrick and CT Freidmann
The authors describe two patients whose requests for sex-change surgery
represented crises in sexual identity and anxiety-masking symptoms. Brief
psychotherapy enabled these patients to relinquish their belief in a
surgical "cure". In evaluating such request, the psychiatrist should
consider the patient's total personality rather than focusing on the
genuineness of the perceived gender disorder. Whatever the final decision,
the opportunity for continued psychotherapy should be provided.
