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In collecting information about mental health professionals who can provide assistance to people with gender and sexuality issues, it occurred to me that some discussion of what exactly that assistance can be would also be helpful.

First of all, this profession can help sort out whether difficulties we face are neurochemical problems or not. Depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive behavior, and other mental disorders may be caused by variations in brain or body chemistry that can be modified by appropriate, monitored use of psychoactive drugs.

Other difficulties may be due to how we perceive life. Our outlook as influenced by our upbringing and experience will give us one view, but it is not always the only perspective. Another person’s viewpoint can be invaluable. Friends are often our first choice for this kind help, but professionals generally have a broader range of experience, training and understanding to offer when problems get serious.

We may engage in habitual behavior that we desire to change. In some cases, working with a mental health professional, or participation in one of a plethora of 12-step programs can facilitate the desired change in behavior. In other cases, it is not the behavior that needs changing so much as our own perception of the behavior.

Finally, looking forward, as we deal with our own issues, we must also deal with the impact on society, the workplace and the people near and dear to us. Guidance and perspective on how to achieve a satisfactory outcome and planning one’s approach can be very important.

There’s a joke with a kernel of truth:

Q: How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?

A: Just one, but the light bulb really has to want to change.

Seeking help from a mental health professional is pointless if one is not willing to put in the hard work and be open to change. Help may not come cheaply, and the time a professional has is not infinite. If you are not committed to the work, then you can inadvertently be depriving some one else of needed time and wasting your own money.

Diane S. Frank
Director of Outreach



Akron Family Institute - Dr Karen Cimini (Akron, OH)

Antone Feo, Ph.D. & Associates, Inc. (Westlake, OH)

Awakenings Support Group (Brecksville, OH)

Center for Sexual and Marital Health (Beachwood, OH)

Creative SOUL utions Counseling (Rocky River, OH)

Gender Dysphoria Program of Central Ohio (Columbus, OH)



A Conversation with 4 Therapists



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