Blog & T-Notes

#1.Couple's Therapy when the Male Partner Crossdresses

  By By Anne Vitale Ph.D. -- Mar 17, 2022

Notes on Gender Role Transition
By Anne Vitale Ph.D.

T NOTE #11

Couple's Therapy when the Male Partner Crossdresses
Last updated May 21, 2011

Before I go any further, I want to say that I do not consider crossdressing per se to be pathological. Neither does the American Psychological Association. Upon studying the phenomenon for the last twenty eight years, I have come to believe it is simply one of a series of ways certain individuals deal with their gender variant condition. What is problematical, however, is how the crossdressing effects relationships. The range of difficulty couples present with is great. For some couples the crossdressing complicates an already troubled relationship and the situation generally leads rapidly to the divorce courts. On the other end of the spectrum where we find the underlying relationship to b...
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#2.Transsexualism: An Expanded Definition

  By Anne Vitale PhD -- Mar 17, 2022

Notes on Gender Role Transition

T-Note #12
Transsexualism: An Expanded Definition

Anne Vitale PhD

March 27, 2006

Although it is a complex and only partially understood phenomenon, transsexualism is generally defined in simplistic terms. For example: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition defines a transsexual as:

1. One who wishes to be considered by society as a member of the opposite sex.
2. One who has undergone a sex change.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary defines it this way:

1. The state of being a transsexual.
2. The desire to change one's anatomic sexual characteristics to conform physically with one's perception of self as a member of the opposite sex.

WordNet, an online lexical reference system...
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#3.Potential Therapeutic Errors

  By By Anne Vitale Ph.D -- Mar 17, 2022

Notes on Gender Role Transition
Anne Vitale PhD, Author, Editor

T NOTE #13
Potential Therapeutic Errors When Using Binary Based Terminology to Explain the Gender Variant Condition

By Anne Vitale Ph.D.

November 11, 2006

Five of the most common terms used when working with people struggling with gender issues are “gender dysphoria,” “Gender Identity Disorder,” “female-to-male,” “male-to-female,” and “sex change.” Because these terms are based on a male/female binary norm, they may not be apt descriptors of people who are gender variant. Or worse, if taken literally they could lead to practitioners misdiagnosing the condition, clients misinterpreting their situation and both client and practitioner having unrealistic expectations for treatment outcome....
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#4.Crossdressing vs Transsexulism

  By By Anne Vitale Ph.D -- Mar 17, 2022

Notes on Gender Role Transition
By Anne Vitale Ph.D.
T-Note #14
What is the difference between a cross dresser and a man who wants to be a woman?

Anne Vitale Ph.D.
Jan 1, 2009

I have never met a genetic male who has gone on to transition to the female gender role that did not start out as a cross dresser. However, and this is important, it does not mean that every genetic male that cross dresses will go on to transition. Keep in mind that cross dressing is a temporary way for a genetic male to experience femaleness. For some genetic males that short period of experiencing the feminine complements their sense of being male. They may make some minor modifications of their body to enhance their feminine appearance when dressed such as beard and body hair removal but they have no difficulty holding on to their core sense of being male.

On the other hand, geneti...
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#5.Testosterone Toxicity Implicated

  By Anne Vitale Ph.D. -- Mar 17, 2022

Notes on Gender Role Transition
Anne Vitale PhD, Editor

T-Note 15
Testosterone Toxicity Implicated in Male-To-Female Transsexuals? Some thoughts.

Anne Vitale Ph.D.
March 21, 2009

Long before I saw my first case involving a Male-To-Female (MTF) transsexual who decided to take testosterone in order to return to living her life in the male gender role (more about that below), I became suspicious of testosterone being the hormone that causes gender dysphoria in some genetic males. Obviously this is not true for the vast majority of males, they do just fine on normal levels of testosterone (300-999 ng/dl). However, a subset of genetic males appear to respond to testosterone in a manner that evokes an overwhelming desire to express feelings of femininity. I know that sounds counterintuitive but hear me out.

When we take into accoun...
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