WPATH Letter for Surgery

by Ken Lopez (they/them), Doctorate of Social Work Candidate, LSW, LMSW, CCTP

As a fellow member of the Trans and Gender Expansive-Diverse Community, I understand some of the challenges navigating access to gender affirming medical care. At this time, the World Professional Organization for Transgender Health (WPATH) is the standard of care for folx in our community that provides clinical guidance to health care professionals. WPATH requires letters (one or two letters depending on type of the surgery) of support in order to access gender-affirming surgery from a qualified mental health professional. My role here is to advocate for your needs and identify goals associated with gender-affirming surgery so that you are prepared, informed, and empowered. 

I offer assessments that you will need to provide to your surgeon and/or insurance company. I use the WPATH guidelines that outline specific diagnostic criteria in order to write your letter. At this stage, you should have an idea of who your surgeon will be and if you will be using insurance or paying out of pocket. If not, I can provide you with resources of surgeons that fellow members of the Trans and Gender Expansive-Diverse Community would recommend here in Pennsylvania. 

Please keep in mind that assessments are completed in one session and can range from 60-90 minutes depending on your needs, type of surgery, and goals. My approach to writing letters of support is rooted in equity and liberation as it correlates to access to care. This means that the space we cultivate collaboratively is empowering and trauma-informed. Remember, you are the expert of your experience and transition. Again, my role here is to advocate and support you during this particular time in your journey. This means that you are not required to engage in ongoing therapy with me in order to receive a letter of support. If you are interested in an ongoing therapeutic relationship, we can explore that during your assessment as the topic of support will come up. We also have a dynamic team of Queer and Trans affirming clinical specialists here at Spilove Psychotherapy. 

You can visit the WPATH website at https://www.wpath.org/ to learn more about the criteria for gender-affirming surgery letters and general information regarding the standards of care, conferences, global impact, and more! 

Please keep in mind, I can only provide support to adults who are 18+ and reside in the state of Pennsylvania. In addition, we do not accept insurance and are out-of-network providers. Please refer to our FAQ for more details.