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I can't help claiming this as a small personal victory.
While researchng some specialized conditioners for my hair, now down past my shoulderblades again, I decided I needed a new brush as well. My old one did an okay job when I was keeping my hair short, but more and more I've been wanting to get a paddle brush (and next, a boar bristle!)
So I checked my favorite online store for sales. By some small inkling of divine providence American Beauty, via Amazon.com, had the conditioner I wanted to try (Alagio Silk Obsession) for a reeeally great price. I ended up shopping around the storefront a bit, and found they also sold a lot of other things.
All told I walked away with a new brush and two 3-packs of scrunchies.
I feel completely silly typing this, but I can't help feeling that last one is a small victory. I have adored these little hair accessories since I was a teenager. They're just so darn cute, and one of them is done in a blue-and-white tie-dye style (I LOVE tie-dye ;-)). I'm wearing the white one now, which is some sort of super-soft cottonish material. They just feel so much more comfortable and natural than any other ponytail holder I've ever used, too.
Okay, Zoe being a silly idiot time over. On a more serious note I've managed to resolve the therapy quandry in my story. I actually owe Jennifer (Jengrl) for the inspiration on this one. After some back-and-forth about how things with Mr. H. didn't work out, and some other things, I started to ask myself, "Why should my heroine's first therapist experience necessarily have to be a good one either?"
As a writer, one of my greatest shortcomings has always been creating engaging conflict, largely because I, as a person, am absolutely awful at dealing with it, so I'm trying to overcome that.
I'm probably overcompensating, but I can always rewrite it if I find I hate it later. Of course, I'm taking a note from Ms. Tiffany in trying to balance the bad with the good, so my heroine doesn't end up in a mental institute from a nervous breakdown by the end of it (I have preliminary ideas for a horror story later, but this is my feel-good piece)
Anyway, that's all for now: new scrunchies and some story progress. I lead a boring life ;-) Oh! I did have to laugh when I actually opened the package though. The brush I ordered was listed as "Assorted". It's just one of those off-the-rack-at-Walmart affairs (But it was cheap!), so I didn't have a choice in color. They sent me the one that's somewhere between pink and lavender. I love it! :-D
Best wishes,
~Zoe T.
Comments
Therapists
I advocate therapist shopping, with careful interviews. The first therapist I consulted advertised gender therapy, but in the interview it became quickly obvious that he knew nothing about us and was wanting me to pay him so he could learn. I also caught him in a lie. The second knew aLLLLLLL about TS, and was willing to write me a letter for 1,000 bucks and for me to sign up for biweekly sessions at 200 bucks a pop, and he wouldn't really care if I showed up or not. I left. A few weeks later, his office was closed and I learned he left town ahead of an ethics suit. The successful therapist was a woman, with experience sheparding TS through the gates, and pretty smart about things too. Her partner is a phd and pretty good himself.
So I definitely advocate shopping your therapists. You want an ethical person, who is very aware of TS and can also catch other things (like PTSD and grief management and other more serious personality problems) that need to be dealt with. I also recommend finding one that really doesn't believe in GID as a proper diagnosis, recognizing that the major problem most have to deal with is non-acceptance by society, and the depression that has been called GID.
CaroL
CaroL
Couldn't agree more
I was inspired to take a new direction in my heroine's search for therapy (Another two chapters down, and I've still got so much to write), but for my part, I've decided that I'm better off not seeing anyone than seeing someone who either doesn't understand, or doesn't care, or worse.
I still strongly believe that I'm going to eventually find someone who is equipped to deal with these sort of things, and will listen and help me because they genuinely want to help, but for the moment, I'm unbelievably thankful for BCTS for my own sanity's sake :-D
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Scrunchies
Do I see the possibility of a story involving scrunchies coming up some day? Scrunchies make a great accessory.