What’s Your Real Name?
Gender-affirming therapy in Florida
Eduardo Florez, LMHC #MH23066 · September 30, 2026 · 10-min read
Part of The ShieldMee Guide: Identity & LGBTQ+ →
“But what’s your real name?”
“You’ll always be my son.”
“Are you going to get the surgery?”
“It’s just a trend.”
“I’m never going to get your pronouns right.”
If you’re transgender or nonbinary, you’ve probably heard some version of these.
Some people meant well.
Some didn’t.
Either way, you’re the one who has to carry it home.
Being seen
Being called the wrong name or pronoun can seem small to other people.
It isn’t small.
It happens at the pharmacy.
At work.
At family dinners.
On forms.
Each time, you decide whether to correct it or let it go.
That decision gets tiring.
Researchers who study trans mental health have found that discrimination, harassment, and lack of social support are associated with worse mental-health outcomes.
And the opposite matters too.
Support matters.
Family support matters.
Being around people who recognize you as yourself matters.
The 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey found lower levels of suicidality among respondents who reported supportive families, while discrimination and harassment were associated with worse outcomes.
Sometimes being seen is not a small thing.
Sometimes it is the thing that lets you breathe.
Therapy is not a test you have to pass
For some trans people, therapy has felt like a gate.
Prove who you are.
Explain yourself correctly.
Say the right things.
Convince someone that you’re certain enough.
That’s not how I want therapy to feel.
WPATH’s Standards of Care Version 8 describes mental-health care as one part of a broader range of care that may include counseling, psychotherapy, hormones, surgery, and other services. It also recognizes that transgender and gender-diverse people do not need to experience severe distress about their gender identity in order to access gender-affirming treatment.
Therapy can still help a lot.
But the reason you’re here should matter.
Maybe transition is part of your story.
Maybe it isn’t.
Maybe you’re still figuring it out.
Maybe you know exactly what you want and need help dealing with everything around it.
All of those are things we can talk about.
Nonbinary isn’t “in between”
Not everyone fits neatly into “man” or “woman.”
Some people are nonbinary.
Some are genderfluid.
Some use another word.
Some don’t use a label at all.
Nonbinary people can face a particular kind of invisibility.
Two boxes on a form.
Someone asking which gender you really are.
Someone treating your identity like a phase.
Even some LGBTQ+ spaces can leave people feeling like they don’t quite fit.
Your identity doesn’t need to fit on a form to be real.
What the research shows
The 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey included 92,329 transgender and nonbinary respondents across the United States, including 84,170 adults. It is the largest U.S. survey of transgender people to date.
The findings show high levels of psychological distress and suicidality among respondents.
But the numbers don’t tell the whole story.
The survey also found that discrimination and harassment were associated with worse outcomes.
Family support was associated with better ones.
That distinction matters.
It is easy to look at a high rate of distress and conclude that being trans is the problem.
The research does not support that simple story.
People’s environments matter.
How people are treated matters.
Whether someone has people around them who recognize and support them matters.
Your identity is not a symptom.
Tired of explaining who you are?
Use your insurance · see your cost before you book
Being trans in your family
For many people, family is the hardest place.
A parent keeps using the old name.
A grandmother says she’ll pray for you.
A father stops calling.
A mother cries and says she’s lost her child.
In families where faith, tradition, and familismo run deep, it can feel like you’re being asked to choose between being yourself and belonging.
Families can learn.
Many do.
Sometimes it starts with one person in the family who is willing to try.
I work with families too, in English or Spanish, when everyone is willing to work toward a better understanding.
But family therapy doesn’t mean you have to convince your family to agree with everything.
Sometimes the work is helping people understand each other.
Sometimes it’s helping you decide what boundaries you need.
Sometimes it’s helping a family stay connected while everyone adjusts.
You might recognize yourself here
- You’re tired of correcting your name and pronouns.
- Your family loves you, but won’t use your name.
- You feel like you have to prove your identity to get care.
- You’re nonbinary and feel invisible, even in LGBTQ+ spaces.
- Florida’s laws have left you anxious about your future.
- You’re questioning your gender and don’t know where to start.
- You want a therapist who won’t make you explain the basics.
- You want somewhere you can talk without having to defend who you are.
Who this work is for
This work is for:
- Transgender, nonbinary, and gender-questioning adults
- Couples where one partner is transgender or nonbinary
- Parents and family members trying to understand or support someone they love
- Adults dealing with family conflict, dysphoria, relationships, coming out, work, dating, or other parts of life affected by gender
You do not have to be certain about your identity before starting therapy.
You do not have to have a label.
You do not have to know what comes next.
What therapy looks like with me
We can use the name and pronouns that feel right to you.
If your legal name is different from the name you use, insurance claims and billing documents may still require your legal name. I’ll explain that before it becomes a surprise.
Your identity is not a symptom.
You do not have to convince me that you are transgender or nonbinary. You do not have to perform certainty.
We can work on whatever is actually bringing you into therapy: family conflict, relationships, dysphoria, safety, dating, coming out, work, anxiety, grief, or a difficult stretch of life.
If you need documentation related to medical care, ask me about my current process. I’ll explain what I can provide, what an assessment involves, and what falls outside my role and training.
A clinical letter is not a prescription and does not guarantee that a physician or medical program will provide treatment.
I affirm LGBTQ+ people. I do not practice conversion therapy.
What Florida law means for you
Florida law update — last reviewed September 2026.
Florida’s current law restricts certain medical treatments for transgender minors and imposes specific requirements on gender-affirming medical treatment for adults. These rules concern medical treatment, not ordinary talk therapy with an adult.
For adults, Florida law requires the physician to obtain voluntary, informed written consent while physically present with the patient before prescribing or performing covered gender-affirming medical treatment. The law provides a separate rule for renewals after the required consent has already been obtained.
Florida also generally requires written parental consent before a health-care practitioner provides health-care services to a minor, subject to exceptions in the law.
Florida’s restrictions on gender-affirming medical treatment for minors include an exception for certain treatment that was already underway before May 17, 2023.
This is general information, not legal advice. Laws and court decisions can change.
I can’t change these laws.
But I can help you deal with what they mean for your life.
We can talk about fear.
Planning.
Family.
Finding care.
And what you can control when the larger system feels like it is out of your hands.
Who this isn’t for
I work with adults. If you are under 18, this page is not describing services for you.
If you are in immediate danger or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
You can also contact Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860.
Sessions must take place while you are physically located in Florida.
Start with what’s true for you
You don’t have to have it all figured out.
You don’t have to prove anything.
You don’t have to know what comes next.
You can start with one sentence:
“I just want to be called by my name.”
We can start there.
In-network with Aetna, Cigna, Florida Blue, UnitedHealthcare and more through Headway · 53-minute sessions
Telehealth anywhere in Florida · English / Español
In crisis? Call or text 988.
Frequently asked questions
Do you require someone to transition?
No. You do not have to pursue hormones, surgery, a legal name change, or any other particular step. Therapy is about understanding what is true for you and deciding what you want, not about moving you toward a predetermined outcome.
Can you write a letter for gender-affirming medical care?
If you need documentation related to medical care, ask me about my current process. I’ll explain what I can provide, what an assessment involves, and what falls outside my role and training. A clinical letter is not a prescription and does not guarantee that a physician or medical program will provide treatment.
Can my family come to therapy?
It depends on your insurance plan. Most clients pay a copay or coinsurance. You’ll see your estimated cost on my Headway page before you book.
Will you use my name and pronouns?
Yes, in every session. You can tell me at your first session or on your intake form. If a billing document requires your legal name, I’ll tell you beforehand.
Do you offer therapy in Spanish?
Yes. Sessions can be in Spanish, English, or both.
How much does therapy cost?
It depends on your insurance plan. Most clients pay a copay or coinsurance. You’ll see your estimated cost on my Headway page before you book.
Do you take insurance?
Yes. I’m in-network with Aetna, Cigna, Florida Blue, UnitedHealthcare, Oscar, and other plans through Headway. Check your coverage and book on my Headway page.
When can I start?
Appointments are generally available the next day or within the same week, every day except Saturday.
Eduardo Florez, LMHC
Eduardo Florez, LMHC, has worked across forensic, institutional and private practice settings. He is the founder and clinical director of ShieldMee, a Florida nonprofit telehealth practice, and works bilingually with couples in crisis and clients for whom therapy hasn’t worked before.
Related reading: LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy · Not Half. Not a Phase. · She’s Not My Roommate.
Ready to talk to someone?
ShieldMee offers telehealth therapy across Florida for individuals, couples, and families. Insurance accepted through Headway.
Start TherapyIf you're in crisis, call or text 988 any time.