Ibby, I hear you and I don't like the pshrinks positioning themselves as "gatekeepers" either. I bristle at the notion that I need anyone's "permission" to do exactly what I want and need.
On the other hand, I do believe they have a place and need to be an intrinsic part of ANY transition, no matter how slight. Even if the person in question only wants to cross dress and have no surgery or hormone therapy at all.
May I direct you to exercise your Googling skillz and look up the following people:
Renée Richards
Dani Bunten Berry
Sandra MacDougall
Samantha Kane
Dani especially should be familiar to computer gaming enthusiasts. She was a major part of Ozark Softscape, the company that produced M.U.L.E. and other classic multiplayer games back in the day. Salon article
here.
Those four names, and others that are unknown but still there are why a therapist needs to be a part of any transsexual's life.