Being a transgender woman isn't nearly so simple as throwing on a dress and a wig. In fact, one 'femininity coach' explains that there is a lot of work - and emotion - that goes into transitioning from being a man to a woman - and she should know, as she's helped hundreds of clients through the process.

Monica Prata founded her company, Nouveau She, in 2008, and since its inception, she has taught a long list of male-to-female transgender clients to dress, apply make-up, speak, and even behave like women.

'Often by the time my clients come to me, they've suppressed these feelings for 40 plus years,' the New York-based feminine image consultant told Daily Mail Online, explaining that it's become clear to her that being transgender is not a choice. 'It's a great honor to be a part of their process,' she added.

A new kind of finishing school: Monica Prata, right, is a feminine image consultant who helps transgender clients like Robyn, left, during the transition process

Teaching the total package: Monica, pictured, created her company Nouveau She in 2008 to offer personal styling to transgender women

A decade ago when Monica was 17, she was working as a salesperson at Nordstrom in a suburb of Chicago. She noticed that some men would come in late in the evening to buy women's clothing - but Monica was pretty sure that the 'tall', 'broad' girlfriends they were purportedly shopping for didn't really exist.

She'd go on to find them a dress, as well as a pair of men's pants so they would have an excuse to go into the fitting room to try the dress on.

'Growing up in a small suburb of Chicago, I hadn't met any transgender individuals until I began working in retail,' she said, but added that she'd always been comfortable with different 'representations of gender'. She was happy to help these customers shop discreetly.

She explained that though some of the customers were secretive, their needs were the same as those of other female shoppers: 'My trans customers were no different from the others; they wanted the same things - to find an outfit that made them look and feel beautiful.'

After a stint as a MAC make-up artist, Monica started working as a personal stylist, and soon she responded to a Craiglist ad from a man who wanted to dress as a woman.

Touching testimonial: Monica's client Cristin, pictured before, left, and after transitioning, right, said because of Monica, she now 'embraces life daily with joy'

Life-changing experience: Monica helped Robyn, pictured before, left, and after transitioning, right, to 'improve not only how I look and how I act', but also to 'be proud of who I am'

Monica quickly realized that there are very few places for transgender women to shop. Most stores that catered to them, she saw, sold only cheap, hyper-sexual clothing, and she wanted to be be able to help transgender women find clothes that weren't just for drag queens - and that were actually flattering on their bodies, too.

'Most of my clients haven't had the opportunity to experiment with a range of clothing, hair, or make-up - so they don't always know what's most flattering or who their favorite designer is,' she said. 'They look to me to help them find their personal style, and eventually in asserting their own presentation of femininity.'

Every one of my clients has their own idea of what they want their feminine expression to look and feel like

But for her clients, whom she charges her standard styling rate of about $130 an hour, being a woman goes well beyond sexuality and just 'dressing the part'.

'I mean, a lot of people view their gender on a social level, so it doesn’t make a difference what’s under their clothes,' she told New York Magazine in a recent interview.

Under Dr. Douglas Ousterhout, a specialist in facial feminization surgery from San Francisco, Monica learned more about the differences in facial expression and body movement between men and women, and is now able to use that knowledge to help her clients in more than just the looks department.

Besides giving them wardrobe makeovers and showing them how to do their hair and makeup, she also teaches feminine mannerisms that they may not have picked up on in the past. For example: women give softer handshakes, they apologize more, and they use more descriptive language when talking.

However, even though she points out these subtle differences to her clients, she is by no means strict in encouraging them to adopt every single one.

'Just like cisgender women, every one of my clients ultimately has their own idea of what they'd like their feminine expression to look and feel like,' she told Daily Mail Online. Monica doesn't always use gender-specific pronouns, because her clients are in varying stages of transitioning - and some, who she calls her 'congruency' clients, like to balance both a masculine and feminine side.

Total transformation: Kacey, pictured before, left, and after transitioning, right, said Monica 'really knows what she's doing'

Bargain hunters unite! Deb, pictured before, left, and after transitioning, right, said Monica has saved her tons of money on clothes - which is no small accomplishment when you are buying a whole new wardrobe

'Much of my work is stripping away what women - transwomen included - are told they should look like and how they should behave by unattainable media representations of the female body and the feminine portrayal,' she continued.

Of course, changing your looks, your name, and even your mannerisms can be a huge adjustment - and even when they're dressed as women in public, it's not always easy for her clients to shed what they've learned while living as men.

Monica described one of her clients, Greta, who was shopping with Monica while dressed as a woman, shortly after her makeover.

'Greta leaned against a display unit in one of the aisles and was checking her phone,' she said. 'A man who was trying to get her attention to wheel a big bag through was saying repeatedly, "Excuse me miss", and then "Ma'am, ma'am!" in escalating tones, trying to get her attention.

'Finally she caught on and was like, "Oh, me! So sorry!" and moved out of the way. When I realized what was going on, I couldn't help but giggle.'

Another client, Stacey Johnson, was nervous about revealing her female self to a family member for the first time. But during the meeting, she told Monica and New York Magazine, her 'nervousness melted away', as her cousin told her how beautiful she looked.

Giving hope: Aria, pictured before, left, and after transitioning, right, said Monica 'gave a scared little girl direction and the confidence to move forward'

Major milestone: The stylist said her favorite part of her job is witnessing the moment when her clients see their feminine selves in the mirror for the first time

Still, Monica's work is not only filled with the happy moments when her clients are finally perceived as they see themselves inside.

The femme coach explained that transitioning can take a huge toll on her clients' home lives, sharing that while 80 per cent of her married clients stay with their wives during their transition process, once the transition is complete, half of them get divorced.

Some of this has to do with a shift in sexual attraction. Though many of them begin attracted to women, they find themselves attracted to men when they get far along in the transition process - though it's unclear whether that's due to hormones or social identification.

Monica is also often relied on for support and pep talks, encouraging her clients who struggle with coming out to family members.

But watching the transition process certainly has its rewards, too, as Monica gets to be present for one of the more positive emotional experiences of transitioning.

'I love the moment when a new client sees herself [dressed as a woman] for the first time,' she told Daily Mail Online. 'It's different from your typical makeover appointment because the reflection in the mirror isn't just more beautiful - it's someone seeing themself for the first time as the woman they've always felt themself to be [sic].'