LGBTQ Therapy

Do You Wish You Could Be Accepted For Who You Are?

As someone who identifies as LGBTQIA+, are you struggling to find your place in the world? Has rejection from family members left emotional wounds that have never healed? Would working with an LGBTQIA+-friendly therapist help you more effectively address the issues that challenge you day-to-day?

Although your “family of choice” may be supportive and loving, perhaps the pain of being rejected by your actual family remains with you. Maybe you were kicked out of the house after you came out to your parents, leaving you traumatized and confused about how to move forward. Or perhaps you’re still in touch with your family but have to keep parts of yourself hidden from members who don’t understand or accept your sexual identity or orientation. This lack of acceptance could lead to anxiety, depression, internalized shame, trauma, insecure attachment, and addictive behaviors.

Unfair Judgment May Go Beyond Your Family

Despite living in a more liberal part of the country, you might be discouraged by how often you are discriminated against or unfairly judged by others. Although you’re never surprised by the discrimination you encounter from heteronormative society, perhaps you have also experienced unfair judgment within the queer community.

As a way of coping with the trauma of rejection or discrimination, perhaps you overcompensate with perfectionistic tendencies. If you are plagued by thoughts that nothing you do is ever good enough, you may work excessively or suffer from body dysmorphia. Or maybe the negative self-talk that repeats on a loop in your head makes you angry, shameful, afraid, or panicked.

LGBTQIA+ therapy can offer the freedom to be your authentic self without judgment. The comfort of knowing your counselor understands and accepts you as you are makes LGBTQIA+ counseling a welcoming environment for growth and healing.

Have any questions? Send me a message!

LGBTQIA+-Affirmative Therapy Offers Customized Support

As a queer therapist, I have firsthand experience of the challenges those of us in the LGBTQIA+ community face. I can relate to what it feels like to be rejected by family and unfairly judged for your sexual orientation. By providing you with LGBTQIA+-affirming therapy, I aim to serve not only as your counselor but also as your ally, advocate, and someone who can help you access community resources. 

LGBTQIA+-friendly therapy provides a safe and supportive space for you to address the unique challenges and issues related to your sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. In counseling, you can explore your challenges within a safe environment where you will be encouraged to express yourself freely without any fear of judgment. Receiving LGBTQIA+-affirmative therapy ensures you will feel accepted, validated, and worthy of love.

How LGBTQIA+-Affirmative Therapy Can Help You

Initially, we will identify the core issues that underlie your symptoms related to anxiety, depression, and trauma. I will help you replace destructive coping skills—such as substance abuse, and reckless, or self-injurious behaviors—with healthier ways of managing emotional distress. Psychoeducation can help you better understand how to regulate your nervous system through breathing exercises, meditation, mindfulness, guided visualizations, and grounding techniques.

Depending on your needs in therapy, we may explore your sexual orientation, gender identity, or challenges related to dating or non-traditional relationships. If you need support coming out to friends, loved ones, or coworkers, I can help you get to a place where you feel emotionally prepared to speak your truth.

We can also explore issues related to familial rejection, cultural or religious discrimination, or any other areas of your life where you struggle to feel accepted and included. With its holistic approach, LGBTQIA+-affirmative therapy acknowledges how important you are. Helping you seek out queer-friendly activities or religious affiliations will provide you with community support that recognizes your value.

The Modalities I Use In LGBTQ Counseling

With CBT, you will learn how your thoughts and feelings contribute to anxiety or depression. By bringing awareness to distorted core beliefs—that inner voice that claims you are unlovable, defective, abnormal, or not good enough—you can challenge these negative thoughts and reframe them with more self-compassionate perspectives.

If you have been experiencing depression, we may set small, attainable goals for you to accomplish in between sessions so that you can make progress without ever feeling overwhelmed. Gradually, you will get back to your daily routine as well as increasing your social support. EMDR can help you address traumatic memories that continue to impact your daily routine and trigger panic, anxiety, or substance abuse.

You deserve as much love, support, and acceptance as anyone. Counseling provides a safe space to honor your authentic self and heal the emotional wounds that may be holding you back.