LGBTQ+ Affirmative Psychotherapy
I know first hand how being queer can pose challenges to finding basic health care, especially mental health services. Finding a mental health therapist who is affirming or even just trained to work with members of the LGBTQ+ community is often daunting. Being able to talk about the queer experience and not have to educate a therapist is essential. Affirmative Therapy for LGBTQ+ clients is care from a competent provider with knowledge and tools that apply to our unique experiences. Affirmative Therapy embraces all LGBTQ+ identities and addresses how heterosexism, homophobia, and transphobia can affect our daily lives.
We live in a heteronormative society. Unfortunately, many LGBTQ+ people arrive in therapy with an extra layer of trauma and shame related to their sexual orientation or gender identity. The shame and trauma is often due to family and/or societal reactions. Other clients are looking for a safe space to talk through the questions they have around their sexuality and/or identity.
I also have experience with clients who have been the victims of modalities such as conversion therapy and shock treatments, which were methods aimed at eliminating same-sex desire from its subjects. I personally have worked with many individuals who were the subject of those “therapies,” and have seen first hand the psychological traumas that resulted.
Despite the progress made in this country, the anti-LGBTQ+ prejudices continue to appear in both outright actions and micro-aggressions. The level of mental health issues in the LGBTQ+ community is significantly higher compared to levels among cisgender peers. This holds true at every life stage, from childhood through end-of-life. Together, we will work through your individual challenges, whether they are directly related to your identity or have an indirect effect on the issue at hand.