LGBTQ THERAPY
Your LGBTQ status goes with you everywhere. In some places, it’s celebrated. In others, it’s tolerated. Even still, in some places, it’s rejected. At times, you feel ostracized, unseen, and judged.
Are you trying to manage how your identities fit into your life, relationships, and workplace? Maybe you saw a therapist before who made it all about your LGBTQ experience, and you just want someone who understands and can help with what’s really important to you.
Maybe, you’re questioning your sexual orientation and/or gender identity and want to process the possibilities in a safe space. Perhaps, you’re a parent or a loved one of someone who’s LGBTQ and want to make sure you’re as affirming as possible.
Engage in LGBTQ therapy online with an LGBTQ therapist in Colorado Springs, CO and PSYPACT states
What if I’m unsure if I fall under the LGBTQ umbrella?
That’s okay! If you’re open or curious about your identities or experiences, we can explore them together. And if you’re not, that’s okay too. It can feel hard to know where to start and overwhelming to be curious with ourselves. This is where meeting with a professional who can help guide you through your thoughts and desires is helpful. You are the one who decides which parts of yourself and your experience you want to disclose. You will not be pressured to share anything you don’t want to share.
What’s the difference between sexual orientation and gender identity?
Sexual orientation is attraction (or lack thereof) to a certain gender(s). It can be depicted on a spectrum between straight and gay. However, not all sexual orientations fall on the spectrum.
Gender identity is one’s internal conceptualization of whether they’re male, female, a combination, or neither. It also is often depicted on a spectrum between cisgender (identifying with the sex you were assigned at birth) and transgender (not identifying with the sex you were assigned at birth). Again, not all gender identities fit on this spectrum.
Why is LGBTQ affirming therapy important?
It may seem like it goes without saying, but having an affirming therapist is key to progress in therapy, regardless of whether you want to focus on your LGBTQ identities. LGBTQ people experience more barriers to access and progress in therapy than their non-LGBTQ counterparts. Imagine establishing a relationship with a therapist, working on goals in therapy, and discovering your therapist has a bias against LGBTQ people and/or relationships. This can destroy rapport and negatively impact progress. The therapeutic space necessitates acceptance and non-judgment. Working with a LGBT competent, affirming, and celebrating therapist should be the backdrop of your therapeutic experience.
How am I qualified to work with LGBTQ folks?
I have lived experience as an LGBTQ person navigating queer and non-queer spaces. While everyone’s experiences are different, there are common threads among LGBTQ people. I have a plethora of personal and professional training working with and researching LGBTQ experiences.
LGBTQ people experience more trauma, loss, traumatic loss, and grief than those who aren’t. Often, queer people hold multiple marginalized identities. The trauma of being LGBTQ in a cisgender, heterosexual world is something no LGBTQ person can escape. The stress that comes with being “different” and misunderstood affects physical and mental health. Trauma therapy is one of my other specialties, which I can utilize in our work together. Work with someone who is competent to help you reach your therapeutic goals.
Maneuvering your career, relationships, dating, and daily life as someone who’s LGBTQ can be both challenging and rewarding. Let’s navigate this together. Heal from within.
