Teletherapy in Houston
LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapy
Are you tired of feeling alone because no one seems to understand you?
Maybe coming out led to a big fight with your family or partner(s), or perhaps you started to question your identity, which made you feel confused or conflicted. You may be hiding who you are to keep the peace or simply thinking life won't get any better than this. Perhaps you're considering not having these meaningful conversations because you feel hopeless that things will change.
Whatever you're experiencing, you're beginning to notice the impact this has on your everyday life. Perhaps you're...
Feeling isolated or alone, especially when you are around those you feel like you should be closest to
Having low self-esteem and believing you are not worthy of love and respect from others
Feeling a lack of motivation in school or your career
Struggling to see yourself in a better future
LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapy can help.
It may feel impossible now, but you can live the life you want. You can ask for the love and respect you deserve. You can connect with others in a meaningful way. I can help you get there.
LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapy helps us do these things:
Develop self-love and validation so that you don't need to rely on others to feel content
Learn how to communicate with others effectively so that you can feel understood
Provide clarity through discussion and explore different facets of who you are
I'll help through this process while tailoring each step to your unique needs and circumstances. My approach to LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapy comes from a place of hope, learning to love and validate yourself so that you can communicate effectively with those closest to you and learn to understand each other.
It’s time to love who you are and share it with others.
FAQs about LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapy
What does LGBTQ+ mean? I thought it was LGBT?
LGBTQ+ is a more inclusive term for LGBT. Both are essentially interchangeable; however: to make everyone feel more welcomed and represented, I use the one that is more inclusive.
As for what LGBTQ+ means, it means:
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (including non-binary), Questioning/Queer (the latter being an umbrella term and reclaimed slur), +Plus is for other orientations and identities (an example being Pansexuality).
If you have additional questions, please let me know, as I am happy to educate and share resources to dive further into the topic.
Is LGBTQ+ a mental illness or associated with them?
Not exactly. Adverse environmental factors, such as familial rejection, trauma, discrimination, and feeling ignored or unseen, can lead to illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD, just as in any individual.
Unique to LGBTQ+ is Gender Dysphoria, which is a possible result of your gender expression or body not aligning with your gender identity, commonly observed in the Transgender community.
Could it be a phase? Is there a way to not be LGBTQ+?
Typically it's not a "phase" but instead, them exploring and discovering that they do not fit into the heteronormative (attraction to the opposite sex/gender as the standard) or cisnormative (birth sex matching gender as the standard) ideal.
Through exploration, we try on labels to see if they describe us, and if they don't, we may try another or decide we don't need any. Exploration is healthy no matter the result. These are things we can discuss in our sessions together.
As there's nothing wrong with LGBTQ+, there should be no effort made to avoid it. Instead, the focus should be on discovering who you are and creating an environment where you can thrive as a family. Parents, if the end goal is the happiness of your LGBTQ+ youth, then acceptance and advocacy are crucial.
I don't want to include my family/partner in therapy. Is that okay?
Yes! We always go at your pace. However, if we discover issues sprouting from these relationships, once you feel comfortable, I highly recommend bring them in as this is the most effective approach to a healthy resolution. If this is impossible or never desired, we can still work on these things with just the two of us!
I am a parent/partner of someone who is identifying as LGBTQ+, and I want to support them better. How can I do that?
The ultimate goal is to create an environment of love. By keeping in mind that you are allies in this goal and working together to build a foundation of understanding and acceptance, you can ensure them the support they need. Through conversation, we can explore how best this can be achieved.
How is LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapy different than other forms of therapy?
The therapy itself isn't very different. It's more about having a therapist who understands and makes an effort to affirm your identity rather than educating your therapist.