LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY
Fear of rejection.
Feeling disconnected from your identity or experiences of who you are. Fearing to share your authentic self for fear of losing those you love.
Worry that sharing your true self would cause disruption in your life and cause you to lose everything.
You may have had thoughts like…
“Why am I like this?”
“Who would want me knowing I am this way?”
“What does it mean to feel this way?
Feeling like you’re constantly suppressing your emotions of sadness and disconnection.
Secretly connecting online with some groups or people who may have answers for you about how you identify or who you find you’re attracted to.
Yet, at times feeling like an imposter for not being “out” or being comfortable sharing who you are truly, inside. Causing you internal struggles, leading to emotions of shame, guilt, fear, worry, and depression.
Facing incidents of discrimination or prejudice when you have been open and authentic. Recovering from those events has been hard or has not been possible yet, causing you to feel you need to hide who you are from the world.
Having pride for who you are and how you identify and your community, but feeling you need to hide this pride and yourself.
You feel you are constantly questioning who you are and limiting yourself from enjoying your life completely.
You are living in a fear state of survival.
Struggling to be your authentic self for fear of what could happen if you were to make that choice. Or having made the decision to be out as you identify, you're struggling with this transition process of those around you accepting you as you are.
Living in this way can make one feel stuck in their life and can cause deep feelings of depression and anxiety. Without working through these thoughts and emotions, and getting the support you deserve and need through this time, you are continuing to put yourself at risk for negative mental health outcomes.
YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
Processing your life experiences of discrimination, oppression, and trauma due to your identity can help you take back the narrative of your life and empower you to move forward without shame or anxiety.
Reaching out for support and receiving it, can remind you of the value you bring to this world and the power of connection with those who are affirmative and see you for the beautiful person you were born to be.
You are not alone in your experience.
Many LGBTQIA+ identified individuals struggle with similar feelings and experiences as they grow and develop and encounter different people in society.
Many individuals face discrimination first in their own family homes, and find family of choice outside the home. Some people may face religious oppression, too scared and ashamed to come out until much later in life when they release those bonds of oppression and become their true selves, freely.
Your struggle may be similar to these or completely different, yet you all share something in common…who you are, has caused you to suffer, unnecessarily. LGBTQIA+ individuals are one of the highest communities to be at risk for physical health decline, mental health decline, and suicide.
THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE.
Attending therapy to help address these feelings, emotions and experiences related to your identity exploration can help decrease potential negative events moving forward in your future.
Through learning skills to empower yourself and increasing self love and self compassion, you will feel better armed to face any oppressors in your future.
Having an affirmative therapist be a part of the witnessing of your self growth and coming into who you are, can help provide you with the confidence to continue to take the steps you want to be your more authentic self.
Processing the past and present. An affirmative therapist can help you process past traumas you experienced and rewrite narratives to highlight moments you might have been gaslit or invalidated and help you heal and recover from those injuries.
Through therapy many clients have reported feeling more secure in who they were and how they identified. Through being given a safe, comfortable space to explore who you are, you can come to understand yourself more and feel confident in who you are.
THERAPY CAN HELP.
Therapy can help you process past traumas and incidents of micro and macro aggressions, to help you release those memories and emotions and move forward in your life.
Therapy can also help relationships of those who come out or transition, as it allows for a space to process communication and ways to navigate others emotions in reaction to your growth process.
Our affirmative, trans and queer-informed therapists have helped many clients work through issues related to their coming out and/or transitioning gender identities.
We strive to help create spaces that promote self exploration without judgment or bias to ensure clients feel they are able to decide who they are on their own terms.
Our therapists recognize the importance of breaking down societal narratives and expectations imposed on us, limiting our potential, and writing new narratives to better serve us all.
We understand it can be a risk to reach out to a therapist who might invalidate you, perhaps you have had these experiences before? But, at our practice, we recognize the risk you are taking and we are here to take your hand and guide you through this journey of healing.
We look forward to supporting you in your healing and can not wait to help you start your therapeutic journey of self growth.
Click below to schedule a consultation or call us now at 949.329.5233.