LGBQTIA counseling
Being you is hard. Whether it is battling the unwavering questions, “Who am I?” or the vital need for connection, you are in a constant battle with yourself. Members of the LGBTQIA community know this all too well. You fear being authentically you out of fear that those closest to you will not accept this version. Additionally, who you are is based on so much more than your sexuality. Intersectionality is also based on your age, ability, race, religious beliefs, social class, all of which influence your sense of connectedness and authenticity.
You are not alone!
Know, you are not alone, and there is hope. Utilizing LGBTQIA affirming therapy in Brevard County, Fl can be helpful in finding your voice as well as the true you. Finding a gender-affirming therapist in Brevard County can also be healing. Gender-affirming therapists seek to acknowledge your gender identity rather than “fix” it. This therapeutic approach gives you the freedom to explore your own intersectionality and how it paints the whole picture of you.
LGBTQ+ affirming therapy in Brevard County, Fl offers the same affirming approaches towards your sexuality. This allows you the opportunity to be authentic in a safe and confidential space as well as provides you a place to feel connected. Individual LGBTQIA counseling can also provide you with other LGBTQ+ resources in the community to provide more opportunities for connection.
So Why is Connection so Important?
You may be wondering if you have strong connections or not, or you may be wondering why connection matters at all. Well, isolation is the antithesis of connection, and isolation has been linked to higher rates of depression, substance use, and anxiety. In other words, where isolation creates many problems, connection resolves many problems. Connections can be made in any relationship, whether it is family, romantic, work, or in your local community. All of which provide a sense of belonging and acceptance. Some of the major benefits of connection are:
- Regulated emotions
- Higher self-esteem
- Improve the quality of life
- Higher sense of empathy
- Improve sense of fulfillment
Exploring your sexual or gender identity can seem quite lonely. The client-therapist relationship is an essential connection made between you and your therapist in Florida. It builds respect, trust, and empathy.
What is LGBTQIA Counseling in Florida?
Finding the right LGBTQIA+ therapist is critical to your success in therapy. A good therapist will help you process the trauma of social discrimination, unacceptance from your family, and explore what it means to be authentic despite these external pressures. Individual LGBTQIA counseling can also help navigate depression, substance abuse, as well as any other mental health issues that stem from your identity.
Figuring out Who You Are Can Provide Mental Clarity!
Identity issues in adolescence in Brevard are also critical. Youth in the LGBTQIA+ community are much more likely to experience discrimination, bullying, and being victims in their schools. This leads to increased depression, anxiety, and ideation of self-harm. Social rejection damages the sense of connection for everyone but especially in adolescents.
Regardless of your reason for coming to therapy, your therapy will be a safe place to explore your authentic self. Your therapist will be able to provide a treatment plan specific to your unique experiences and situations based on the relationship the two of you have built.
Polyamory and Ethical Non-Monogamy
Part of exploring your sexuality is also exploring relationship dynamics. For some, polyamory, or ethical non-monogamy might be introduced to the relationship. While Polyamory falls under the umbrella of ENM, it is only one of several ways that can be introduced in a relationship. Some couples may agree to ENM to explore sexuality, one relationship does not provide all their needs, or for any other reason, the couple sees fit.
Understanding the Rules of Your Relationship Matter!
It is important to follow basic rules for an ENM relationship, however. The most important of which is honesty and open communication. It is crucial for both parties of the relationship to agree on the do’s and don’ts of the polyamorous relationship. Going outside of the agreed-upon terms of the ENM relationship will lead to resentments and may be viewed as cheating.
The multiple relationships may be emotional only, sexual only, a combination of the two. Regardless of the dynamics chosen, having that open line of communication is critical. Not only to express individual needs and desires but to explain what acceptable behavior is. An affirming therapist can help you and your partner have this conversation as well as ask questions that may not be thought of, making sure that the agreement is suitable to both parties of the relationship.
What Type of LGBTQIA Counseling is Right for Me?
This is an important question that you and your therapist can work on together by exploring the major stresses in your life. It may be individual LGBTQIA counseling to process the issues discussed above. Perhaps it is family therapy to allow the whole family to discuss your sexuality or gender identity in a way that allows them to better understand it and positive ways to support you. It could be couple’s counseling.
As with any couple, LGBTQ+ couples face issues such as money, quality time, communication, a sense of closeness, or family conflict. There are additional issues that LGBTQ+ couples may face such as social stigmas or discrimination. Determining the proper type of therapy for your situation will allow you to experience the most healing.
Acknowledging your Experience.
It is important to acknowledge your experience and the emotions that come with them. It is common to shut-down emotions or refuses to acknowledge pain when it is experienced. Sometimes you may downplay situations, so they do not seem as bad, which is a common coping method. However, when doing this, you are not honoring your lived experience. It is hard to be authentic if you block out emotions and the experiences that caused them.
This experience is unique to you!
Your lived experiences are unique to you as is your perception of those events. Both good and bad play a role in who you are. Earlier, intersectionality was discussed briefly. How do these other areas of your culture play a role in who you are? How do these various aspects of you conflict with each other? What emotions do these conflicts bring up for you?
By acknowledging your experience, you can gain a deeper insight into the challenges that brought you to therapy. It is also going to play an important role in living authentically.
When Should I Seek LGBTQIA Counseling in Brevard County or Online in Florida?
There is never a wrong time to seek counseling. If you are struggling or hurting, now is the right time. Or, if you’re simply living your day-to-day life is like living in hell and is full of anxiety or depression, then seeking someone to talk to is a good first step to creating change. Breaking free from your personal hell is a trying task. With the help of an affirming LGBT therapist, you can find your voice.
Reasons people come into online therapy
When you are struggling individually, within your family system, or in your relationship it can be hard to see any light at the end of the long, dark tunnel. In some cases, it may even seem hopeless, and the idea of therapy adds to the overwhelm. However, living in distress can lead to many physical health problems in addition to mental health issues. If you feel you are lost, unheard, seeking counseling is a brave and strong choice.
Online Therapy Provides A Safe and Confidential Environment in the Comfort of Your Own Space
Telehealth or online therapy in Florida is also a viable approach. Online counseling allows you to work with any therapist in Florida despite distance and in some cases can make it easier to speak freely for some individuals.
In either case, your LGBT therapist will work collaboratively with you to create the highest quality of care possible. Counseling should also be as fun as it is challenging. Additionally, creative approaches can help build more of what you love and less of what causes you distress.
Counseling Mission for the LGBTQ+ Community
LGBTQIA counseling creates a safe and loving space that promotes self-discovery and the freedom to embrace your true self. Authentic, tenacious, and fun counseling ends judgment and creates a more loving world. The LGBTQ+ community has many unique situations they must navigate. Creating a safe and affirming space to find your authentic self to live the life you want to live is bother relieving and liberating.
Ready to Begin LGBTQIA Counseling in Florida Today!
We would be happy to speak with you about how we can help at our online therapy practice in Florida. As LGBTQIA+ therapists, we are committed to helping clients of all genders, sexual identities and expressions feel not only safe but truly respected. If you or someone you know is seeking help from a therapist, contact us today. We would be happy to speak with you about how we can help. To get started with our therapy services follow these steps:
- Contact True You Always
- Learn more about our LGBTQ-friendly therapists.
- Begin receiving the support you need in a space and affirming place.
Other Services Offered at True You Always Counseling
Here at True You Always, we offer many services with a wide range of therapists. We are here to walk alongside you no matter what you’re dealing with. Our goal is to provide a safe and accepting space for you to breathe and be your authentic self. Along with therapy for teens, we offer additional services at our Florida therapy practice. You may also be interested in therapy for first responders, therapy for work stress, anxiety, and stress treatment, or PTSD Treatment and trauma therapy. Additionally, we offer couples therapy, family therapy, LGBTQIA+ therapy, therapy for disordered eating, therapy for teens and tweens, support for families with a loved one struggling with ED, therapy for adults, substance use disorders, therapy for spouses of first responders, play therapy, therapy for allergies, and chronic illness. All services are offered via online therapy in Florida so you can get help from the comfort of your own space.
Life Coaching Services
Additionally, we cannot wait to offer you a variety of services. We know therapy isn’t for everyone, which is why we have online life coaching which is available anywhere nationwide. If you’re looking to develop authenticity in your life in a way that promotes healing and growth or to develop more self-love, get in touch with our online life coach, Alexis. Regardless of what brings you to our therapy practice, we hope you will find a therapist. Our goal is for you to get in touch with your authentic self.