Therapy for the LGBTQ Community

For the remaining of June, Protect Your Mental is continuing to dedicate this month to the LGBTQ community in honor of pride month. As an advocate of mental health, I want to make it my business to help others be educated on topics that can often times be uncomfortable to speak on. Unfortunately, the stigma and discrimination LGBTQ individuals often face can be a serious hinderance to their well-being. LGBTQ affirmative therapy can help empower individuals and help them navigate challenges effectively.

Affirmative therapy is a type of psychotherapy used to validate and advocate for the needs of sexual and gender minority clients. Affirmative psychotherapy states that homosexuality or bisexuality is not a mental illness. But embracing and affirming gay identity can be a key component to recovery from other mental illnesses or substance abuse. Clients whose religious beliefs are interpreted as teaching against homosexuality may require some other method of integration of their possibly conflicting religious and sexual selves.

Here’s a few tools to take away: 

• Learn more about the LGBTQ community and their struggles. Education is a way to increase understanding and raise awareness about the unique issues this population often faces. 

• Share your experiences with others. Whether you are part of the LGBTQ community yourself or have friends or family who identify as LGBTQ, share what you can with others.  The more the stigma surrounding this population is talked about, the more awareness it can gain.

• Seek professional help. If you are facing a mental illness as a result of the stress from stigma and/or discrimination, getting support from a professional can help you learn ways to better cope, feel less isolated, and establish overall mental health and wellbeing.