Our society assumes that everyone's gender identity aligns with their assigned gender and that everyone is attracted to the opposite sex. However, not everyone feels this way. When the norms of expected sexuality and or gender don't fit for someone, it can be challenging to navigate day to day life and feel good about ones self. I am a therapist who understands these challenges and I know how to help.
LGBTQIA+ people don’t always experience gender or sexuality related distress, but may have an issue with something like exam anxiety and they just want to find a therapist who is respectful and affirming.
I am an LGBTQIA+ affirming therapist meaning that:
I have a positive view of LGBTQIA+ people and relationships.
I believe it can be helpful to address the negative influence that homophobia, transphobia, and/or heterosexism have on the lives of LGBTQIA+ people.
I believe it is important to examine and understand issues/emotions without assuming that the problem is a result of your sexual/gender identity.
There is a growing body of research that indicates that LGBTQIA+ affirming therapy* contributes to an increased sense of safety and counselling satisfaction for LGBTQIA+ clients.
*most often referred to gay affirming therapy in the research literature.
