LGBTQ Counseling
LGBTQ Counseling has been in the works for quite some time now and has finally come to fruition.
LGBTQ Counseling is a new model of counseling therapy that focuses specifically on members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer-Questioning, Intersex folk across the spectrum. The counseling looks at cultural issues along with internalized homophobia or internalized transphobia that an individual may have experienced during their lifetime.
It is crucial that LGBTQ individuals who are experiencing distress due to internalized phobias seek out a therapist who specializes in LGBTQ Counseling. A typical counselor may be able to help you get past your discomfort but won’t be able to understand what it feels like to experience life differently from them. It can feel invalidating to have someone look at you as if there is something inherently wrong with who you are that has to be fixed. Having an LGBTQ Counselor allows for a more accepting atmosphere where your counselor knows exactly what it feels like to grow up different from the majority of society.
Types of LGBTQ Counseling
These are some types of counseling that patients may look for if they do not feel like they are getting the results they want out of talk therapy.
Gay Counseling
Gay Counseling is for men who are gay or just questioning their sexualities. This therapy approach helps patients feel comfortable in who they are and how to make it through life as gay men. Gay counseling looks at internalized homophobia within the patient and sets out to help them feel more confident about themselves. It is important that if you are gay or questioning your sexuality, seek out a therapist who specializes in this approach.
Lesbian Counseling
Lesbian Counseling is for women who are lesbian, bisexual, or just questioning their sexualities. This form of counseling helps patients feel more confident about themselves and to make it through life as lesbian women. Lesbian counseling looks at internalized homophobia within the patient and sets out to help them feel more comfortable with who they are and how to live their lives happily while being true to themselves. Having someone who doesn’t understand what it’s like to be part of the LGBTQ community try to help you with an aspect of yourself that they simply don’t understand can result in invalidation of feelings and thoughts that one may be having about their own life choices.
Bisexual Counseling
Bisexual counseling is for people who identify as bisexual, pansexual, fluid or just questioning their sexualities. This form of counseling helps patients feel more confident about themselves and to make it through life as bisexual people. Bisexual counseling looks at internalized biphobia within the patient and sets out to help them feel more comfortable with who they are and how to live their lives happily while being true to themselves.
Transgender Counseling
Transgender counseling is for anyone who identifies as transgender, transsexual, gender non-conforming, two-spirit, or just questioning their genders. This form of counseling helps patients feel more confident about themselves and to make it through life being true to themselves. Transgender counseling looks at internalized transphobia within the patient and sets out to help them feel comfortable with who they are and how to live their lives happily while being true to themselves. Having a therapist who understands what you’re going through can be helpful if you have been invalidated by other people in your life for being different.
Intersex Counseling
Intersex Counseling is for anyone who identifies as intersex or questions their gender identity/expression because of this. This form of counseling focuses on helping patients feel comfortable in their bodies and with life as intersex individuals. Intersex counseling looks at internalized transphobia within the patient and sets out to help them live a happier life while being true to themselves.
Asexual Counseling
Ace Spectrum Counseling is for anyone who identifies as asexual, demisexual, gray-asexual, or questioning their sexualities. This form of counseling helps patients feel more confident about themselves and to make it through life being true to themselves. Asexual counseling looks at internalized biphobia within the patient and sets out to help them feel more comfortable with who they are and how to live their lives happily while being true to themselves. Finding a therapist that understands what it’s like to be part of the ace community/spectrum can be helpful in invalidating your feelings and thoughts.
Queer Counseling
Queer counseling is for anyone who identifies as queer, questioning, or just hasn’t found the right term to describe their sexual orientation. This form of counseling helps patients feel more confident about themselves and to make it through life as happily as possible. Queer counseling looks at internalized biphobia within the patient and sets out to help them feel comfortable with who they are and how to live their lives happily while being true to themselves.
Benefits of LGBTQ Counseling
There are many benefits of LGBTQ Counseling. Some of these are:
Helps To Understand Yourself
There are many individuals who have been struggling for years to understand the way they view the world and their sexuality. LGBTQ Counseling Services can be useful in helping them deal with this issue and empowering them to come to terms with themselves.
Assists In Self-Esteem Issues
Individuals that identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or trans often face a lot of discrimination which can lead to poor self-esteem issues over time. Being able to talk freely about these challenges with an objective professional can help you address such concerns and improve your confidence levels.
Dealing With The Challenges Of Coming Out
This is one of the most challenging things any individual in this community would ever go through. Many times it leads to isolation from families and friends who don’t understand them. LGBTQ counseling can help you deal with the pain and distress of coming out, process the reactions that you may have faced from others, explore possible ways to find a supportive network, and learn to develop coping strategies for being who you are in a world that’s not very accommodating towards sexual diversity.
Helps To Process Internalized Homophobia
This is one of the biggest challenges individuals in this community would face over time; especially if they aren’t supported by their families or friends around them. The emotional stress that comes with internalized homophobia is often overwhelming which makes it difficult to look at other issues objectively or develop empathy for oneself. Attending LGBTQ counseling sessions could be helpful in processing these feelings without being consumed by them.
Assists In Coping With Bullying
Bullying is something that inflicts physical, emotional, and psychological suffering on its victims. LGBTQ individuals are often targets for bullying because homophobia is so pervasive in our society. Being able to talk about this issue within a safe environment with an objective professional can help you process the pain that comes along with it and increase your ability to cope.
Helps To Deal With Mental Health Issues
LGBTQ-identifying individuals are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse issues, suicidal thoughts, or actions as opposed to heterosexuals of the same age group. The reason for this may be attributed to harassment or discrimination they face among friends or family members which leads to low self-esteem and feelings of hopelessness. LGBTQ counseling can be useful in identifying the issues at hand, formulating ways to improve mental health, and coping with daily challenges more effectively.
Gets Accurate Information
LGBTQ Counseling Services are often equipped with information regarding community resources that you might find helpful to connect with. This can be helpful in case you’re looking for social activities to participate in, exploring possible career avenues, or just locating places where you feel comfortable being who you are without fear of discrimination or backlash from others.
Helps To Improve People’s Lives
LGBTQ Counseling Services are available for everyone who desires them so don’t let things stagnate if you think there’s something wrong. The earlier you address these issues, the easier they’ll be to resolve through specific tools that will help cope with them more effectively over time. Just be sure to find the right therapist in order for these therapy sessions to be successful. Don’t let fear keep you from getting the help you need so don’t hesitate in reaching out with your concerns.
Disadvantages of LGBTQ Counseling
There are some disadvantages of LGBTQ Counseling as well:
Can Sometimes Be Subjective
Just like any other professional, LGBTQ counselors aren’t perfect and they’re only human. It’s important to choose a counselor who is objective enough and can look beyond your sexuality when they offer you counseling. Even if it seems difficult initially, don’t be afraid to question their approach or point out things that may seem unfair to you.
May Not Always Work
It isn’t always easy for individuals in this community to open up about their struggles due to the fear of being judged by their counselors. The emotional bond between the client and therapist is vital for successful therapy sessions so make sure you have established one before considering counseling seriously. And even if you do, it isn’t always guaranteed that you’ll get through such sessions successfully.
May Not Be 100% LGBTQ-Friendly
Not all therapists identify as LGBTQ and it may take some time to find the ones that do. The best way to test this is by asking them questions about their experience working with people from the community and how they would respond to certain situations. If you’re not satisfied with their answers, look for someone else instead of attempting counseling just because you don’t have any other options available at the moment.
May Not Fit Your Needs
Some individuals in this community may seek help for specific issues like depression or bullying while others might be looking for guidance on coming out publicly. Meeting with a counselor every week without knowing what you want will make it difficult for him/her to establish a successful therapeutic relationship. Don’t be afraid to make your needs and expectations clear from the beginning in order to find someone who is a good fit for you.
May Not Always Be Able to Help
Sometimes the issues at hand will be too complex or severe for counseling alone. You may need other resources like medical treatment, long-term therapy, or hospitalization in order to overcome depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse problems, etc. Make sure you’re able to identify these situations early enough and get the help you deserve without waiting too long because it can have negative consequences on your mental health.
Conclusion
LGBTQ counseling can sometimes help in improving your life and overall wellbeing by providing you with much-needed information and guidance, allowing you to overcome emotional challenges without being consumed by them, increasing your ability to cope with daily struggles, helping address mental health issues, accessing community resources that may be beneficial for you, etc. However, it’s important that you know exactly what you’re looking for before committing to such sessions so that they don’t get exhausting over time. Make sure the counselor is either LGBTQ+ themselves or has experience dealing with people from this community before choosing them as your therapist.
