You feel very vulnerable, like anyone could lash out at you at anytime, just for being you. You’ve grown up in an environment hearing very hateful things said about people who are LGBT, and it has made you feel very cautious and uncertain. Many of these messages were from people who were supposed to be protecting you: teachers, family members, community leaders. You just want to lead a normal life where you can be yourself and not worry about what others think. But you’re not confident or self-assured enough to be able to do that right now. And there’s part of you that’s afraid for many people to know very much about you. You worry about things that other people take for granted because sometimes just tending to everyday business might mean you’ll have to come out to somebody. And you worry how you will know whether or not that person will treat you fairly and kindly. You know who you are, but you don’t want to have to always be on guard to defend yourself. You’ve reached out for help before, expecting someone in the helping profession to be accepting of you. But, rather than allowing you to be you and focus on what you needed to, they imposed their personal beliefs on you and suggested your problems were because you are a person who is LGBT.
Counseling is supposed to be a safe place to be yourself. It is with me. We can explore the ways in which the added stress of being LGBT in a non-affirming environment is taking a toll. The stuff that no one else seems to understand, we sort through together. I can help you recognize and learn to validate your inherent self-worth. In therapy, I am going to be fully present with you to help you find the path that feels right for you. My hope for you is that you’ll thrive in your life of living fully and authentically into who you are.
You deserve a space where you can be real and have the opportunity to discover and live into who you’re meant to be. If you’re ready to move from worried and uncertain to more at ease and self-assured, contact me for a free 15-minute consultation