Mental health | The Importance of Having A LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapist
June is Pride Month, and the LGBTQ+ affirming therapists at Resilient Mind Counseling want to celebrate it. We also want to say that one month of support and acknowledgment is not nearly enough. For those of us who are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community in North Carolina, it can be really challenging.
How did Pride Month start?
The first Pride March in New York City took place on June 28, 1970, one year after the Stonewall Uprising. Primary documents available at the Library of Congress contain detailed information about how this first Pride March was planned. As well as why activists felt so strongly about its existence. By examining the Lili Vincenz and Frank Kameny Papers in the library’s Manuscripts Department, one can find planning documents, correspondence, flyers, and ephemera from the first Pride March in 1970.
By any estimate, there were 3-5,000 marchers at the first Pride in New York City. Today, the number of marchers in New York City is in the millions. Since 1970, LGBTQ+ people have gathered in June to march with Pride and continue to demonstrate for equal rights.
Finding a Place to be Yourself With A LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapist
We live in the southeast, a part of the country where it’s not always safe to be yourself or to openly come out. Having a safe place to process your fear, anxiety, identity, and sexuality is crucial.
Online therapy in North Carolina means that you can find support regardless of which part of the state that you live in. It’s important to have an LGBTQ+ affirming therapist who understands how traumatizing it is to go through love closeted, alone, or feeling unsafe to truly reveal who you are.
Pride month is a great starting point but for BIPOC and Trans people, there is still an enormous amount of discrimination, transphobia, and racism. We need to support one another more than ever right now. This comes in the form of advocacy, community support and connection, and ongoing learning.
How To Find the Right LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapist in North Carolina
When seeking an LGBTQ-friendly therapist, you should ask questions before deciding whether or not you will feel safe and comfortable working together. You are entitled to mental health support from someone you connect with and who will respect you.
Provider choice is crucial. Hell, it can be life-saving! There are horror stories of therapists not addressing clients by their pronouns, acknowledging their gender, affirming their identity, and much more.
Here are a few questions that you can ask when seeking out LGBTQIA+ therapy in North Carolina.
- What does your training and experiences look like with the LGBTQIA+ community?
- Do you participate in any ongoing training and learning to ensure LGBTQ affirmative care?
- How can you ensure that I feel safe within the therapeutic relationship?
Resilient Mind Counseling believes in amplifying LGBTQIA+ voices, businesses, and causes. We believe it’s of paramount importance to obtain training from people with actual lived experience and to ensure that there is constant accountability and learning.
If you’re struggling and need mental health therapy from LGBTQIA+ affirmative therapists in North Carolina we are here for you!
Are You Ready to Start LGBTQIA+ Therapy in North Carolina
At Resilient Mind Counseling, we believe you not only need but deserve a safe place to express your identity and sexuality. This should be something that is available to you all the time not just during Pride Month. That is why we provide LGBTQ+ affirming therapy to anyone in North Carolina. To get started follow these steps to get connected with an LGBTQ-friendly therapist.
- Contact us for a free consultation at Resilient Mind Counseling
- Have your first appointment with an LGBTQ+ affirming therapist
- Explore the root cause of your struggles and get the support you deserve
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