Does this sound like you?

Growing up, you felt as though you had to hide parts of yourself in order to be loved and accepted. Maybe you come from a religious background, family of origin, or cultural environment that didn’t affirm— or even outright rejected— aspects of your identity. You learned to deny those parts of yourself in order to fit in, be loved, and belong.

However, in adulthood, you find yourself feeling lost. You might struggle to open up with others and let yourself be fully seen. Maybe you feel stuck in self-criticism, perfectionism, and low self-worth. Perhaps you feel behind on exploring your sexuality or gender identity after so many years of denying who you are. You might find yourself repeating painful relational patterns with family, friends, and partners, stuck in roles that don’t fit who you really are or the life you want for yourself. On your hardest days, you might even question whether you’re lovable at all, or if maybe you’re too broken or defective to ever fully feel whole.

CAN THERAPY HELP?

Opening up and facing our deepest wounds can be uniquely scary for those of us who’ve faced rejection for who we are. Queer people often internalize negative attitudes and beliefs about ourselves from our families, communities, and society at large. This internalization causes trauma that influences the safety we feel out in the world, within relationships, and in our own bodies.

Therapy is a place to explore those parts of yourself that have been isolated, rejected, and abandoned. Feeling truly seen and understood by a therapist you feel safe with can be a healing experience in and of itself, and having extra emotional support as you explore past experiences, present struggles, and hopes for your future can help you clarify and implement the steps you want to take towards healing.