Are you an LGBTQIA+ individual who’s worried about how you might be treated in therapy? Many offices may not feel like safe spaces to this marginalized demographic that has already suffered so much oppression, stigma, and judgment outside the therapy space, and meeting with someone in a perceived hostile (but emotionally vulnerable) space can prevent a person from achieving their goals and truly growing through counseling.
LGBTQ+ therapy should be affirming and empowering, leaving patients with the confidence to tackle their challenges and shape their own lives. The best counselors will create safe and inclusive environments for LGBTQIA+ individuals, addressing their unique mental health challenges and providing practical strategies for affirming care.
Through understanding, inclusivity, lived experience, and resources, counselors can foster positive mental health outcomes and empower LGBTQIA+ clients in their journey toward well-being.
Here are some things to look for in offices that actively strive to create affirming spaces.
How Counselors Create Affirming Encounters
All therapy and counseling offices are unique, from the way they are logistically set up to the people who work there. However, no matter what kind of office environment a therapist inhabits, some practices should be standard for supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. These include:
Rejection of heteronormative practices – Many offices that claim to be affirming and supportive will still operate using paperwork that is exclusive and heteronormative. This can look like forcing patients to pick “man” or “woman” as their descriptor or assigning them a Mr. or Ms. title in their file.
Rather than offering a multiple choice or dropdown for sexual orientation on intake paperwork, affirming offices leave this space empty so each patient can use the term that best defines them rather than picking from a preset list.
Terminology – Supportive counselors will stay up to date on the best terminology to use when referring to situations and people. For instance, they should know not to use derogatory terms such as “hermaphrodite” when addressing an intersex individual or “transsexual” when speaking with a trans person.
They should choose terms of address that are inclusive when a person’s identification is not known, such as “partner” rather than boyfriend or girlfriend. Affirming therapists will ask for pronouns and receive education readily because of the fluid nature of such terminology within the LGBTQIA+ space.
Confidence – The best LGBTQIA+ friendly counselors approach their clients without a fear of offense. They speak directly, rather than creating awkward situations by trying to tiptoe around terminology.
If they make a mistake in gendering or another issue, they apologize, correct themselves, and move on rather than turning the mistake into an event. Many therapists can contribute their own lived experiences as a means of connecting confidently with participants.
Comprehensive view of safety – One of the most problematic behaviors in counselors who are not properly versed in LGBTQIA+ issues is their recommendation to come out or live more in line with a person’s identity when it is not safe to do so.
While it is often true that a person who takes transition steps or comes out can live a more fulfilled life, they may not be in a position to do so at this time, and encouraging or even pushing them down this avenue can result in severe or even dangerous consequences.
Gender terms – Respecting and actively using a person’s preferred pronouns is a basic element of LGBTQ+ therapy. They should be able to easily incorporate not just he/him, she/her, and they/them but any of a person’s pronouns, including neopronouns such as xe/xim and fae/faer or a person’s own created option.
Affirming therapists working with clients with any/any pronouns or a differing set (such as she/they) actively work to vary their terminology to maximize inclusivity.
Connections with resources – Therapists who work with LGBTQIA+ individuals should be versed in local resources and able to direct patients to those resources whenever necessary. This may include medical support, legal resources, and social groups that operate on specific issues and competencies.
Many inclusive counselors will maintain a list of these resources for clients to use as needed. If they are not sure, they will find out rather than putting the onus of research on their patient.
Everyone Deserves Safe, Affirming Therapy
As with all people, LGBTQ+ therapy patients deserve a high quality of counselors who strive to incorporate inclusive and affirming practices within their offices will better be able to help you to achieve your goals and overcome your challenges.
The team at Village Counseling is always eager to welcome you among our many LGBTQIA+ guests as we strive to make our offices a place of security and understanding. Contact Village Counseling to schedule a therapy appointment.