Queer Therapy
What is it?
LGBTQ/Queer Therapy focuses on issues that impact members of the LGBTQ/Queer community and uses a distinctly queer perspective.
Issues such as discrimination, self-identity relating to gender or sexuality, dating, engaging with family members or co-workers who are hostile/non-accepting, religious trauma or religious messaging, and the overwhelming state of the world/systemic oppression are common.
Note about language: Entelechy Healing Collective prefers the term “queer therapy” to refer to services that focus on issues which queer/LGBTQ people experience. Different terms, such as LGBTQIA2S+; LGBTQ+; sexual and gender minority; and gender, sex, and relationship diversity have been used to refer to this group. “Queer therapy” is used by Entelechy Healing Collective, not to invalidate any of those other terms, but as a common way that people who identify as a part of that group refer to themselves. Because Entelechy Healing Collective is made up of queer clinicians, we consider ourselves to be a part of the queer community and to be providing services that are informed by queer theory. If you prefer a different term, let us know and we will be sure to use your preferred term when referring to how you conceptualize your identities and groups you belong to.
How does Minority Stress and Discrimination Impact People and Relationships?
Minority stress refers to the low level of discomfort that people who have identities which are outside of the majority expectation experience all of the time. For example, two cisgender men who are in a relationship (“gay” men) may experience some discomfort every time they spend time with their friends who are cisgender and in heterosexual relationships. They will notice that they are different than their friends and have different experiences. That difference creates some stress or anxiety and has to be addressed in some way. Those kinds of experiences happen daily, sometimes hundreds of times a day, and can cause symptoms that look similar to kinds of trauma.
Additionally, many queer people have past experiences of overt, explicit discrimination which can be anywhere on the scale of emotionally uncomfortable to potentially life threatening.
These experiences of not being accepted, not belonging, or being criticized can contribute to emotional and relational challenges for some queer people.
How can Therapy Help?
Working with a queer therapist who specializes in queer therapy means you can explore some of these experiences with someone who “gets it”. No more having to explain yourself to someone who just doesn’t really understand or might think how you dress or who you sleep with is “kinda yucky”.
Instead, you can address some of the challenges that come with holding identities that fall outside of the majority in a space that celebrates who you are and prioritizes your emotional safety and growth. You can work with a provider, instead of against your provider, as you lean into deeper levels of understanding and authenticity.
You will be treated as a person who deserves love and respect while you and your therapist help to develop new strategies that help you navigate a world that can be hostile and uninviting. Together, we can help you feel more empowered, more valuable, and more capable of becoming the person you want to be.
