LGBTQ Therapy

At Evolve In Nature we are advocates for one’s full expression and embodiment of Self, including one’s sexual orientation and gender identity. LGBTQ folx face unscrupulous discrimination and abjection of their rights. These issues are even more significant for people of color and transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) people. As a result of cultural discrimination, many LGBTQ folx face rejection from their families, from people they love, and their communities at large, which places them at a higher risk for mental health issues. This is especially true for people coming out in mid-life or later in life, as the gap in generational acceptance of various sexual orientations and gender identities is substantial.

Counseling LGBTQ folx at Evolve In Nature is gender-affirming and takes into consideration the unique challenges the LGBTQ community faces as they navigate issues of self-worth, anxiety, depression, identity, sobriety, spirituality, and relationships. We believe that through the therapeutic process of growth and healing, individual empowerment is cultivated. It is our goal at Evolve In Nature to support clients in feeling empowered in who they are.   

Coming Out and Identity

For many LGBTQ folks, coming out can been an overwhelming process. For some, it can be downright terrifying and the decision to “come out” doesn’t even feel like an option for fear of rejection and lost relationships. For others, coming out can be a joyful experience initially, but reorienting to one’s world with a new identity can present unexpected challenges. Wherever you are in your journey, whether you’re in your twenties, have always known, or are just now discovering your identity later in life, at Evolve In Nature we accept you exactly as you are and where you are in your process.

We work with clients in coming out on their terms and in their own time. Therapy can provide a relationship in which to explore one’s identity, fears and anxieties, and process through relationship issues as they arise. The counseling relationship allows an individual to deepen one’s understanding of themself, heal from past experiences, relationships or traumas, and tools for how to re-engage in the world with congruency, agency, and an empowered sense of self. 

For some people, coming out later in life can be particularly difficult. Whether it be navigating a divorce or separation, reorienting one’s self in parenthood, or reestablishing one’s identity in the context of long held friendships and community, coming out in mid-life is no easy task. It is common for people coming out later in life to feel guilty about how their identity change or orientation affects their spouse (or former spouse) or their children. As a result, anxiety, depression, and substance use are common. Our therapists are equipped to address these specific challenges that a person navigates in the coming out process and in the search for an empowered sense of self.

Transgender and Gender Non-conforming

 At Evolve In Nature we recognize the unique needs of transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) folx separate from the needs of lesbian, bisexual, gay and queer folx. Additionally, we recognize that the needs of transgender people also differ in some ways to the needs of non-binary individuals. For instance, some gender non-conforming people do not desire to identify with the gender binary, whereas, some transgender people do. Also, for some, identifying as gender non-conforming is a temporary identity as a person may transition and later identify as transgender. There is not a single way in which all transgender or gender non-conforming people experience the world or themselves, and for that reason we meet each person where they are on their journey and provide personalized support to meet their specific needs.

 Transgender and gender non-conforming people are the most marginalized people among us and their human rights are at risk. A lack of acceptance and discrimination of TGNC people lead to high rates of:

  • Depression

  • Anxiety

  • Suicidal ideation

  • Substance misuse/abuse

  • Isolation

  • Feelings of shame

  • Trauma

Therapy for TGNC folx takes into special consideration the unique challenges they face in the world and how those challenges intersect with one’s sense of self worth. We provide trauma-informed, somatic and attachment-based therapy to heal from past experiences, untangle beliefs and thoughts, and cultivate a positive sense of self. In addition, therapy assists in supporting individuals learn positive coping skills, develop skills for healthy relationships, maintain or achieve desired professional goals, formulate a positive gender identity, etc.

“The therapy container offers a space where individuals can heal through connection. Gender-affirming therapy possesses the capacity to enhance interpersonal relationships, thereby constructing positive self-regard and tending to the deep effects of shame.

In process over time, therapy itself becomes a resource by providing and modeling healthy interpersonal relationships and self-efficacy, both of which instills and permeates a sense of hope as growth is experienced and witnessed – layers of dysfunction are shed, and the authentic self emerges. Perhaps the only remedy to societal oppression is empowerment, though which identity is cultivated and what was once made invisible is now seen.”
— Megan Newton, Evolve In Nature Co-Founder and Therapist
Lesbian couple reclining and drinking coffee together

LGBTQ Couples Therapy

 LGBTQ folx also face unique issues in romantic partnerships that are different than those of heterosexual couples. At Evolve In Nature, we provide couples therapy to couples of all genders and orientations.

Some of the challenges that LGBTQ couples face include:

  • Negotiating gender and sex roles

  • Financial instability

  • Sexual intimacy and/or expression

  • Familial coming out process and/or lack of acceptance

  • Parenting roles

  • Lack of healthy communication skills

  • Substance issues

  • Gender transition

  • Fluctuating or changing sexual orientation

  • Infidelity

  • Lack of access to resources or legal protections

  • Lack of LGBTQ role models

  • Emotion abuse or physical violence 

In couples therapy, we explore the intersectionality of each individual’s gender identity, roles, how each person was socially gendered, past relationship experience, as well as each person’s culture and how one’s culture influences the relationship. For transgender and gender non-conforming couples, we also consider the intensified cultural oppressions TGNC couples face, particularly as it relates to access to resources including healthcare, employment, education, housing, and legal protections or acknowledgments, and how those challenges manifest in relationship difficulties and affect coping skills. Additionally, couples may need support as one or both individuals transition or change their gender identity or sexual orientation. The therapeutic relationship provides a container where couples can explore all aspects of their relationship without judgment, can be heard, seen and understood, and can be met with accepting support to work through relational issues with effective tools and skills for healing, connection, and growth.

Mom and three sons stand with arms around each other on a sunny mountain road

Therapy for LGBTQ Parents and Allies 

When your child, significant other or someone you love identifies in the world in a way that is new to you, for some, it can be a challenging process to adjust. As a supporting parent or ally, reorienting toward someone you have known in a certain way can be difficult – using new gender pronouns, adjusting your expectations for the future, finding words for advocacy and support within your own social circles, navigating your own experiences of discrimination, coping with grief, processing your fear, and adapting to the nuance of change.

At Evolve In Nature, we are here to support you support your loved one by helping you sort through your own beliefs, values, and relationship issues so that you can connect from a place of full acceptance. These issues can cause both subtle and overt disconnection with the person you love. Therapy is safe, nonjudgmental relationship in which you can freely express yourself and work through the issues that arise as you seek connection with your loved one amidst their new sexual orientation or gender identity.  

 

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