06/02/2025
As we enter Pride Month 2025, I'm reminded daily of both the incredible resilience within the LGBTQ+ community and the ongoing mental health challenges that require our attention and care.
The Current Reality
The statistics are sobering. Recent data shows that 50% of LGBTQ+ young people who wanted mental health care in the past year were unable to access it, and LGB adults are more than twice as likely as heterosexual adults to experience a mental health condition. For transgender individuals, the risk is nearly four times higher than for cisgender individuals.
These numbers aren't just statistics—they represent real people navigating discrimination, family rejection, school harassment, and systemic barriers. Research shows that 23% of LGBTQ+ young people reported being physically threatened or harmed in the past year due to either their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The Power of Affirmative Care
In my practice, I've witnessed the transformative power of truly affirmative therapy. LGBTQ affirmative therapy provides a safe space where an affirmative counselor can offer tools for unpacking shame, deeper understanding, and overall acceptance. This isn't about "fixing" anyone—it's about creating an environment where people can explore their authentic selves without fear of judgment.
Affirmative therapy recognizes that LGBTQ+ individuals face unique stressors that can make it difficult to find mental health care that meets their needs. We work to address minority stress while celebrating the strength, pride, and community connections that are sources of profound resilience.
More Than Surviving—Thriving
Pride isn't just about celebration; it's about resistance, healing, and hope. As one therapist beautifully put it: "Taking care of your mental health, your physical health and your spirit is not selfish—it's necessary. You deserve to thrive, to live in joy, and to create a future full of hope."
In therapy, I see clients not as victims of their circumstances, but as individuals with remarkable capacity for growth, healing, and joy. The LGBTQ+ community has always found ways to create chosen families, build supportive networks, and foster spaces of belonging—these are incredible strengths we honor and build upon.
Creating Safer Spaces
For those seeking therapy, know that you deserve a provider who sees your whole self as worthy of respect and care. Affirmative therapy validates and advocates for the needs of LGBTQ+ clients through verbal and nonverbal techniques, using inclusive language and mirroring the terminology you use to describe yourself. Signs of an affirming therapist include:
* Using your chosen name and pronouns consistently
* Not assuming your identity is the "problem" to be solved
* Understanding minority stress and its impact
* Demonstrating knowledge of LGBTQ+ issues without requiring you to educate them
* Creating an environment where all aspects of your identity are welcomed
Looking Forward with Hope
This month marks the 10th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, which recognized same-sex marriage nationwide—a reminder of how far we've come. Yet we also acknowledge the road ahead.
The LGBTQ+ community has always been our greatest source of power. Unlike a society built on individualism, strength is in connections. This Pride Month, let's continue building those connections, supporting one another, and advocating for the mental health resources the community deserves.
Whether you're just beginning to explore your identity, have been out for decades, or are somewhere in between—your journey matters. Your mental health matters. You matter.
Resources for Support:
* Trevor Lifeline: 1-866-488-7386
* Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
* LGBT National Hotline: 1-888-843-4564
* Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
This Pride Month, I encourage all of us to celebrate not just visibility, but the quiet everyday courage it takes to live authentically in a world that doesn't always understand. Your resilience inspires me every day.
