LGBTQIA2S+ Affirming

Therapy where your identity isn't the problem

Finding a therapist shouldn't mean wondering whether you'll be understood, judged, asked to educate your therapist, or treated as though your identity needs to be explained.

At Inner Garden, we aim to provide an affirming therapy environment for people across diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.

Being LGBTQIA2S+ is not a disorder and isn't something therapy is intended to change.

Sometimes identity is central to what you want to talk about.

Sometimes it isn't.

Either way, it should be possible to bring your whole self into the room.

Affirming means more than being "okay with it"

An affirming approach means recognizing that mental health concerns don't exist separately from the environments in which people live.

Experiences of stigma, discrimination, rejection, invalidation and pressure to hide parts of yourself can have real psychological effects.

At the same time, LGBTQIA2S+ people are not defined by adversity.

Therapy can also make room for connection, relationships, community, identity, joy, resilience and the freedom to determine what a meaningful life looks like for you.

A space to explore, without assumptions

Some people arrive in therapy with language that clearly describes who they are. Others are questioning. Some find labels deeply meaningful; others don't want them at all.

You don't have to arrive with certainty. Therapy can provide a confidential space to explore questions about identity, attraction, gender, relationships, or disclosure without someone else deciding what the answer should be.

Being affirming also doesn't mean making identity the focus of therapy when it isn't relevant. Our clinicians integrate an understanding of identity and social context with evidence-based psychological approaches tailored to each person's concerns, goals, and circumstances.

If you're coming to therapy for panic attacks, we can work on panic attacks. If you're struggling with family rejection, we can talk about family rejection. And if you're burned out at work and your identity isn't particularly relevant to the problem, that's okay too.

You are a whole person, not a demographic category.