How to Find a Gay Friendly Therapist
Widespread discrimination has led many people in the gay community to avoid getting therapy. Many of those who do seek therapy find it helpful to see a therapist who is also a part of the community. When talking with someone who is gay or lesbian, there is no need to worry about the kinds of judgments they may be making about you as you discuss your issues, allowing you to focus on your issues rather than what might be going on in the mind of your therapist. This is even more true when gay and lesbian couples seek therapy together, or when discussing issues where you may be unable to gloss over your sexuality.
It is common for gay and lesbian people to feel a need to be seen as perfect by those on the outside for fear that straight people will perceive the lifestyle as flawed. This isn’t only a barrier to seeking therapy, but in seeking help from friends and family who are straight. Because of this fear, we have a tendency to ignore many serious problems, lest we expose our weaknesses to straight friends. In reality, every relationship has its weaknesses regardless if you are straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual or a transgender person. If the thought of discussing your issues with a straight person makes you uncomfortable, then by all means, look for a therapist who is part of the gay community. Don’t let discrimination, or the fear of discrimination, hold you back.
As a lesbian, I have faced discrimination seeking health care myself, and developed some trust issues as a result. Because of this, I have personal experience with many of the issues that may be standing in your way. Even in Beverly Hills, where a gay person would expect to be treated better than in many other areas, there is still discrimination against those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender. You do not have to worry about that here.
If you are looking for a bisexual, lesbian, gay or Transgender friendly therapist in Long Beach, please call to set up an appointment. Please remember that if you are not in driving distance from my office, that I do provide Zoom and facetime sessions. It is sometimes difficult to find a gay friendly therapist, so I try to accommodate my clients by providing tele-therapy (meaning Zoom, facetime, etc). If it is important to find an LGBTQ therapist near you, check out my blog post to get tips on how to pick an LGBTQ friendly therapist near you.