LGBTQIA+ Counseling in Colorado

Queer Affirmative counselors understand that the mental well-being of LGBT individuals is greatly impacted by lgbt-specific stressors like erasure, social stigma, fear, rejection and other forms of discrimination created by heteronormativity and cisnormativity.

 LGBTQ-affirming therapists address the impact of those stressors as well as the impacts of homophobia and transphobia on queer and trans individuals. Further, queer affirmative therapy acknowledges the impact of internalized oppression on mental and physical health. 

Queer affirming therapists validate and support the identities and experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ clients. This type of counseling aims to create a safe and judgment-free environment where clients can explore issues related to their sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression. 

Queer affirmative counseling not only addresses specific barriers faced by LGBTQ+ individuals but also promotes their mental and emotional health through affirmative and inclusive practices. Counselors practicing affirmative counseling are knowledgeable about LGBTQ+ experiences and use culturally sensitive techniques. They help clients build self-acceptance, resilience, self-confidence, and coping skills for dealing with external prejudices.

LGBTQIA+ counseling is crucial because queer and trans folx face significant barriers to accessing health care of any kind, but especially affirming or culturally competent care. It offers a safe space for queer and trans folx to explore and process their unique experiences, as well as to address issues related to bias and discrimination. 

LGBTQ individuals often face unique challenges such as internalized homophobia or transphobia, which can significantly impact their health. Counseling can help mitigate these effects. 

Counselors offering LGBTQIA+ therapy tailor their services to address higher rates of psychological and behavioral health concerns, suicidal ideation, and complex trauma within the LGBTQIA+ community. These specialized services provide a judgment-free space for discussing feelings, past experiences, and concerns, like coming out and acceptance.

LGBTQIA+ counseling helps individuals understand and navigate their identities, offering tools for self-acceptance and resilience. Queer psychotherapy is vital for enhancing mental well-being and creating a sense of belonging for individuals from an intentionally minoritized and strategically oppressed community. 

A gender therapist or gender specialist is a healthcare professional with expertise in gender identity, dysphoria, and trans affirming therapy. They support individuals exploring their gender identity by providing a safe space to discuss feelings, challenges, and gendered experience. 

These specialists help clients navigate social, medical, and psychological aspects of transition, offering guidance on issues like hormone therapy and surgeries when applicable. They also work to promote self-acceptance and self esteem, addressing any mental health concerns arising from gender dysphoria or societal stigma.

Gender therapists can be incredibly helpful in accessing transition related healthcare and are often required to be a part of a care team due to gatekeeping. However, it is important to note that nobody can “specialize” in someone else’s gender, or be more of an expert in someone’s gendered experience than that individual is. The U.S. healthcare system does not prioritize this principle, thus gatekeeping runs rampant and is fueled by politicians demonizing trans and gender expansive people.

Although both Queer affirmative counseling and queer-friendly therapy aim to support LGBTQ+ individuals, they differ in approach and depth.

Queer-friendly counseling, refers to a counselor’s general openness and acceptance of LGBTQ+ clients within a therapeutic setting. While such counselors often provide a supportive and non-judgmental environment, they frequently do not have specialized training or a specific focus on LGBTQ+ issues. 

The primary distinction lies in the level of expertise and proactive affirmation of lgbtq identities, with queer-friendly therapists being more inclined to be learning about culturally competent care through LGBT clients being practice. Similarly, therapists (whether they call themselves queer-friendly or not) who have experience working with lgbtq+ individuals are not necessarily lgbtq affirming therapists. 

On the other hand, LGBTQ affirmative therapy offers a more specialized and intentional approach. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the client's cultural and social context and is deeply rooted in a commitment to advocacy and social justice. 

The very foundation of affirmative counseling is the understanding that providing culturally competent and responsive care to members of marginalized communities requires providers engage in queering psychotherapy.

An lgbt affirmative therapist does their own work to understand how their own beliefs about sex, gender identity and expression, sexuality, and sexual orientation or sexual identity have been shaped by societal values, beliefs, and oppression. They then actively work to dismantle the beliefs influenced by heterosexism and cis-sexism/cis-genderism.

LGBTQ affirmative counselors challenge internalized bias, heteronormativity & cisnormativity. That includes bias related to other intersections of power and privilege across multiple identities and systems of oppression (racism, sizeism or fatphobia, ableism, classism, etc.)

Queer affirming therapists are not necessarily LGBTQ+ themselves. While many may identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, the key aspect of their practice is their specialized background and commitment to understanding and validating LGBTQ+ identities and experiences. Their primary goal is to create a supportive and empowering environment for LGBTQ+ clients, regardless of the therapist's own romantic or sexual orientation, sex, relationship structure, or gender identity.

There can be many benefits of working with a counselor with lived experience.  Counselors with lived experience often have a deeper personal understanding of the challenges and complexity of LGBTQ+ life.  LGBTQ therapists may intuitively grasp the nuances of your experiences, such as coming out, dealing with discrimination, or navigating queer relationships, which can foster a deep sense of connection and empathy. 

This shared background might make it easier to discuss certain topics without needing to explain or justify your feelings. This can lead to a stronger therapeutic alliance and a feeling of being genuinely seen and validated. It can also offer a sense of hope and affirmation, as clients see someone with similar life experiences thriving. Clients often need to feel seen, heard, and understood in therapy. Working with a LGBTQ counselor with lived experience can be incredibly powerful. If you're interested in reading about the experience of another 2SLGBTQIA+ person in why they needed to work with someone with lived experience, check out this article on Them!

Working with a counselor without lived experience may have potential pitfalls. These therapists might lack the nuanced understanding of certain LGBTQ+ experiences, potentially leading to misunderstandings or less effective support. Clients may need to spend additional time educating their psychotherapist about specific challenges, which can be frustrating. It is crucial for such therapists to have comprehensive training in LGBTQ-affirmative practices to mitigate these pitfalls and ensure they provide the necessary support and validation.

Ultimately, what is most important is a strong, trusting therapeutic relationship. A counselor with the right educational experience, empathy, and commitment to understanding your experiences can be effective, even if they do not share the same lived experience. At the very least, though, it is essential to find a counselor who is knowledgeable, affirming, and supportive of LGBTQ+ identities. An added bonus is that finding a counselor outside of the lgbtqia+ communities who truly affirming and authentic can be a profound and healing experience for LGBTQ clients. 

If you have the resources to see a psychotherapist and are looking for a colorado lgbt therapist, I can offer some helpful tips. Although it frequently feels exhausting and impossible to find a new counselor that checks all the boxes and can be a good fit, there are many great resources out there that can help make the process a little smoother. And there are a lot of great options along the Colorado Front Range (Denver, Boulder, Longmont, Fort Collins, Loveland, Castle Rock, and Colorado Springs) and beyond.

It might be helpful to search for queer therapists in national or international directories. Inclusive Therapists and TherapyDen both allow you to filter results by lived experience or queer-affirming providers. Both have additional filter categories as well. These additional categories include other intersecting marginalized identities as well as treatment concerns such as anxiety and depression, adhd, trauma, stress, eating disorders, and addiction.

Identity and community specific directories can also be a great place to start. You’ll find LGBTQ providers of all kinds on the Queer Healers Directory. OutCare Health and the LGBTQ+ healthcare directory might also be good to check out. Additionally, you can find LGBTQIA+ therapists of color in the Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network Directory. 

Reaching out to friends, chosen family, and community organizations or centers to ask for referrals is another great tip for finding a psychotherapist who is a fit for you. The Center on Colfax in Denver, Out Boulder County (now known as Rocky Mountain Equality), The Transgender Center of The Rockies,  and Black Pride Colorado may be helpful in your search. Additionally, asking for referrals from LGBT folx in social media community groups such as Denver queer exchange and Colorado Queers. 

Finally, you can use Google to search for an LGBT inclusive therapist. Google and other search engines can be helpful in finding results for searches like “queer therapists near me,” and “lgbt friendly trauma therapist fort collins,” or “gender affirming therapist Boulder,” and “lgbtqia therapy Colorado” as a result of search engine optimization. 

Once you’ve found a few counselors who you plan to complete initial consultations with, there are some things you can do to determine their readiness to provide you with queer affirmative therapy.  Some questions you might want to ask in a consult to determine your counselor’s readiness to provide you with lgbt affirmative support are:

• Can you share more about your understanding of identity-based trauma?

• Can you speak to your understanding of the gatekeeping in gender affirming care letter-writing, your beliefs about that, and how power/systems of oppression connect with it?

• What personal work have you done to understand and confront your own internalized biases against lgbtqia+ people?

• In what ways do you bring awareness to the unique challenges of and advocate for LQBTQIA+ clients outside of the therapy relationship?

• Have you obtained instruction or supervision in LGBTQIA competent care from LGBTQIA people with lived experience?

How a provider responds to direct questions such as these can be very telling. A queer-affirmative psychotherapist will be open and comfortable discussing these topics and should demonstrate a deep understanding of them

During the consult (and beyond if you choose to work with a provider), pay attention to how the psychotherapist responds to discussions about your identity. They should show genuine empathy, validation, and support, making you feel seen and understood. Ultimately, trust your instincts and ensure you feel comfortable and respected in the therapeutic relationship.

Therapy offers numerous benefits for LGBTQIA+ individuals, addressing unique challenges while promoting overall well-being. One of the primary benefits of counseling is the opportunity to speak openly and confidentially with a trained professional counselor who offers empathy, insight, and guidance. This therapeutic relationship helps individuals gain a deeper understanding of their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

One key benefit of LGBTQIA+ counseling is a safe, non-judgmental space where clients can explore their sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression. Therapists experienced in supporting LGBTQIA+ folx understand the impact of societal stigma, discrimination, and internalized homophobia or transphobia on mental well-being. 

They can help clients navigate these stressors, which may contribute to higher rates of depression, anxiety, eating disorders and substance abuse and misuse. Therapy can also assist in managing relationship dynamics, including coming out, dealing with rejection, or building healthy romantic partnerships. It can also aid a person in resolving relationship issues, improving communication skills, and enhancing emotional flexibility. 

Counseling can support LGBTQIA+ individuals in coping with minority stress and enhancing resilience. It offers tailored coping strategies and connects clients with supportive resources and communities, fostering a sense of belonging. By addressing both LGBTQIA+-specific and general mental health goals, Counseling empowers individuals to live authentically and confidently, improving their overall quality of life and health.