Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgendered (LGBT) individual’s daily experiences in the world can be vastly different than a heterosexual individual’s experience. Any psychological experience and challenge faced by a LGBT individual is influenced by this reality. Thus, understanding and working with LGBT individuals or couples struggling with depression, anxiety, relational issues, or any other psychological challenge is both unique and shares common components with non-LGBT individuals.
The roller coaster of progress and set-backs in the movement for LGBT rights can be deeply impactful to LGBT individuals not only in terms of legal rights gained or loss but in terms of impacts in community interactions, sense of safety and identity issues. Although the culture in the United States has evolved immensely in the past few decades in regards to LGBT rights, tolerance and acceptance of LGBT lifestyles, there is still a vast amount of prejudice, intolerance, violence, religious pressures, workplace discrimination and just plain lack of understanding in our culture.
With all of this as a backdrop, when a LGBT individual is in need of therapeutic services, it is important, and in many cases critical, that the therapist understand the nuances of these realities. In our work together, regardless of what issue brings you into therapy, I will help us to keep in mind and understand the impact of being an often disenfranchised minority on your issues. From an accepting, non-judgmental perspective, we will create a safe place for you to be and explore your identity. This applies whether or not you have lived many confident years as a LGBT individual or if you are newly exploring your sexual or gender identity.
If you are exploring your sexual or gender identity then we will create a safe space for you to discuss the implications of this reality on you emotionally, as well as the impact within your immediate family, your extended family, socially, and within your workplace. We will attend to the political, physical, sexual, and religious or spiritual meanings as well. Our sexual identities are about many issues beyond sex. Our sexual and gender identities involve and impact our desires on physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational levels. Exploration of all of these dimensions of our experience is necessary for LGBT individuals to live optimally fulfilling lives.
LGBT Issues and Teens
Being a teen is hard enough with all the pressures of our current educational system, body changes, the desire for increasing autonomy and independence, and peer dynamics. For a teen that is also wondering if their new found sexual identity is non-heterosexual, this time can be even more challenging. Wondering about sexual identity is an important developmental task of teen age individuals. The support of a neutral therapist can be critical for some individuals.
When I work with teens, I not only help guide them in a self-exploration process about their sexuality, I also provide support for dealing with the social and familial challenges that may arise as a result of this exploration. Fully understanding the impact of sexual orientation on peer relations, and social relations in general can smooth the way for exploring teens. Although there are many support services available for LGBT exploring teens in most schools, there is also still teasing and even violence that exploring teens may be subject to. Helping teens develop the skills and courage to keep them emotionally and physically safe during this exploration phase is critical for healthy development of self-esteem and for continued healthy academic functioning.
Although usually I work independently with a teen in private therapy, at times parents are invited into sessions, as appropriate, to help the teen dialogue with parents about their exploration. If you are a identity exploring teen or a parent of one, feel free to call to discuss how we might work together to support your family.
Sexual Identity Exploration Group
Sarah Burdge, PhD
PSY22530
1220 University Drive, Suite 101
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Call 650-274-8004 today!