Are you looking for more guidance and a therapist with education in gender exploration?
Is your child looking to be called a different name than their birth name? Transgender affirming therapy in Connecticut is all about positive coping strategies and self-acceptance. At Wisdom Within Counseling, we help children, teens, young adults, and couples express gender and sexuality. Most often, general therapists don’t know about how to navigate gender and sexuality. Instead, Wisdom Within Counseling is a speciality practice for transgender affirming therapy in East Lyme, CT.
You may want to start working with a therapist who specializes in transgender affirming therapy in Connecticut and loves talking about gender expression and coming out.
Our therapists have extensive training in LGBTQIA+ counseling. For many, coming out and gaining clarity can take years. But, with a gender and sexuality affirming therapist, you can feel supported in your own timing. A therapist who is transgender affirming in Connecticut is much better suited than a general therapist to help you with this specific aspect of your gender identity.
Do you want to have an expert in LGBTQIA+ counseling help you in exploring your gender identity and gender expression?
For some time, have you struggled with mood changes? Maybe, some anxiety and depression? Over time, in transgender affirming counseling in Connecticut, topics of gender expression, gender identity and sexual orientation can be safely discussed. Manytimes, transgender people struggle with anxiety, shame, depression and guilt for years. From counseling, you can gain clarity on wether you may be bigender, two spirited, or transgender.
To begin, book a phone consult using the pink button below for gender, sexuality, bisexual, and transgender affirming counseling in Southeastern Connecticut.
What is gender dysphoria?
Gender dysphoria is the diagnosis for a person who identifies as gender questioning or transgender. As well, many children and adults who are transgender don’t like their bodies. And, this is very normal when you feel your insides don’t match your outsides. Frequently, people who are transgender have mild physical dysphoria. Therefore, therapy can help promote self-love and body acceptance.
What are the social challenges transgender affirming therapy in Connecticut can help with?
Well, with feeling anxiety, shame and guilt, it can be difficult to feel confident socially. Often, social discomfort is a part of gender dysphoria. For some, finding safe places outside of counseling can be a part of therapy. Or, you may want to identify who is one safe person to come out to. As well, from growing up, transgender people receive messages that are hateful. Unfortunately, bullying takes a big toll on transgender children and adults. Therapy can be a place to remember your value, worth and think positively about yourself.
How does cultural shame and bullying impact access to therapy in Connecticut?
Frequently, transgender and gender questioning individuals experience internalized homophobia and transphobia. Sometimes, a transgender people will feel so shameful they won’t even ask for help. At Wisdom Within Counseling, we strive to be a LGBTQIA+ safe place. Unfortunately, people who live with trauma and shame tend to choose suicidal, self-harm, and more high risk behaviors. As well, family support and validation is a huge factor in self-acceptance. From family acceptance, self-harm behaviors decrease. Essentially, research and studies show that family acceptance helps transgender children stop self-harming.
Self-harm, suicide, and transgender children and adults
Manytimes, from bullying, insults, and negative comments about clothing choices, people develop negative self-talk. As well, when someone is questioning their gender or new to expressing their gender, bullying turns into self-hatred. And, these feelings of self-hatred can come from feeling like an outcast or being too different. As well, negative self talk comes from not having a safe place to belong. So, Wisdom Within Counseling in Southeastern Connecticut can be your safe space to belong. Sometimes, parents and adults from different generations make negative comments without realizing it. As well, sometimes the things bullies have said leave a lasting negative impact on self-worth. Your therapist can help you find outlets for these hurtful comments. And, you can learn to love yourself confidently, just the way you are.
When a transgender person doesn’t receive the necessary family support or acceptance, they often turn to self-harm and develop self-hatred.
To add, social and cultural shame for being different can turn into self-hatred. In transgender affirming therapy in Connecticut, our counselors help you build yourself back up. In time, your therapist can help up overcome self-hatred and practice self-love tools. From self-love skills, you can build and attract healthier friends. As well, you can set boundaries in positive ways with people who are not tolerant. In transgender affirming therapy in Connecticut, we help children and adults develop self-confidence and be proud of themselves. From believing in yourself, you can attract meaningful LGBTQIA+ relationships in your life.
To begin, book a phone consult using the pink button below for a safe place to explore transgender affirming therapy in East Lyme, Ct.
How does gender develop in your childhood and how does that play into who are you now?
For one, all humans are assigned a gender at birth. But, not all humans are truly their biological gender. Many times, transgender adults feel uncomfortable with a label. And, they want to be seen as different from their gender assigned at birth. For instance, say you were assigned female at birth. In puberty, triggers may occur if someone refers to you as a “girl” or “beautiful.” For many transgender males, being called beautiful doesn’t feel good. As well, many people think that these feelings will go away. But, that is not true. Adults and children alike often keep ignoring the dysphoria until it is not possible to any longer. For some, it starts by realizing you are note cisgender. Over time, you may come out to one really good friend or your therapist.
The fears around safely coming out
Coming out can be a scary and positive process. But, there is a chance that when you come out, you will face rejection and more shame. And, someone who doesn’t understand and who isn’t educated make a negative comment, it can feel like they are a bully. As well, you might be facing bullying from a relative, teacher, or sibling all over again in your coming out process. In LGBTQIA+ counseling, we can help you process and deal with unaccepting relatives and ignorant comments parents may make. Often, loved ones do not understand how hurtful ignorant comments can be. With a therapist, you can let go of these negative comments. So, you can do family therapy with them if you would like. Through LGBTQIA+ affirming counseling, you can bring relatives to family therapy and educate them about the LGBTQIA+ community.
Are you looking for transgender affirming therapy in Southeastern Connecticut and an counselor to talk about LGBTQIA+ issues with you?
Right now, you may need your family and be dependent on people who are not affirming. So, therapy can be your safe outlet for emotional stress. As well, you can gain positive communication skills for sharing your feelings. From a creative, holistic perspective, you can gain self-worth skills to let go of the judgment from others. Maybe, you have a less-than-ideal family environment. But, your therapist can aid you in the next steps of your sexuality and gender identity exploration.
What is one thing I can do today to be affirming regarding using pronouns?
To continue, pronouns are one easy way to show you are LGBTQIA+ affirming. For instance, if a friend of yours chooses they/them pronouns use them. Essentially, this is very validating for a transgender or gender questioning person. Being gender questioning takes self-inquiry and courage. So, show you support by using a person’s preferred pronouns. And, the more you are supportive, the better your friend will feel about themselves. To add, they/them pronouns may evolve over time, so keep checking with your friend or child to see what they prefer. Children and adults may also choose a name different than the one assigned to them at birth. Also, being LGBTQIA+ affirming means using their preferred name, not their biological name. At times, children and adults will choose gender-neutral names that can’t be masculine or feminine. For example, gender neutral names include, River, Sky, Grey, or Taylor.
To begin, book a phone consult using the pink button below for LGBTQIA+ transgender affirming therapy in Connecticut.
Looking for in traditional talk counseling, or more creative options beyond words for emotional expression such as holistic therapies, yoga, art, play, dance, or walk-and-talk outdoors as part of your transgender affirming therapy experience in Connecticut?
Both creative therapies and talk therapies are available. However, as a part of transgender affirming therapy in Connecticut, art therapies, yoga therapies, music therapies, and nature therapies are available. Sometimes, words and talking can be difficult. When words are hard to formulate, you can express and explore big emotions through art, yoga, and mindfulness mediation. At times, you can ask your therapist to incorporate clay, glitter gel pens, and drawing for self-expression. Other times, you may want to unload stress sitting on a comfy couch. For instance, art, yoga and meditation can help reduce anger and frustration. And, a sense of inner peace and calm is available through an outdoor walk and talk therapy session by the beach. Walking and talking can be a form of movement therapy and a self-soothing skill.
