Is one of your children coming out as transgender?
Are you or your spouse questioning your gender or wanting to express your gender in a more queer way? Is your adolescent realizing they are gay, lesbian, or pansexual? And, do you want to explore your sexual orientation or gender identity in the safe space of a therapist? The team at Wisdom Within Counseling loves supporting transgender, gender questioning, gay, lesbian, and pansexual people. You are in the right place for the speciality of LGBTQIA+ queer family therapy in Stonington, Ct.
First, your child may be asking to go by they/them pronouns.
LGBTQIA+ children and teenagers are more likely to be subject to bullying, harassment, and school violence. Oftentimes, LGBTQIA+ and queer youth are outcasts in social settings and in school. Unfortunately, queer and transgender teenagers are more likely to be suicidal compared to their heteronormative peers. Furthermore, a lack of acceptance, school bullying, and family rejection can cause suicidal thinking. At Wisdom Within Counseling, we specialize in LGBTQIA+ queer family therapy in Stonington, Ct to reduce suicidal thinking. Our team of therapists teach teens how to cope with difficult feelings in healthy ways.
To begin, click the button below to book a phone consult for LGBTQIA+ queer family therapy in Stonington, Ct.
How can LGBTQIA+ queer affirming family therapy in Stonington, Connecticut help children coming out?
Many times, coming out is a gradual process over many months or years. Furthermore, this process may not be as quick and easy for some. As well, parents of transgender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer teenagers can do a lot to be affirming. However, parents of transgender or gay teenagers may have their own emotions during the coming out process.
How does LGBTQIA+ queer family therapy in Stonington, Ct support healthy emotional expression tools?
Maybe, your teenager is excited, responsible, happy, and calm. Or, your LGBTQIA+ teenager is angry, rebellious, impulsive, and worries you. In counseling, you and your teenager can develop positive coping strategies. Oftentimes, intense emotions all come out as anger and yelling, or emotional shut down. Frequently, Wisdom Within Counseling helps teenagers who have anger issues, depression, and self-harm behaviors on top of being transgender. At times, gender identity becomes clearer in childhood and teen years. So, having a therapist can help you gain mental clarity. For some teenagers, going to see a school counselor is good during the school day. But, support outside of the school environment is key also. Some teens crave a safe space, such as a therapist’s office, to develop clarity around their gender identity. Lastly, LGBTQIA+ queer family therapy in Stonington, Ct incorporates art, yoga, music, and walking therapies outdoors for positive skills.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, we specialize with gender diverse, LGBTQIA+, and queer adolescents.
Gender expression can be outside of traditional gender norms. For instance, children may be interested in trying on different clothes and expressing their gender in both masculine and feminine ways. Teens may adopt new clothing styles or ways of acting that are contrary to their heternormative peers. To add, a young man may want to wear nail polish or a dress. A young woman may want to wear a short hairstyle or identify as non-binary. As well, counseling for your family can support diversity. Also, counseling can help navigate expectations around gender and can help a child explore their interests without pressure to be masuline or feminine.
How does LGBTQIA+ queer family therapy in Stonington, Connecticut fight depression and discrimination?
Sometimes, children have negative behaviors at school or at home because they are trying to communicate something they do not feel comfortable talking about. At times, a teenager will hide or suppress feelings to avoid upsetting their parents or families. Moreover, when a child feels they will not meet their parent’s expectations of them, they will often hide their feelings as well. As well, the risk of depression, impulsive behaviors, and self-harm increase when there is a lack of family support.
Teens who are bisexual, transgender, gay, or questioning may not tell anyone for a long time.
Sometimes, teenagers feel a sense of shame around their gender identity or sexual orientation. So, LGBTQIA+ queer affirming family therapy in Stonington, Connecticut can support families in being more accepting and open to LGBTQIA+ children and teenagers. For instance, if your child comes out to you, you can get them started in counseling. Essentially, the therapist can work alongside the child to help them feel more comfortable. A therapist can also work with the family as a whole to offer education. As well, a queer affirming therapist can provide helpful tools, book recommendations, parenting tips to families in need.
To begin, click the button below to book a phone consult for LGBTQIA+ queer family therapy in Stonington, Ct.
In addition, a therapist can help a child separate their emotions from their peers.
A lot of times, teens are entering into dating and romantic relationships for the first time. For this reason, a counselor can help a teen genuinely express themselves. Oftentimes, parents also need a safe place with professional guidance to navigate love and support while feeling confused about their child’s gender. When your child comes out, it may be hard to accept them for who they are evolving into. For instance, your child may be transgender. At one time, they went by their birth name but expressed an interest in being called something new.
Oftentimes, LGBTQIA+ queer affirming family therapy in Stonington, Connecticut helps families who have disagreements and conflicts.
Frequently, we work with families who have disagreements or struggle to understand where transition is coming from. As well, one way that a parent can be supportive is to be on the lookout for depression, anger, low self-esteem, or teen drug use. In addition, you can support your child’s self-expression, clothing choices, hair styles, and makeup. You can also allow your teen to redecorate their room and hang up rainbow flags.
Many times, transgender, LGBTQ, and non-binary teens who do not have family support will search for belonging with the wrong crowds.
As well, LGBTQIA+ queer affirming family therapy in Stonington, Connecticut can be a place to learn about books, movies, and LGBTQIA+ organizations. Your gender affirming therapist can provide resources. Often, teenagers have a variety of emotions including excitement, shame, anger and sadness. Lastly, counseling can help parents deepen their understanding of LGBTQIA+ teen experiences.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, we specialize with gender diverse and transgender children and teens.
In addition, we can help you if you feel withdrawn as a parent, or confused as to how to help your child. Furthermore, LGBTQIA+ queer affirming family therapy in Stonington, Connecticut can help parents support their child’s gender develop, sexual orientation, or gender transition. As well, parents need their own self-care practices and support which can be a part of family counseling.
To begin, click the button below to book a phone consult for LGBTQIA+ queer family therapy in Stonington, Ct.
Oftentimes, parents have their own difficult emotions such as anxiety, fear, anger, that play a role in their child’s coming out process.
Receiving support can allow a parent to calmly express these emotions. We help parents have conversation and build meaningful connections with their transgender or gender diverse child or adolescent. As well, if your child is gay, lesbian, bisexual, or pansexual, Wisdom Within Counseling specializes in LGBTQIA+ queer affirming therapy in Stonington, Connecticut.
How is LGBTQIA+ queer affirming family therapy in Stonington, Connecticut creative and holistic?
First off, we offer art therapies, yoga therapies, music therapies, and outdoor walking sessions. We are creative, unique and offer art therapies, yoga, music, play, drama, and outdoor walk and talk. These alternatives are great for all ages to release anger, and anxiety and express emotions in ways beyond words. Also, you can always sit on a comfy couch in an office to relax in a more traditional way too. You can feel stronger, clear your head, and build a self-care toolbox through holistic skills for your whole self, your mind, body, and spirit for lifelong wellness.
Drama Therapy Helps Teens
Your therapist may use short skits, acting, and laughter to help step out of a survival mindset and into a playful mindset. You can develop your adventure mind that you may have often left behind in childhood. As adults, we get stuck in routine patterns. Drama therapy is great for learning to live fully in the moment. We promote positive life changes by playfully exploring alternative roles.
Animal Therapies Support LGBTQIA+ Families
Each quarter, we offer an animal therapy group. We have an owl, turtle, snake, frog, and rabbit come to our office for a hands-on, learning experience for children, teens, and their families.
Walk and Talk Therapies by The Niantic Bay Boardwalk Support Relaxation and Anxiety Tools
Maybe, you sit all day and you want an outdoor walk-and-talk session by the beach, smelling the salty air, and some movement. On a walking session, you can go by the Niantic Bay Boardwalk and ocean for coping tools. Essentially, you and your therapist meet at the office and go along the walking loop, ending back at the office. Part of LGBTQIA+ queer family therapy in Stonington, Ct may include walking as a family in nature to reconnect.
Play Therapy For Children Builds Creative Thinking After Trauma
Play therapy is the language of the child, who can’t verbalize their experiences like an adult can. Wisdom Within Counseling works with children 3 years old and up. Sometimes, preschoolers will come out as transgender or gender questioning. So, play therapy is a big part of LGBTQIA+ queer family therapy in Stonington, Ct with preschoolers. Child-centered play therapy offers puppets, legos, toy cars and toy people as a language. Our team helps children gain mental clarity through musical instruments, play dough, and songs to provide skills for emotional identification and coping tools.
Art therapies in LGBTQIA+ queer family therapy in Stonington, Ct
To add, drawing with glitter gel pens, painting, tye die, using clay helps release intense feelings. And, within LGBTQIA+ queer family therapy in Stonington, Ct, art therapies promote creativity, and teaches resilience. Often, we teach families how to resolve conflicts through painting or art together. When experiencing depression, creating art provides hope. So, you can paint or draw while talking or if you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to.
Yoga Therapies
You can pick from mindfulness meditation, poses, calming breathing skills, gentle movement, positive affirmations, stretching and yoga therapies to release your body and mind. Wisdom Within Counseling teaches children and teens how to love and accept themselves. You teen can learn a positive mantra like, “I believe in myself and I love and accept myself.”
Music Therapies
In each office, we have a variety of instruments to choose from to provide a language beyond words. We have tongue drums, djembes, clappers, shakers, and a guitar to support emotional expression through the power of sound.
