Non-binary teenagers may struggle with depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. You can learn what it means when your teen comes out as non-binary and how to be supportive from counseling. LGBTQIA, non-binary adolescent and teen therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling supports positive coping tools.
What does it mean when my teen shares they are part of the LGBTQIA+ community and non-binary?
Your teenager might be wanting you to use they/them pronouns. They may switching from the name that you named them at their birth. As well, your adolescent may be asking you call them a different name. It may be an adjustment if you called them a different name their whole life, but now that’s their dead name. They may be picking a non-binary name that can fit for all genders. Maybe, their preferred name is, “Gray,” or “River,” because it doesn’t really have a connotation to a male or female name.
To begin, click the button below for a phone consult for LGBTQIA, non-binary adolescent and teen therapy in East Lyme, Connecticut.
When your teen is non-binary, they’re pushing away the boxes of just masculine or just feminine.
Your teenager might be wanting to dress in a different section of the clothing store. They might be expressing their gender in a totally different and unique way. As well, non-binary people change their hairstyle to fit a new identity. Teenager may be changing their group of friends to be more surrounded with LGBTQIA+ affirming friends. So, the best thing that you can do while your teenager is evolving their identity is talk with them about it with them. As a parent or caregiver, try to ask questions and be curious. Definitely use their preferred pronouns and their preferred name to show respect.
Identify when your teenager is needing professional mental health help
Coming out can bring up shame and guilt. Feeling rejection from a parent or sibling can lead to low self-esteem and self–doubt. Shame and guilt can lead to negative behaviors like teen drinking, drug use, eating disorders, and self-harm and cutting. Your teenager may be angry or irritable and deeply feeling sad or rejection from friends and family. You might feel concerned as a parent, or wonder if your teenager is going through something even deeper due to concerning behaviors.
Did you find your teenager is struggling with other issues like self-harm and eating disorder?
Many times, teenagers are struggling with gender identity and gender questioning feelings. At the same time, they are having fears about social relationship, or issues around disordered eating. Body image issues can lead your teen to put themselves on a diet. Eating disorders impact adolescents and teenagers who feel they have to change themselves to fit in.
Teens who self-harm need professional therapy.
One of our specialties at Wisdom Within Counseling is working with adolescents who have depression, cutting or self-harm behaviors.
Your LGBTQIA+, gay, bisexual, or transgender teenager may be suffering from depression.
Many reasons can cause self-harm or suicidal thinking like going through a terrible breakup. Teenagers with depression are needing immediate positive coping tools. As well, holistic, creative counseling helps teenagers set healthy boundaries around dating for a future relationship.
If your teenager injures themselves, skin picks, or burns themselves, Wisdom Within Counseling can help.
We specialize with teenager who cut their body or teens who struggle with suicidal thinking. In holistic, creative counseling, our therapists help teenagers build depression management tools. From positive coping strategies LGBTQIA+ non-binary teenagers can gain holistic outlets for stress.
To begin, click the button below for a phone consult for LGBTQIA, non-binary adolescent and teen therapy in East Lyme, Connecticut.
Why do teens self-harm?
A lot of lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, transgender and gender fluid teens are feel intense emotions. They need help gaining power over high emotion times. Right now, your teenager does not know what to do with the intense feelings they experience. One of their friends has started self-harming and they want to try it out to see how it would work for them. Self-harm and cutting are signs your teenager is struggling and needing a professional therapist.
If your teen is self-harming, we would love to help them develop confidence from the inside out, and a sense of mind-body connection.
Sometimes, teens are having anxiety, panic, they may also be having anger or jealousy. Maybe, your teen is bottling up feelings of competition. Your teenager may feel they are an outcast or don’t fit in. LGBTQIA+ non-binary teenagers struggle with a sense of belonging and low self-esteem. Teens that self-harm are asking for professional therapeutic help. The self-harm is a red flag behavior saying, “I really need someone to talk to, I really need a way to cope with this emotion.”
At Wisdom Within Counseling in East Lyme, Connecticut, we specialize in helping LGBTQIA+ teens find alternatives to self-harm.
This way, your teenager can build a positive coping toolbox for the rest of their life.
We offer art, painting, yoga, the use of clay in session as well as walking by the beach, as well as yoga and mindfulness, meditations. The team at Wisdom Within Counseling help depressed teenagers start to feel at home within their body. Self-love and self-care skills help teenagers cope in times of high emotion. DBT therapies help teenagers build skills for self-love and self-acceptance. From LGBTQIA, non-binary adolescent and teen therapy, your teen can be prepared for college years and beyond.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, we love helping non-binary teens build confidence, self-acceptance and self-love tools.
We would love to help your teenager have an emotional coping toolbox. Your teenager can be prepared for college years and beyond. Having your teenager come to therapy can be a wonderful experience. Your non-binary teenager can use art, painting, clay, yoga, mindfulness meditations to feel calmer.
To begin, click the button below for a phone consult for LGBTQIA, non-binary adolescent and teen therapy in East Lyme, Connecticut.
Why creative therapies for confidence?
From holistic, creative counseling, teenagers can improve self-esteem, social skills and gain a sense of belonging. Counseling can help teenagers connect to their creative side. With depression, adolescents and teenagers may struggle with social anxiety. So, art, yoga, music, and creative therapies foster trust and creative expression. Art therapies, yoga therapies, music therapies, and walking therapies lower symptoms of trauma.
If you teenager is struggling with self-harm, alcohol use or drug addiction, creative, holistic therapies can help them learn positive coping strategies.
Creative, holistic therapies boost mental skills and mood. Holistic therapies for LGBTQIA+ non-binary teenagers can provide feelings of peacefulness, happiness, laughter, satisfaction and calm. Additionally, for positive coping tools, teens can use outdoor walk and talk therapy sessions to build a sense of mind-body awareness.
Walk and talk therapy in East Lyme, Connecticut offers an opportunity to reduce stress.
Teenagers can feel into their bodies and relieve body tension. As well, walking and talking therapies improve circulation after a long day of sitting. Being in nature and hearing the birds chirping can help your teenager develop mindfulness skills. Additionally, walk and talk therapies in East Lyme, Connecticut help your teenager breathe deeply. This is a skill for overcoming anxiety attacks.
Holistic, creative therapies help non-binary teenagers cope with stress in healthy ways.
Walk and talk therapy can help clear your teen’s body and mind of intrusive, negative and ruminative thoughts. As well, walking and talking in therapy helps your teenager feel calming sensations in their body. Walk and talk therapy in East Lyme, Connecticut offer a natural, alternative way to decrease anxiety right in session. Lastly, walking and talking in therapy helps adolescents and teenagers regulate mood and even enjoy more restful sleep.
In person and video therapy for adolescents and young adults
We help children, teens, and couples in Connecticut in Bozrah, Waterford, Old Lyme, Ivoryton, Griswold, Darien, Centerbrook, Westbrook, Essex, East Lyme, Newington, Shelton, South Windsor, Granby, Franklin, Branford, Griswold, Groton, Ledyard, Suffield, Lisbon, Montville, Bristol, Stratford, Hartland, Glastonbury, Colchester, East Haddam, Hadlyme, Hamburg, Enfield, Old Saybrook, Riverside, Westport, Ridgefield, and Madison, Connecticut.
Online and in person in Niantic, we help couples, children and teenagers thrive in neighboring towns.
In other Connecticut towns, we offer video counseling in Connecticut to families in Portland, Berlin, Bethany, Bethel, Bethlehem, Milford, Kent, Bloomfield, East Hampton, Southington, Haddam, Litchfield, Simsbury, Fairfield, Cobalt, Marlborough, Cromwell, Canton, Avon, Rocky Hill, West Hartford, Clinton, Wethersfield, Middlebury, Rye, New Canaan, Cheshire, Waterbury, Guilford, Chester, Deep River, Moodus, Durham, and Middletown, Connecticut.
