Teenagers and adults may be questioning their gender, exploring their sexuality, and needing help in LGBTQIA+ therapy. Your teenager may struggle with school, the dating world, or their sexual orientation. As well, teenagers may show perfectionism. LGBTQIA+ therapy in Connecticut supports gender exploration for teens and couples. There may be fears around rejection, or depression that lingers with being in the closet. From coming out, to wanting family acceptance, we can help. Wisdom Within Counseling specializes in LGBTQIA+ queer and bisexual therapy in Connecticut. Teens and couples alike can have a safe place to talk about gender and sexuality.
Is your teen coming out is bisexual? And, is their other parent homophobic?
Many times, feelings of liking two genders and being bisexual develop in adolescent years. Being a teenager can come with a lot of stress. Other issues, like loss of a grandparent, fitting in, getting good grades, and understanding dating can cause challenges. Commonly, LGBTQIA+ feelings and gender exploration develop in adolescent and teen years. A person may come out in their teen years, or adulthood. However, some adults in couples therapy may be coming out with newfound bisexuality. If there is oppression from family in teen years, bisexual feelings may not develop until adulthood. AS well, if your spouse is cross dressing, you may have a variety of emotions to share. In a couple’s relationship and marriage, talking about gender expression and sexual orientation are big topics. So, Wisdom Within Counseling specializes in LGBTQIA+ queer and bisexual therapy in Connecticut.
To begin, click the button below for a phone consult for LGBTQIA+ queer and bisexual therapy in Connecticut.
How does LGBTQIA+ queer and bisexual therapy in Connecticut support couples?
You might be married, in your adult life, and your partner might be coming out as gay. Or, maybe your spouse is coming out as lesbian, queer, or transgender. For some adults, wanting to explore gender sexuality can’t begin in adolescent years. It isn’t allowed in religious homes. There is rejection and anxiety about being gay or lesbian. Sometimes, feelings of wanting to explore sexuality or sexual orientation do not come out until married life. Being in a marriage to another queer identifying person can lead to a sense of safety to explore more.
As well, the pressures to look perfect and fit in during childhood, can prevent the coming out process.
As well, couples may seek LGBTQIA+ queer affirming counseling due to changes in gender expression. For instance, your spouse might be expressing their gender in a more masculine or feminine way than usual. Working with a LGBTQIA+ queer and bisexual therapist in Connecticut can support safe conversations.
Therapy can be a safe place for teenagers and couples to learn about sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
Many people have diverse gender identities and sexual orientations.
What is transgender?
If your teen or your spouse is transgender, they may identify with a different gender than the sex assigned at birth. To note, someone who is transgender states that their gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth. Sometimes, transgender people will get top or bottom surgery in adult years. It can be very fulfilling to get surgery to look more like themselves.
How can sexual orientation evolve and change over time?
After a divorce or separation, sexual orientation may evolve and develop. In a marriage, one person may be just with that gender of person. But, after a separation or divorce, a person may want to try dating the same gender. Sometimes, a divorce can lead a person to explore LGBTQIA+ and different types of relationships. For instance, in a marriage, a female was married to a man. But, after divorce, a female may begin to date or fall in love with other females. Other times, events in life like having a child can lead a person to evolve. Overall, a persons gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation can evolve as they get to know themselves better.
Family therapy, couples therapy, and individual therapy provide a sense of confidence and clarity.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, we specialize in helping couple navigate these emotional, tender topics. LGBTQIA+ queer and bisexual therapy in Connecticut supports self-confidence and self-discovery.
To begin, click the button below to book your phone consult for LGBTQIA+ queer and bisexual therapy in Connecticut.
What is intersex?
Some people are intersex, meaning they have a variety of male and female characteristics. Now, someone who is intersex is not just male or female. Essentially, hey have a mixture of male and female sexes. Working with an LGBTQIA+ and queer affirming therapist in Connecticut can help you better understand your own gender identity, your teen’s, and your spouses.
Whether you are looking for counseling for your teenager who is questioning their gender, yourself, or your spouse who is non-binary, Wisdom Within Counseling can help.
For Teens – LGBTQIA+ queer and bisexual therapy in Connecticut support family acceptance
Does your teenager say, “I am feeling depressed about friendships and school?” Your teenager could be questioning their gender as well.
Is your teenager self-harming, withdrawing, and has recently come out as gay? There could be depressing emotions. Or, they could be fearing rejection from family, friends, and others.
Having a loved one in your life that is pushing gender stereotypes can we do a variety of emotions. For one, your spouse may not be as supportive of LGBTQIA+ affirming language. One one hand, you are an LGBTQIA+ and queer affirming parent. But, you have heard your child’s other parent be homophobic. Essentially, when a teenager has a parent who is non-affirming, they can feel afraid to be honest with them. Also, this can hinder the parent child bond and cause tension, anger, and conflict.
Essentially, your child or spouse can feel shame, fear, guilt, and anger in their coming out process.
Your teenager may be transgender or gender fluid and needing a safe place to love themselves. Our team at Wisdom Within Counseling would love to help. Now, just because your child, your spouse, or your loved one might not be identifying as the sex they were assigned with at birth doesn’t mean they deserve less love. Working with an LGBTQIA and queer affirming therapist can support being accepting and understand ways to overcome limiting beliefs.
What happens when teenagers don’t feel comfortable or don’t understand their sexual orientation?
Fears of parental rejection and peer rejection are real
At early as early as three years old, children develop a gender identity. But, through cultural shame, guilt, and oppression, even into adulthood, teens may still feel afraid to be themselves. An adolescent or adult may not be able to come out as who they truly are. Growing up with strict parent, or critical parents means teens are not as likely to come out until adult years.
Marriage counseling that is queer, bisexual and LGBTQIA+ affirming is available at Wisdom Within Counseling.
To begin, click the button below for a phone consult for LGBTQIA+ queer and bisexual therapy in Connecticut.
What is cisgender?
When someone is cisgender, their gender identity and their sex assigned at birth match. As well, a teenager may fear family rejection or alienation if they are anything but cisgender. Other gender identities may include non-binary or gender fluid or bi-gender. Lastly, transgender is a common gender identity, but takes time to gain a support network. So, being a supportive parent or family member is one of the best things that you can do to love a transgender person in your life. When a transgender person is rejected by their family and friends, their risk of suicide greatly increases. To note, many teenagers who die from suicide are struggling with gender identity and gender exploration and facing parental rejection.
Now, what is gender expression and cross dressing?
Furthermore, gender expression can include hobbies, hairstyle, clothing, and our appearance. A man may want to do ballet or wear tights. And, a female may want to play football or wrestle. These activities push gender norms. Sometimes, females want to wear pants, boots, or just a skirt.
Other times, a man might want to wear a bra, high heels, or put on make up. Some may consider this cross dressing.
For Couples – LGBTQIA+ queer and bisexual therapy in Connecticut
Finding your spouse cross dressing can be scary. At times, you may wonder if your spouse is cheating. For couples, there can be fears, anxiety, and even conflict. However, for men, cross dressing is also a more feminine style of expressing gender. The next day, a man may want to dress in a more masculine way. Gender expression can change and evolve day to day. Therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling can be a safe space to openly talk. Also, therapy can help you and your loved ones better understand how to express gender as a whole.
What is the significance of pronouns in LGBTQIA+ queer counseling in East Lyme, Connecticut?
There are also many different gender pronouns such as they, them, or theirs that correspond to gender identity and gender expression. An LGBTQIA+ affirming therapist will embrace your pronouns and support you. At Wisdom Within Counseling, talking about pronouns can help someone feel acceptance and affirmed.
Queer and Non-Binary Gender Expression in Adolescents, Teenagers, and Young Adults
Our team at Wisdom Within Counseling supports LGBTQIA+ same sex couples, and gender expressive, bisexual, and queer teenagers.
LGBTQIA+ queer and bisexual therapy in Connecticut is available at Wisdom Within Counseling
Let’s talk about sexual orientation more.
Your teenager or spouse may be dealing with homophobia at school and home
When an adolescent or teenager has a crush, they may like a variety of different genders of people. Maybe, they like a boy or they like a girl, or they like both. Identifying as bisexual can lead to feelings of shame and guilt. This can be especially true if one parent is more strict or homophobic. For instance, if your LGBTQIA+ expressive loved one can’t be who they are, they may be depressed and anxious. Family therapy can help parents learn to be supportive of LGBTQIA+ exploration.
Sometimes, fear, shame, guilt, and anxiety about not coming out leads to self-hatred or self-harm.
One benefit of LGBTQIA+ counseling is having a safe place to talk about it all. Without a safe place, teenagers and adults may develop self-hatred. Self-harm, cutting, and anger issues can be a part of internal rejection. From family rejection, or shame behaviors, teens develop self-hatred. As well, going to LGBTQIA+ counseling can support self-love, and self-acceptance. Having feelings of attraction can be pleasant and exciting. But, it can be confusing if a teenager is growing up in a home that is highly religious. A teenager may anticipate rejection and isolation for being gay, lesbian, or bisexual. Wisdom Within Counseling supports healthy conversations around gender expression and sexual orientation. Lastly, these conversations promote safety at home.
A person’s sexual orientation can begin adolescence and teen years, but might not be able to be expressed until adulthood in married life.
Having a crush, liking someone, or getting butterflies or someone is a sign that you have a sexual orientation towards that person.
Sexual attraction
People can be lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, queer, or even straight.
When a person is lesbian, they are primarily attracted to other females or other women. On the other hand, gay describes men or boys who like other men or boys. All the above are okay here at Wisdom Within Counseling. Maybe, you are questioning your sexual orientation and need a safe place to talk it out.
Same-sex and LGBTQIA+ relationships are one of our specialties at Wisdom Within Counseling.
Bisexual
When someone is bisexual, they are attracted to their own gender as well as other peoples genders.
Pansexual
As well, pansexual is about being attracted to someone regardless of their gender, and more about who they are.
Asexual
When someone is asexual, they don’t feel a sexual attraction to any gender. So, they don’t feel sexual attraction towards people. To note, talking about sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression can be a healthy part of working with a counselor.
Why work with a LGBTQIA+ queer and bisexual therapist in Connecticut?
Not all therapists understand LGBTQIA+ and are affirming of queer identifying people. Sometimes, people face more oppression from working with a therapist who is not a specialist. Working with an older therapist was not educated on pride or queer terms can create shame. Also, having an LGBTQIA+ and queer educated therapist supports self-esteem and self-confidence. A non affirming therapist may not be respectful with pronouns. Also, a person may be misgendered when working with someone who isn’t a specialist.
Online and in person in Niantic, we help couples, children and teenagers in neighboring towns.
We help children, teens, and couples in Connecticut in Bozrah, Waterford, Old Lyme, Ivoryton, Griswold, 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, Westport, Ridgefield, and Madison, Connecticut.
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, Cheshire, Waterbury, Guilford, Chester, Deep River, Moodus, Durham, and Middletown, Connecticut.
Working with an LGBTQIA+ therapist can help your child, you, and your romantic relationship feel supported.
