In Leonardtown, Dunkirk, & Bethesda, MD
Do You Wish You Were Surrounded By A More Loving And LGBTQ+ Affirming Community?
Are you an LGBTQ+ person who’s longing for a deeper sense of belonging in your life?
Do you suffer from low self-worth because of how you’ve been excluded in the past?
Deep down, does it feel like the majority of friends and family just don’t understand what it means to be you?
Maybe you’re in the midst of transitioning or you’re in the process of coming out, and you want to have a more supportive community to lean on during this time of change. Perhaps you’re experiencing distance in some of your closest relationships because not all of your loved ones accept you for who you are. You may be feeling ostracized at work, in school, or even in your own home. As a result, maybe you’re thinking it’s time to talk to an LGBTQ+-affirming counselor who can help you deepen your self-worth and feel more grounded in the midst of life’s stressors.
Maybe You Want Help Navigating Anxiety, Depression, Or Trauma
Perhaps you’re comfortable with your identity and you have a supportive community around you, but you simply want to better your mental health and live from a calmer and more regulated place. You might be struggling with anxiety that’s holding you back from your best performance at work and making it difficult to concentrate. Or maybe you’re dealing with depression, and you’re finding it hard to get out of bed in the morning and stay motivated throughout the day. There may be lingering trauma that’s impacting your ability to feel safe and anchored in your relationships.
No matter what you’re seeking support for, we are confident that we can provide the validation, affirmation, and encouragement you need to overcome your challenges. At Empowered Connections, our therapists are specifically trained to help LGBTQ+ folx boost their self-worth, improve their relationships, and live more empowered lives.
We offer LGBTQ+-affirming therapy for children, teens, and adults, ensuring that everyone has a safe space to be themselves and work through their mental health issues.
Questions About LGBTQ+ Therapy? Contact Us
If You’re An LGBTQ+ Person Struggling With Your Mental Health, You’re Not Alone
Right now, the LGBTQ+ community is facing an incredible amount of stress and hostility. Between increases in hate speech, bullying in schools, and politicians trying to take away fundamental human rights, it’s no wonder LGBTQ+ people have higher rates of depression and anxiety than their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts.* Although there is more awareness around LGBTQ+ issues than there ever was, the truth is that many queer folx still don’t feel accepted at work, in the classroom, and sometimes in their own homes.
In the face of all this hostility, many LGBTQ+ people turn inward and keep to themselves because they are scared and suspicious of the world outside—and with good reason. When you haven’t felt welcomed or supported, it’s only natural to withdraw, since it’s a survival mechanism for keeping you safe. The good news is that with counseling, you have a place where you can safely let your guard down and experience unconditional acceptance.
Many Parents Need Extra Support Parenting LGBTQ+ Children
In fact, even the most loving and accepting of parents need guidance from time to time if their children are LGBTQ+. After all, our children are growing up in a vastly different world than ours, one where the language has shifted dramatically as more and more people come out of the closet and embrace their uniqueness. Not all of us grew up with the language to talk about the challenges of being LGBTQ+, so sometimes, we all need a helping hand that can show us how to constructively dialogue with our kids.
Whether you want support for yourself or you’re a parent looking for support for your LGBTQ+ child, we believe that therapy can act as a springboard for personal growth, improved relationships, and greater confidence and self-esteem.
Therapy Provides A Haven Of Acceptance And Empowerment For LGBTQ+ Folx
Above all, Empowered Connections seeks to provide a safe, affirming space where you can be yourself unreservedly and talk freely about the challenges in your life. All of us are LGBTQ+-affirming and specifically trained to work with LGBTQ+ people. Our mission is to help folx who are gay, lesbian, bi, trans, queer, nonbinary and anywhere else on the LGBTQ+ spectrum find acceptance and empowerment through our counseling services.
What To Expect In LGBTQ+ Counseling Sessions
In the beginning, we will focus on creating a heart-to-heart connection with you so that there is a foundation of trust that we can build on throughout therapy. We will then devise a treatment plan that’s individualized based on the goals you want to work on. After all, therapy looks different from client to client. Depending on your needs and preferences, therapy can focus on exploring your gender identity, increasing your confidence and empowerment within relationships, or managing your stressors and triggers more effectively.
If you are a parent seeking LGBTQ+ therapy for your child or teenager, we would be more than happy to assist them with their challenges as well. Although we will primarily meet with your child, we will also meet with you once every three sessions to discuss parenting and equip you with new tools and skills for helping your child. A lot of the parenting work we do revolves around giving you the language to relate to your child’s challenges with gender and sexuality. We want to empower you to be their biggest ally, as you play an integral role in their everyday life.
Tailoring Our Approach To LGBTQ+ Therapy
Each of our therapists uses a different approach, and we always customize the treatment process to suit each client’s unique needs and goals. We have art therapists on staff who can employ art and creativity to help you access emotions you may have been avoiding and empower you to tell the stories that you once weren’t able to share. Many of our LGBTQ+-affirming counselors also utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which focuses on challenging negative thoughts and beliefs, and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), which is all about processing trauma so that you can overcome the pain of the past.
Our practice is in partnership with local domestic violence agencies, so we are all trained to work with clients who have suffered from domestic violence. Additionally, we have a counselor on staff who is licensed to treat substance use issues. So no matter what challenges you’re currently facing, our therapists have the training, expertise, and compassion to help you improve your mental health and create a more hopeful future.
You May Have Some Questions About LGBTQ+ Therapy…
What if therapy costs too much?
Therapy is an investment in yourself and your future, a way to safeguard your mental health for years to come and ensure that you are well-equipped to deal with life’s stressors. What’s more, it’s important to know that it is not a forever venture—we can meet with you for a few months, see how you’re feeling, and then make a decision about continuing or discontinuing care.
Although our practice does not take insurance, we can provide a superbill to help with insurance reimbursement (we are partnered with Reimbursify, which does the reimbursement-seeking for you), and we also encourage clients to use their HSA/FSA cards to pay for sessions as well.
Won’t talking about my issues make things worse?
Therapy generally increases feelings of hope and positivity. For many clients, the very act of getting things off their chest helps them release feelings of anxiety and stress. That said, we understand that discussing mental health challenges can occasionally be a trigger point for some clients. That’s why we will always move at a pace that’s right for you, ensuring that you are never out of your depth during our work together. We will give you a safe space to let it all out and then leave it behind when sessions are done.
I had a bad experience with therapy in the past. How will this be different?
Here at Empowered Connections, we seek to do things differently. We work really hard on the relationship between therapist and client and we do continuous check-ins to make sure you feel comfortable and safe. We are all LGBTQ-affirming here, and we go out of our way to make this place a haven for queer folx who’ve had bad experiences with therapy.
We Will Be Your Biggest Ally And Supporter On Your Journey Toward Wellness
If you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community and you’re looking to better your mental health and take your confidence and self-worth to the next level, we encourage you to pursue therapy with us. Contact us and book an appointment to begin your journey today. We look forward to hearing from you!
*https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2022/12/lgbt-adults-report-anxiety-depression-at-all-ages.html
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LGBTQ+ Therapy In Leonardtown, MD
25482 Point Lookout Rd #202,
Leonardtown, MD 20650
LGBTQ+ Therapy In Dunkirk, MD
2972 Penwick Ln Suite 101,
Dunkirk, MD 20754
LGBTQ+ Therapy In Bethesda, MD
4416 East-West Hwy Suite 205,
Bethesda, MD 20814
