Imagine the following scenario: Johnny arrives at therapy wanting help as he tries to understand his sexual orientation and identity. Johnny has recently come out as a bisexual man, although he reports that he has only dated women historically. Johnny had been holding this secret for nearly 10 years. Unfortunately, his family and friends reacted poorly to his coming out, insisting that he was "just in a phase" and would "grow out of it eventually."
In honor of Pride Month, I wanted to call attention to the LGBTQ+ experience and how it relates to mental health concerns and treatment. As a counselor who works with people in the LGBTQ+ community, and as someone who is part of this community myself, I have yet to meet another from this community who has not experienced adversity along the way. What do we, as a community, know about these experiences?
The adolescent years are full of confusion in terms of finding who you are. Adolescents not only face internal challenges of assessing their own values and interests but also have the pressure of fitting in with their peers and feeling accepted. One area that an increasing number of adolescents are exploring today is their sexual and gender identity. As a parent, this can stir up an array of different emotions, and you may not know how best to help your child through this time in their life.