Society has thankfully undergone a fundamental transformation in the way it views the communities named under the LGBTQ+ acronym. However, in addition to overt aggression towards LGBTQ+ individuals, more covert negative stereotypes of LGBTQ+ individuals persist. These stereotypes are harmful to the physical and mental health of LGBTQ+ people, and result in increased rates of depression, anxiety, long-term relationship challenges, sexual dissatisfaction, substance abuse, loneliness and isolation, and lowered self-esteem for these communities.

Over time, LGBTQ+ individuals understandably can take in negative societal attitudes about themselves, and direct them towards a hatred of who they are. To develop a healthy sense-of-self, recent research has shown that LGBTQ+ individuals must battle against conscious and unconscious processes of self-devaluation.

LGBTQ+ affirmative therapy can help work through what societally-placed internalized beliefs might be getting in the way of your leading the fullest life possible.