If you’ve been struggling with persistent questions or conflicting thoughts about your sexual orientation or gender identity, you’ve come to the right place. At Resilience, we want everyone to feel empowered by their sexual preferences, values, and experiences. We know that being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ), or identifying with any non-conforming gender identity, can be an incredibly stressful and, at times, alienating experience. We’re here to help you make sense of your experience of the world, so you can love who you are and share that love with the world. We also know that the significant stigma and discrimination experienced by LGBTQ individuals can increase the likelihood that they could suffer from anxiety, depression, PTSD, suicidal ideation, substance use disorder, or other mental health conditions.  
 

HOW WE CAN HELP

For those dealing with pressing questions about their sexual orientation or gender identity, therapy can be a powerful—and truly liberating—experience. Yes, for many or even most people, talking about sex or sexuality can initially feel uncomfortable or taboo. That’s why we believe in cultivating an environment, and an ongoing therapeutic relationship, that is consistently non-judgmental, safe, affirming, and compassionate. We want you to feel at ease with us, able to share your thoughts and feelings freely, and trusting that we will adhere to strict standards of confidentiality. Our goal is to give you the space, time, and support required to fully discover, embody, and come to accept and truly love the person you are, and the person you are becoming. We have experience working with individuals from myriad cultural backgrounds, with an equally wide variety of sexual preferences, histories, desires, and questions. 
 

WHAT THERAPY MAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU

Our therapists can help you to explore your sexual identity—uncovering what it is, what it isn’t, and how to safely and positively express it. Making sense of your sexual identity can be very hard work! In this reflective process, we’ll talk together about how to establish boundaries and cope with judgment from others, while learning to live with greater authenticity and self-love. Other topics we might discuss include coming out to family and friends, managing symptoms of co-occurring mental health conditions (e.g., anxiety, depression), and working toward gender transitions, if applicable. If you’ve been feeling ‘stuck’ with respect to exploring your sexual orientation or gender identity, we can consider how best to sketch out a path forward for you. While it might feel awkward or intimidating to discuss these things at first, we’ll only proceed at a pace that feels comfortable to you. Depending on your unique needs, we’ll determine how often to meet, and whether we might want to connect with other providers (as often occurs for example, with individuals who are working toward gender transition). 

If you’re struggling with questions of sexual orientation or gender identity, we suspect this probably isn’t a completely new concern for you. We invite you to consider the ways that therapy can put your mind and heart at ease, and help you to live with greater comfort in your own skin. Please contact us for a free consultation. 
 

What you may be experiencing or thinking about
 

•  Anxiety or confusion about your sexual orientation
•  Questions or stress about gender transitioning
•  Stiga or discrimination at work/school/in daily life
•  Embarrassment or shame about your sexual identity
•  Feeling like you were born in the wrong body
•  Questioning your assigned gender
•  Anxiety, stress, or fear about coming out

Therapists

• Alicia Ali, PsyD

• Aixa Dones, LPC

• Deema Soufan, LPC

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