#queer therapy

[mx-benzedrine]

I had an emergency appointment with my therapist this week (who is also queer, for context). Even though we are in a blue state and are both Caucasian, we were - and still are - both having a hard time. I was hit like a truck and I still feel hopeless, but I am better than I felt on the 6th.

To save you all the details of that appointment (and the money my appointments cost), I'll share with you what I journaled down. They are affirmations, reminders, and encouragement. I hope you can get something from it.

Please stay alive. That's the biggest form of defiance to Trump and his followers that we can do. People care about you, whether you can see it or not. <3

1) I don't know why so many people voted red. A lot of people have different reasons, so you don't need to know every exact detail. You can't psychoanalyze everyone in the country. It's okay to not know. It's okay to not understand.

2) It is perfectly okay to need to take time for yourself. Do your favorite things. Call out of work/school if you need time to process/feel. Let yourself feel emotions. It is okay to "bawl your fucking eyes out", as my therapist said. Lord knows I did.

3) As hard as it may be to believe, not everyone who voted red is bad. They might've been misguided or scared. However, there are people who are genuinely evil. Don't focus on the latter. Believe in, fight for, and find the good in the world.

4) It is perfectly valid and okay to worry about others right now. Just remember that you yourself are also a person and also might need help or guidance.

5) Try to fight for the future you deserve. Fight like hell for what is right for everyone. Do not ever, ever forget to fight for yourself.

[uncanny-tranny]

Hello! I don't know if this is a question you can answer, but do you happen to know what degrees are required to be something along the lines of gender therapist or a therapist that specializes in helping queer people?

You've hit a general interest of mine, and while I'm not going into gender or sexuality therapies, I am interested in psych. Whatever college you decide to go to will likely have a better answer for you, so please network.

It really depends on what you want to focus on as a queer-focused professional, but you will likely need a bachelor's degree at minimum, and additionally, you will likely want to take classes in gender and sexuality studies and sex in general. Think about exactly what you would want for this career. For instance, you probably don't need a doctorate if you aren't going into psychiatry or if you aren't interested in being able to actually prescribe medication, so you might not want to choose to pursue your education or career that far. A master's in counseling and even sex therapy would likely be great for you.

Again, definitely talk to whatever college or university you're interested in and see what classes they would advise you to take, if they have those classes.

I'm definitely not an expert in this area, my degree is going towards something slightly different in the medical field. These are what I've gathered from general research into counseling and queer-specific care

Just to break this down, what you might want to look into is:

Bachelor's degree (minimum) or master's in counseling/behavioural therapy

Licensure requirements for the state and/or country you live in

Gender/sexuality studies, or sex therapy courses

[mooredemidendem]

Peer support and back up can be so vital on the LGBTQ+ journey of self discovery, but we don't always have supportive people in our lives or feel safe asking those around us. That's why I'm so glad organizations like Queer Culture Coaching exist. If you haven't heard of them, check them out. (x)

'Peer support at Queer Culture Coaching is a safe container for you to ask your questions about your identity self-discovery, or allyship questions so you can better understand and support others. Topics can include anything queer related, neurodivergence, disability, polyamory, and conflict resolution.'

[joinvoda]

How To Stop People-Pleasing

Overcoming People-Pleasing: A Journey to Self-Acceptance and Boundaries 🌈💖

Hey lovely souls! 🌟

Many of us, especially in the queer community, grew up feeling the need to prove our worth to gain love and acceptance.

We can end up shaping our actions and behaviours to fit the comforts and expectations of those around us. 🌿

Here’s a guide to help break free from the chains of people-pleasing and embrace your true self...

🌷 Growing in Shadows: Being queer in a predominantly heteronormative environment can forge a path of isolation and a deep-rooted need to appease others for acceptance and belonging. These behavioural patterns, originated in our formative years, often solidify as we grow up.

🍀 The Toll of Pleasing: The relentless pursuit to meet others’ needs, even compromising our own comfort and well-being, can strain our mental health. It could be overspending on gifts, stretching our stay at gatherings, or reluctantly accepting unwanted attention.

💜 The Quest for Acceptance: At the heart of people-pleasing lies a fear of rejection and a belief that our true selves are unworthy of love. This fear often propels us to value ourselves solely based on our ability to cater to others, suppressing our needs and desires.

🔍 Seeking Healing through Therapy: Therapy can illuminate our people-pleasing tendencies and help cultivate healthy boundaries. It provides insights into our core beliefs and fosters the understanding that we are inherently lovable, regardless of others' approval or our acts of service.

🌟 Building Self-Love: Learn to build self-love. Many people-pleasers love to do things for others... but often don’t take enough attention to understand what they want. Start doing little bits of self-care and practise love for yourself. Acknowledge your achievements, no matter how small, and be gentle with yourself. Celebrate your uniqueness and remember, self-love is a journey, not a destination.

If the journey to overcome people-pleasing feels arduous and you yearn for support... We at Voda are walking this path with you. 

You can delve into the Voda app to explore therapy programmes, crafted for the LGBTQIA+ community by experienced LGBTQIA+ therapists.

Voda has many free features like queer-led meditations, daily mood check-ins, and an assortment of free self-guided therapy programmes on various LGBTQIA+ topics.

The annual is less than the price of a coffee a month, but many of our features are free! You can also try everything free and unlock it for 7 days.

You can download Voda here.

With Love and Acceptance, Voda 🌈💜

[forsythia37]

A+++

New therapist continues to be SO nice, have such good hair, and be really cute. Today they sang to me a tiny song that starts with a loud awkward sigh and ends with a loud awkward almost sarcastic sounding “YOU’RE GRREEEEAAAAAT!” in the most exhausted way possible, explaining that “we have a song at my house that goes like this.”

And also they don’t judge me for eating frozen burritos, so like, A+++ would pay you on a sliding scale again.

[forsythia37]

damn. I sure do like [new therapist]. Our first full appt was today, and for one thing they actually went a full 50 minutes (maybe even a little over), and I genuinely felt like we are building an attachment in a way that feels therapeutic for me. I have needed to have therapy back in my life so badly, and I am so glad to be starting back.

Also they already yielded me a gleaming piece of advice to add on to the headphones that act as my almost-constant visor of sound to block out intrusiveness when I’m out in the world, to also use the fierce love of what I do as a nurse to block out some of my anxieties as I go day to day and am nearly bowled over by the simple act of running into a stranger on the street.

bless you, [new therapist]. also you have really good hair and a really wonderful and genuine smile.