#lgbtq counsellor

[telehealth-treatment]

How Effective is Couples Counselling?

Being in a relationship, whether that means a marriage or just dating, can be an incredibly fulfilling part of your life, but no relationship is perfect. Even the best of partners end up in squabbles from time to time, and this is simply a natural part of spending your life with someone.

Unfortunately, some squabbles turn into ongoing fighting, and when left unresolved, these incidents have a way of driving a wedge between two people. Over time, they can even lead to the demise of a marriage or relationship. Because of this, many couples turn to counselling for help, but is couples counselling effective?

Putting in the Effort

Couples counselling can be very effective, but to make the most of your time with a counsellor, both people in a relationship need to be committed to the idea of making things work. If both people aren’t committed to the counselling process, results may not be as effective as they would have been otherwise.

For counselling to be effective, behaviours often need to change. If you’re seeking help through infidelity counselling, you aren’t going to get anywhere if the person committing infidelity is unwilling to change their ways. Infidelity counselling in particular requires that total honesty and a solid commitment to changing behaviours be in place to be effective.

Work With a Couple's Counsellor

It’s also important to work with a dedicated couple's counsellor. While you and your spouse or dating partner may be able to find help through working with a general therapist, a couple's counsellor is more likely to be able to provide specific guidance regarding issues that couples face.

For this reason, it’s a good idea to interview counsellors before agreeing to counselling. You want to make sure that the counsellor you and your partner select is someone who shares your same values and ideals. With that stated, you also want to make sure you receive honest advice and guidance rather than just receiving advice that you want to hear. The goal of couples counselling is to introduce an objective opinion based on impartial judgment.

Read a similar article about counselling for hypochondria here at this page.

[yourdailyqueer]

Negha Shahin

Gender: Transgender woman

Sexuality: N/A

DOB: Born 1992  

Ethnicity: Indian (Tamil)

Occupation: Actress, activist, counsellor

[liron-ao3]

BECOMING WHO WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN

Mature — 95,565 words

Alec and his ex-wife have been co-parenting their child successfully for years after an amicable divorce. But when the teen trusts him with a secret, the foundation of Alec's life fissures, and he not only has to fight for and protect his child but also has to face a part of himself which he decided to ignore a long time ago.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/44505784

[fightingfitstudio-blog]

Christmas Gift

The perfect Christmas Gift Get that special someone the gift to set off 2024 on the right foot Special offer – 3 for 2 – saving £40 Check me out at fighting Fit Studio on Google maps or For more information please contact me Michelle @michellept.co.uk email – michellecrawford123@gmail.com or call +44 07805 612127

[heartfulselkie]

How was year 2023 for you looking back ?

I'll admit I was going to say something along the lines of "Oh, it's been just another year! 🙃"

But you know what? No. It hasn't "been just another year." I've had so much happen this past year that I had to think for a good minute about it - because did all this really happen in a single year???

Yeah I've had my usual run of mental health slips. Some of them really bad.

But I've had so many wins this year too!

I finally took the time to really think about myself and feel comfortable in who and what I am. I finally said out loud to someone that I'm nonbinary. I talked with my counsellor about my issue with my physical appearance from my gender dysphoria. I came out to my family. I'm going by a new name now (socially at least), one that I feel better matches my gender identity.

And I started school again! After spending so long in such poor mental health where I couldn't even work, I'm now finally embracing doing something I love! I can finally say to my child-self: "You know what? You weren't wrong about wanting to be an artist. And you are good at it and love doing it!"

Yes, I'm doing an actual art course now! And I am loving every minute of it (even when the stress is high). I'm even planning on doing another year of it!

I've gotten friendly with the people in my class. It's been so long since I've had a physical, in-person sense of community. I thought it was something I'd never have again - but now I get to go into class and just talk with people and share dumb jokes. And its such a positive and supportive atmosphere! We're all artistic and of different lgbtq+ identities as well as neurodivergencies. (Through peer review it turns out I might actually fall somewhere on the autism scale - who knew? No wonder younger me was such a mess.)

For the first time in I don't even know how long, I've finally started to feel at least somewhat comfortable with myself. I'm done pretending to be a person I'm not and trying to fit other people's boxes. I still have my struggles and have a lot of history/traumas/whatever to process, but I feel so much better now that I finally feel secure enough to learn what kind of person I am. And I'm so lucky to be around people that are okay with that!

My family for the most part are accepting of where I am now. They don't really get "nonbinary", but most of them are still making efforts to use my chosen name. My relationship with one parent is still a trainwreck (I don't think its salvageable at this point tbh) but my relationship with my other parent has improved so much this past year. We now talk on regular basis and they have been my biggest supporter for both who I am as well as my artistic endeavours.

It's been one hell of a year. 2023 is the year I finally started feeling human. It's the year I started feeling like me again.

[bullet-prooflove]

City Boy: Che 'Taza' Romero

Tagging: @drabbles-mc @ficnation @crazy4chickennuggets @kmc1989 @withakindheartx

The first thing Taza notices about Ben is his ability to connect with other people.  The other man has an easy smile, and a laugh that resonates through his entire body, the kids flock to him and he makes the time for each and every one of them. It’s important in a community like theirs, parents are fighting tooth and nail to put food on the table, they send their kids to the community centre, to a place they know they’ll be supported and listened to.

He doesn’t realise he’s an LGBTQ counsellor at first, not until Riz explains it to him.

“Latinx LGBT youth are 45% more likely to attempt suicide compared to non- Latinx youth, it’s an epidemic.” The younger man tells him.

A lot of these kids don’t have a safe space to explore who they are, the community centre is trying to change that by becoming an affirming space, picking up the mantle where home and school can not.

Carmen’s brought Ben in to address that issue. He’s run successful programmes up in Boston, Detroit and Cincinnati and now he’s here in their little border town. Taza sees the disparity and it makes him wonder why Ben’s really here. Santo Padre shouldn’t even be a blip on his radar, not when he’s running programmes with big city money.

When he asks Carmen, she gives him a look, one that he’s become well acquainted with throughout their friendship.

“Ask him yourself.”

Taza decides to bite the bullet and do just that.

Ben’s in the midst of his lunch break Taza sits down across from him. He’s eating empanadas from the food truck outside and writing something down into a A5 notepad. His handwriting is neat and concise.

“You have questions.” He says in that gruff voice of his, closing the note pad and setting his pen down on top of it.

“Yea, a ton of them.” Taza responds, his arms crossed over this chest.

“You can ask me over a beer tonight.” Ben says as he finishes up his lunch. “I’ve got back-to-back sessions, starting in the next five minutes.”

This is how it starts, the thing between the two of them.

After the community centre has closed Taza finds himself standing in the garden that Lila helped create. There’s fairy lights entwined in the wooden struts that jut out of the ground, casting a warm glow across the space. In his hand, he holds a beer from the local brewery. It’s the one with the citrus tang, his favourite.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Ben says as he stands next to him. “You don’t get to see stars like this in the city.”

“I heard you were a city boy.” Taza returns, tilting his head so he can study the profile of Ben’s face.

He’s a handsome man. A full head of salt and pepper hair that Taza wants to run his fingers through, it matches the beard that lines his jaw. His shoulders are board, muscular like a boxer’s. Taza wonders if that’s what Ben does in his spare time.

It’s been twenty-five years since he’s felt this way about another man. He’s had fleeting attractions in the past, but this is different. It transcends physicality, he wants to know this man intimately. His thoughts, his feelings, his hopes, his dreams. He wants everything.

“I was.” Ben responds to Taza’s question before he gestures to the memorial bench underneath the fairy lights. One of the kids had taken his own life last year, Carmen had wanted to make sure he was remembered, and the bench was how she honoured him. Taza sits down alongside Ben, their knees bumping against each other lightly. “Small town living sits me better these days.”

“Why here?” Taza asks, gesturing at the landscape. “Santo Padres a big step down from the kinda cash you must have been pulling in the big city.”

“Not everything is about money.” Ben says quietly, his thumb scratching away the label of his beer bottle.

“You didn’t answer my question.” Taza points out as he watches the paper peel.

“No I didn’t.” Ben says as he reviews the skyline.

Silence falls between the two men. It’s a mild night, it’s light and balmy. The scent of Ben’s aftershave floats along the breeze, something earthy with a mandarin overtone. It’s intoxicating, rich and deep, Taza wants to spend the rest of the night breathing it in. He’s tired of being alone, of hiding the truth about who he really is.

“My partner died.” Ben says finally into the space between them. “I couldn’t stand living there without him, so I left.”

“I’m sorry.” Taza says softly.

He means it. He knows what it’s like to lose a piece of yourself. He thought he would spend the rest of his life with David and then El Palo murdered him.

“You didn’t kill him.” Ben says taking a sip of his beer.

“Someone else did?” Taza questions.

Ben runs a hand through his hair, a loose wave falls across his forehead and it takes everything in Taza not to reach out and brush it away.

“Yea.” Ben says as he stares straight ahead. “Someone did.”

“I lost a friend the same way back in 95.” Taza finds himself telling Ben. “It destroyed me.”

There must be something in the tone of his voice, he doesn’t realise he’s betrayed himself until Ben asks.

“Just a friend?”

It’s the first time he’s talked about David, he hasn’t breathed the other man’s name in over twenty years. It still hurts to think about him even after all this time, but there’s a catharsis in it because sitting here with Ben…

He knows the other man gets it. He might be the only other person in the world who does.

“I loved him.” Taza confesses into the darkness. “And he loved me.”

“Your club doesn’t know do they?” Ben says, taking a swig of his beer.

 Taza shakes his head.

“I’d appreciate it if it stays that way.”

“I’m not in the business of outing people.” Ben tells him as he leans back against the wood, his arm coming to rest along frame. “That’s not what I’m about.”

“This is probably the most honest I’ve been with anyone in twenty-five years.” Taza says quietly, rolling the beer bottle between his palms.

“That’s a long time to hold a secret.” Ben says as he tips his head towards Taza. “Let me ask you something, does it still need to be a secret?”

“I don’t know anymore.” Taza says as he studies the label of his beer bottle. “Five years ago, I would have said yes but now… Things are changing, we’re more involved in the community, in programmes like yours, I don’t know if it matters anymore.”

“Give it some thought.” Ben says as he raises to his feet, his hand lightly clasping Taza’s shoulder. “You might find it’s time to step into the light.”

Love Taza? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

Interested in supporting me? Join my Patreon for Bonus Content!

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

Neither Midoriya knew how far reaching the incident would be. A week after their meal, the counsellor, a Dr. Yamanaka, was arrested for malpractice and purposeful spread of misinformation along with failure to report. Neither of them knew that they saved two people that day. A young boy with a gas Quirk whose parents sent him to Dr. Yamanaka, hating him and wanting him to suppress his Quirk. He would be removed from their custody and sent to live with a distant relative on the other side of Japan. He would never become a villain, nor use the name Mustard.

The other was a trans woman who was part of an LGBTQ+ group run by the counsellor, or whom at least tried to go. But her lack of traditional femininity coupled with a disinterest in transitioning medically caused an upset with his ideals. She would have suffered from her own bitterness, falling deep into a pit of despair as she grew distrusting of society. With the man’s arrest though, the woman gained hope that perhaps it was a one off, deciding to try again.

“Oh, hey,” a man said when she went to the group. “You’re new, aren’t you?” he offered his hand. “Chatora Yawara, he/him.”

“Magne,” the woman said, shaking his hand back. “She/her, no interest in medically transitioning.”

“Ah, yeah- Charm, the guy back in the corner, is like that to.” Chatora said. “I transitioned fully, and let me tell you I get so many damn comments about it…” he muttered as he shook his head. Magne blinked.

“Oh!” she said upon recognizing him. “You’re Tiger. I used the article about you as a dart board.”

“Best way to deal with that.” Chatora snorted. “Come on, Charm probably has the most information about non-medical transitions if you want that. Or there’s…” he continued his explanation, leading Magne into the group.

Neither Midoriya knew what the impact of one thing could be.

[freedom-barricades-bighero16]

Chronicle of Abuse v2

Hey guys... I need help.

I've been thinking about what kind of a person my sister really is, whether all this is just sibling rivalry or she's actually been abusing me for years. I've talked to many counsellors, support staff and my therapists but they don't seem to have an answer. Maybe you'll know the better terminology to describe her behaviour and I'll let you be the judge.

When we were toddlers

Has hit me before.

Has sent me a threatening note. She even explained what it meant to me: She is allowed to hit me (repeated three times) and she is allowed to scream at me.

She abandons me whenever her friends / my older cousin comes along.

Always made me play the bad guy in our games, or in my drawings.

When we were children

Again with the threats. She threatened to tattle to our mum by using a "special device" to send her notes, and I was petrified because she would scream at me instead of disciplining me properly.

Slammed me against a wall once during a fight. I cried and my parents asked her what did she do, and she said that she did nothing.

When she first went to middle school, her own bullies got worse so she kind of took it out on me (can't really blame her for that)

Started creating some really weird stories. When I expressed that I'm uncomfortable with them, she gets angry and I have to pretend that I liked them.

Jumped out into the road many times just to avoid a dog, and throws a tantrum every time she sees one (which is a lot). You have no idea how much her dog phobia traumatized me

Sometimes says I'm not allowed to do certain things while doing the same things herself.

Told me many times that our parents are spoiling me and that I'm an entitled little brat, and she would get very upset if Mum and Dad finally agreed to get me something but she didn't have the same exact thing. In fact, now when I get something for myself, I'm kind of still dreading her throwing a fit.

After Mum almost divorced Dad over not having a cake for her birthday, my sister threatened that she would throw a tantrum like Mum did if she doesn't have a cake for her birthday. (She told me this when we're alone, I think. I forgot if Dad was present too)

My Dad has told her to not scream at me many times, but she never listened to him.

When we were teens

If I told my parents that I'm disagreeing with what my sister said (I often had to whisper), she would get really close to my face and GROWL.

We went to the same primary school and were both bullied by our classmates. When I cry, my sister tends to just tell me to shut up.

She got into Harry Potter and Game of Thrones for a bit, continuing on the weird stories. She would also read out the books in an accent that sounds more like English (which personally, I found very pretentious). I couldn't leave or she'll yell at me.

She tried to pressure me into dating boys when I came out as bi, and was very dismissive and asked me if I'm making everything related to LGBTQ+ when I came out to her as gay, and tried to adopt a more butch look.

Technically this doesn't count as affecting me, but there was a time where my sister wanted a manga but my Dad said no, so she threw another tantrum until he finally bought it for her.

She literally said "You're not allowed to treat me like this" when I'm unhappy with her. It happened a few times I think.

Demanding me to take a post down on my social media if it had swear words.

She would scream at Smokey like she did with me whenever he bit her (basically, being a typical baby kitten). I told her to not do that, her response was "What else can I do apart from screaming?"

When we are adults / Present day/ Ongoing

The transphobia. She once told me that she has heard of trans people saying that what Rowling said isn't transphobic, but now I'm pretty sure she was lying to me.

Constant, overt anti-Chinese racism. This happened after I told her her rants about dogs in the family chat are making me very uncomfortable.

Just being dismissive to literally anything that has to do with me, even when I'm trying to warn her about a cryptocurrency scam that I almost fell victim to.

So, there you have it. That's as much as I can think of right now.

I've heard from some friends that my sister might be a narcissist, while my parents often told me she has a lack of awareness of things/inertia and that she's very blunt in general. It almost felt like they're letting her get away with the stuff she did.

I've been trying to find support for dealing with a possibly abusive sibling, but I don't seem to find anything. I need your help. Please. I don't know what to do.

[jade-the-kobold]

Hey Friends!

Next week I'll be starting Final Fantasy V, 4 Job Fiesta. A challenge run of FF5. All ad revenue and donations during that time period will be given to The Trevor Project, with an additional percentage thrown in by me.

The Trevor Project is a charity that provides 24/7 crisis support services to LGBTQ young people. Text, chat, or call them anytime to reach a trained counsellor.

Final Fantasy V famously includes one of the first playable transgender characters in gaming history. Though it is not a perfect representation, it is extremely interesting and I hope you'll join me for the journey~

http://youtube.com/@JadeTheKobold

[strawberryfaced]

5th grade blonde girl who was my friend who I always misunderstood. you remembered my birthday this year and you don’t know I still think of you on trains. i hope you don’t have to see the counsellor anymore in the middle of classes and i hope you are happy. thank you for sitting on the swing with me and doing the LGBTQ speech with me and my sister even when you knew your parents wouldn’t like it. i remember you.

[fightingfitstudio-blog]

Mobile Hypnotherapist & Counsellor

London, UK only Working from my lovely VW t6 Camper van, which I use as my mobile office, allows me to visit you at your own home and bring my office to you. For more information call Michelle on +44 7805612127 or email michellecrawford123@mail.com Nature helps all forms of healing

[coochiequeens]

Pregnant and breastfeeding women have everything they eat and drink scrutinized yet the Australian Breastfeeding Association is ok with a man feeding a baby “milk” tainted with chemicals. 🤔 What’s the difference, could it be that ….. “On May 12, Standing for Women Queensland posted a Twitter thread on the Australian Breastfeeding Association having received $20,000 from an LGBTQ lobby group to create an educational booklet about “chest feeding.” 

Reduxx has learned that two women in Australian have received notices from Twitter informing them they have broken Australian law after tweeting about a trans-identified male who has been breastfeeding a child.

Jasmine Sussex and Standing For Women Queensland (SFWQ) were both contacted by Twitter on May 16, with the platform informing the two accounts that specific content they had posted would be censored to Australian users in order to comply with Australian law.

Twitter sent two emails to each user, the first explaining that the platform had received “official correspondence” from a “government entity or law enforcement agency” which had claimed that their content had violated Australian law. A second email was sent shortly after to each user advising them that the content was going to be withheld in Australia.

Sussex had one tweet withheld, while SFWQ had five tweets censored in total. All of the content referred to an Australian trans-identified male who sparked backlash last year after publicly declaring he had induced lactation and was breastfeeding his own biological son.

Speaking to Reduxx, Sussex explained that she was horrified when she first received the notice from Twitter. 

“I was appalled that it was claimed to be in violation of Australian law to criticize what I and most Australians consider to be a cruel and medically dangerous experiment on newborn babies,” Sussex said.   

Sussex is a veteran advocate for breastfeeding mothers, and found herself fired as a volunteer breastfeeding counselor in 2021 after pushing back against the adoption of “gender neutral” language in breastfeeding care.

The following year, Sussex was removed from the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) after 18 years of membership.

“I was sacked for. … ‘Engaging in Sectarian Controversy’ in breach of the ABA constitution,” she explains. “In other words, continuing to talk about the dangers of gender identity ideology for mothers and babies, including how men were forcing their way into the breastfeeding relationship by attempting to induce lactation.”

But it was while she was still a member of the ABA that Sussex first came across Jennifer Buckley, a trans-identified male who had begun to participate in motherhood discussions on the ABA’s Facebook page.

Buckley, who began transitioning in 2017, first induced lactation in 2019 in en effort to breastfeed his biological son after his wife gave birth. The 41-year-old paramedic said he had wanted to “experience what it was like to be a mum and breastfeed.”

But Sussex was disturbed by his decision, and had witnessed him participating in motherhood discussions on the ABA Facebook. 

“Buckley [had been] boasting about making ‘colostrum’ for his newborn son as a transgender ‘mother.’ I didn’t respond to him directly … but I did raise with the ABA that ABA Counsellors are entitled to a safe workplace and that what appeared to be a man identifying as a woman was on the page boasting about making colostrum. Only the birth mother makes colostrum,” Sussex explains, noting that she was swiftly penalized for raising her concerns about him.

“I was blocked from the [Facebook] page and sent an email that afternoon saying it was a breach of our code of conduct/ethics for me to even raise this as a workplace health and safety issue with the ABA.”

Sussex says that she received an email from the ABA’s National Training Manager the next day removing her from her service on the National Government Funded Breastfeeding Helpline. 

In May of last year, Sussex attempted to appeal to the ABA’s board on why she shouldn’t be expelled, directly referencing her concerns with Buckley. 

“I raised my concerns as [I felt it was a dangerous medical experiment on humans, and due to safeguarding issues for counsellors and breastfeeding mums and babies. I also said that supporting fathers to breastfeed to affirm their gender identities is antithetical to the work of the ABA in supporting its first and only priority as per the code of ethics and constitution – the breastfeeding mother and baby partnership.”

Sussex’s attempt to convince the board to reinstate her membership has so far been unsuccessful. But since then, Sussex has had multiple interactions with Buckley through social media.

On May 12, Standing for Women Queensland posted a Twitter thread on the Australian Breastfeeding Association having received $20,000 from an LGBTQ lobby group to create an educational booklet about “chest feeding.” 

The organization wrote: “Profit before ethics & safeguards for babies and mothers. Babies are being used as props for male perversion.”

To emphasize their point, Standing For Women Queensland posted a screenshot from a May 2022 Daily Mail article profiling Buckley’s decision to induce lactation and breastfeed his son. The article was fully redacted by the Daily Mail in late 2022 after Buckley complained about his representation in the piece, but archived versions of the report still exist.

In response to the tweet by SFWQ, Sussex responded with a link to another article featuring more information on Buckley, writing: “This is Buckley’s delusional queer theory take on his experience ‘breastfeeding.’ Silver lining of this awful start to life for baby Auden is that he was almost exclusively formula fed thanks to his mum.”

Days later, both SFWQ and Sussex received notices from Twitter informing them that an official entity was claiming that they had violated Australian law for the tweets, and that the content would be restricted in Australia. 

SFWQ also had five additional tweets from May 5 censored, all of which featured screenshots from the now-deleted Daily Mail article on Buckley.

While the notices sent by Twitter did not specify which government or law enforcement agency had demanded the censorship, Sussex says she “strongly suspects” it was the office of the eSafety Commissioner.

The Commissioner is an arm of the Australian government dedicated to combatting “cyber abuse,” but has recently come under widespread criticism for using its power to censor media outlets, websites, and individuals at the behest of trans activists. 

Earlier this month, Reduxx was contacted by the eSafety Commissioner and advised to censor or delete an article naming trans activist Riley Dennis as having been the subject of complaint after allegedly injuring female players during a women’s football game. After the article was released, the eSafety Commissioner contacted Twitter and advised them to withhold the content in compliance with Australian law.

Ovarit, a pro-woman Reddit alternative, as well as an individual gender ideology critical activist, were also contacted by the eSafety Commissioner at that time.

Sussex has submitted a Freedom of Information request to the eSafety Commissioner to concretely determine if they were the “government or law enforcement agency” behind the censorship, but does not anticipate a response for weeks, if not months.

Reduxx also reached out to the eSafety Commissioner with questions on the Twitter action against Sussex and Standing for Women Queensland, but was told the office would not comment on individual cases.

Leah Whiston, a member of Standing for Women Queensland who operates their official Twitter account, admits she was “taken aback” when she received the notice advising her that her posts on Buckley had violated Australian law.

“I see that women are silenced all the time now for speaking out about the wrongs of child abuse. Child abuse seems to have been totally normalized these days,” Whiston says. 

Unlike Sussex, Whiston had only become aware of Buckley months ago after a friend first informed her about his story in the Daily Mail. More recently, Sussex connected with Whiston on the subject and shared more information.

“I’ve been horrified ever since. Mainly worrying about safety of his wife and child,” Whiston explains, noting that she has never personally interacted with Buckley. 

“Being a new mother myself, I understand the importance of the breastfeeding bond between mother and baby in a way I didn’t before I embarked on it myself … I’m still in disbelief about what’s occurred with Buckley and his baby and how this has been allowed to happen,” Whiston says.

“I’m pregnant again, and it has made me lose faith in the institutions that I will likely use again, especially the Australian Breastfeeding Association. It makes me wonder how on earth I can trust the people who are meant to provide ethical care and safeguards to mothers and babies, if they advocate for men to use babies as props for men’s sexual fetishes, and silence the women who speak out about how wrong this all is.”

Sussex shares the sentiment, adding from her expertise as a breastfeeding counselor that men attempting to breastfeed babies is “biologically and psychologically dangerous” for all involved.

“Men who covet female physiology in this way are, in my opinion, either suffering from a serious delusion or sexually motivated by the idea of themselves as lactating women,” Sussex says. “There is no evidence that drug-induced secretions from a male nipple are in any way equivalent to mother’s milk. It is more likely the secretions are akin to galactorea, which occurs when 

See rest of article

[whisperedsecrets2]

im trans and my parents acted really queerphobic before. recently my guidance counsellor told my mum about my depressive thoughts especially around my dysphoria. since then she has been trying to do better— she started calling me by my chosen name and pronouns etc and im grateful for that. but for some reason i feel emptier than before, im just a lot more on edge. maybe it’s because my guidance counsellor told her about it on my birthday and my birthday was generally half done bcs my dad wasn’t there to help with it, but still i feel weirdly more depressed. i dont know why i do, i got what i wanted. everything just feels off. i just cant relax. maybe im just real bad at coping with huge change

Hi anon! Full disclosure before we start, I am not a part of the LGBTQ community so I’m not sure how much I’ll be of help here. That being said, pulling from my own experiences, sometimes we all think we know what we want…till we get it and find out that it’s not actually what we want. I think the most important thing in any relationship, whether it be with family, friends, romantic partners, etc. is that you know yourself. Maybe you’re still figuring that out and that’s okay. Maybe you don’t quite know exactly what you want yet. Or maybe you’re not ready for that type of a change yet.

As i said, my perspective is probably not the clearest here, but I hope maybe I’ve helped. Keep your head up, and remember there’s better days ahead.

Also, Happy Birthday!!

[evolveonline]

How Counselling Can Facilitate Social Transitioning

Introduction

Social transitioning is a journey of self-discovery and authenticity, particularly for individuals seeking to align their gender identity with their outward presentation. This process can be both empowering and challenging, as it involves navigating various social spheres while confronting internal struggles and external expectations. One invaluable tool that can significantly aid in this transformative journey is counselling. In this blog, we'll delve into how counselling can provide essential support, guidance, and empowerment for those embarking on the path of social transitioning.

Understanding Social Transitioning

Social transitioning involves changing various aspects of one's outward appearance, presentation, and social interactions to reflect their true gender identity. This may include adopting a new name and pronouns, modifying clothing choices, grooming habits, and adjusting behaviors to align with one's authentic self. This process, while liberating, can also be fraught with anxiety, self-doubt, and societal pressures. This is where counselling steps in as a valuable resource.

The Role of Counseling

Emotional Support: Embarking on a social transitioning journey can be emotionally overwhelming. Feelings of isolation, fear, and uncertainty are common. A trained counsellor can provide a safe space for individuals to express these emotions without judgment. They can help validate feelings and provide strategies to cope with emotional challenges.

Identity Exploration: Counselling offers a platform to explore and define one's authentic gender identity. Counsellors can facilitate open conversations that allow individuals to better understand themselves, their desires, and their aspirations. This process of self-discovery can be transformative and contribute to a more confident social transition.

Coping Strategies: Navigating societal expectations and potential backlash can be daunting. Counsellors can equip individuals with coping mechanisms to deal with discrimination, negative reactions, and self-doubt. Developing resilience and self-confidence is crucial for successfully navigating these challenges.

Communication Skills: Effective communication is key during social transitioning. Counsellors can help individuals navigate conversations with family, friends, colleagues, and others. They can provide guidance on how to explain the process, educate others about gender diversity, and handle questions sensitively.

Building a Support Network: A strong support network is essential during social transitioning. Counsellors can assist in identifying and strengthening relationships with supportive friends, family members, and allies. They can also help individuals connect with local LGBTQ+ communities, support groups, and resources.

Managing Anxiety and Depression: The pressures of social transitioning can contribute to anxiety and depression. A counsellor can provide tools to manage these mental health challenges, helping individuals prioritize self-care and emotional well-being.

Goal Setting: Setting goals during the transition process can provide a sense of direction and purpose. Counsellors can help individuals set achievable short-term and long-term goals related to their transition, personal growth, and overall well-being.

Conclusion

Social transitioning is a courageous and transformative journey that requires both internal and external support. Counselling plays a pivotal role in facilitating this process by offering emotional guidance, identity exploration, coping strategies, communication skills, building a support network, managing mental health, and setting goals. The journey of social transitioning is unique for each individual, and a skilled counsellor can tailor their support to meet specific needs.

It's important to remember that seeking counselling is a sign of strength, not weakness. Embracing change and authenticity takes courage, and counselling can provide the tools needed to navigate the challenges and celebrate the victories along the way. By embracing the guidance of a counsellor, individuals embarking on a social transitioning journey can find empowerment, self-acceptance, and the ability to thrive authentically in a world that is gradually becoming more inclusive and understanding.