What It Means to Be an LGBTQIA-Affirming Therapist

Recently, I was asked to write a short bio for the website of my practicum site. I included the usual details: my counseling program, my clinical interests, and a bit about my background. Almost automatically, I added that I am an LGBTQIA-affirming therapist. I did not think twice about it at the time. As a gay man, affirming queer and trans identities feels like just part of who I am.

But in the days that followed, I found myself thinking about that choice. What does it really mean to be LGBTQIA-affirming, and why is it important to say it out loud? Especially in a profession built on empathy, unconditional positive regard, and cultural sensitivity, what value is there in explicitly stating that I affirm this community? For me, it means quite a lot.

An affirming therapist creates psychological safety for clients who may never have experienced it. Many queer and trans individuals enter therapy carrying deep wounds from rejection, bullying, or family conflict. Some have even been harmed by previous clinicians. To affirm is to provide a space where clients do not have to explain themselves, where their identities are not pathologized, and where they are invited to show up fully.

An affirming therapist also acknowledges the mental health disparities that exist in LGBTQIA+ communities. Higher rates of depression, anxiety, suicidality, and trauma are well-documented. These are not inherent to being LGBTQIA+, but rather the result of minority stress, societal stigma, and systemic discrimination. An affirming therapist understands this reality and responds with care, not blame.

The mental health field itself has a complicated history with LGBTQIA+ people. Homosexuality was considered a mental disorder until recently, and some of that history still lingers in outdated practices and unconscious bias. Affirming therapy is a way to repair harm and reclaim the clinical space as one of healing for all identities. It means making LGBTQIA+ people feel welcome and recognizing them as valuable, complex, and worthy of celebration.

I am also thinking about how important it is to support identity development and exploration. Many clients are in the midst of questioning, transitioning, or coming out. Others may be processing grief, shame, or even joy related to their identity. Being affirming means welcoming all of that into the room. Therapy becomes a place where clients can be curious, open, and honest about who they are and who they are becoming.

Ethical guidelines in our field already call for cultural competence and non-discrimination, but affirming care goes further. Organizations like the American Counseling Association endorse these principles. Affirming care is an active choice to advocate and to do better. It is not something we achieve once, but a lifelong practice of dialogue and growth.

Personally, calling myself an LGBTQIA-affirming therapist keeps me grounded. It reminds me why I chose this work in the first place. It helps me push back on any internalized shame I have carried and gives me purpose in creating space for others to do the same. I know firsthand how powerful it is to sit across from someone who sees you without hesitation. As a counselor-in-training, I want to offer that experience to others.

Representation matters. When clients see that their therapist respects their identity and feel they do not need to shrink, hide, or edit themselves just to be in the room, they can unlock that internal door to healing. Being affirming of who they are builds connection. It allows therapy to become what it is meant to be: a place to be fully seen.

Including that phrase in my bio might have been a small choice at the time, but it was a meaningful one. It was a promise to my clients, to my community, and to myself. And it is a commitment I intend to keep.

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I will see you next week.