Discovering Identity House And LGBTQ Counseling NY

By James Jones


There are Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered health centers and there are community centers. When it comes to LGBTQ Counseling NY, there are independent counselors, psychologists and psychiatrists and there is Identity House. Identity House is a community center which offers LGBTQ individuals peer counseling on an appointment and walk-in basis. Although, if an individual is having thoughts of suicide, it is often advised that one call 911 and go to an emergency room and seek assistance.

While the community has come a long with regards to obtaining rights, recent trends to remove those rights have many on edge. For example, the recent change in allowing transgendered individuals in the military has rebirthed a new form of discrimination. As such, there are now more people in need of counseling services than ever before.

One place of safety which offers these services is that of Identity House. Identity house offers appointments or sees walk-ins on multiple nights. With most sessions lasting two to four hours, individuals are provided with peer-to-peer counseling by others in the community.As the organization is run by an in-house staff along with a number of volunteers, many of the volunteers also see counselors at the center. As a result, many of these individuals have a greater understanding when it comes to the needs of community members.

While the center offers walk-in and appointment based counseling, there are also support groups which some individuals find beneficial. Whether related to community news, or a discussion group, these groups can often help individuals find answers to a number of questions. In other cases, it can just be beneficial to contribute and participate in a group with others of like mind and interests.

After which, counselors can assist individuals in becoming more clear with regards to a variety of thoughts and feelings. In doing so, it becomes easier to understand the type of assistance the individual may need on an ongoing basis. Whether that assistance be in the way of referrals, support groups or short-term counseling at the center.

As volunteers often track issues related to the LGBTQ community in the news, the center tends to offer support groups related to gender, orientation and health issues throughout the course of the year. In addition, there are often themed groups related to specific issues related to various groups under the LGBTQ umbrella.

The Identity House Coming Out support group is often one of the most popular and ongoing groups. For, there are always people discovering personal gender identities and sexual orientation or coming out of the closet. As such, this particular support group is often one that is held on a regular basis. There are other groups which assist those going through the sex change process and others with issues related to aging, overall health and well being.

While support groups meet on a regular basis, there area also events and workshops held throughout the year. While most of the workshops are based on lifestyle, there are others which relate to Aids awareness, research and other medical issues which effect the community.




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