Understanding Different Types Of LGBTQ Counseling NY

By Steven Cooper


Individuals looking for guidance related to lifestyle issues often have a hard time knowing where to turn. When it comes to LGBTQ counseling NY, The Center provides a number of different Gay affirmative counseling options. Whether needing help with coming out to friends and family, dealing with health issues or recovering from an addiction, The Center offers these and other services.

Whether located at The Center or elsewhere, there are a number of therapists in New York whom provide services in this area. Whereas, there are also others involved in conversion therapy. While Gay affirmative therapies work to help individuals accept and grow as the authentic self, conversion therapists attempt to change the individual into a heterosexual and avoid same-sex attractions. As such, it is important to know the difference as well as which type of therapy is most beneficial over time.

The majority of therapists in the city are working from a positive perspective. In fact, most now use a form of psychotherapy which has been designed for use with individuals whom identify as LGBTQ. As a result, many often find self-acceptance through learning how to live a positive and vibrant authentic self whether a binary, bisexual, lesbian, gay or transgendered individual.

The difference between conversion therapy and affirmative therapies is whether an individual learns to accept and love oneself as a bisexual or homosexual or wants to learn how to live as a heterosexual. For, while conversion therapy attempts to reverse the attraction to same-sex individuals, affirmative therapies teaches individuals how to accept and celebrate the authentic self based on those desires.

One of the most important thing an individual can learn through affirmative therapies is that bisexuality nor homosexuality are related to mental illness. For, science has proven that these tendencies are related to genes rather than choice. Still, there still a number of LGBTQ+ individuals whom suffer from anxiety and depressive disorders. While this is the case, there are now studies showing that self-acceptance can often be beneficial in overcoming these and other issues such as substance abuse, alcoholism and sex addiction.

Individuals who hold religious beliefs which are judgmental towards the LGBTQ+ lifestyle often have two choices. One, find a religion which is more accepting and less judgmental or attend conversion therapy treatment. While the latter is an option, most individuals even after having gone through such therapy often revert back to the authentic self over time. As such, it is a process not to be entered into without a great deal of contemplation, meditation or prayer.

While the psychiatric field of medicine used to believe that bisexuality and homosexuality were related to mental illness, studies have now shown this not to be the case. As such, most in the field now promote affirmative rather than conversion counseling. For, it is often better to promote the authentic self and acceptance of an individual rather than teaching a person to be someone else.

Most recently, therapists have began studying more about the different aspects of LGBTQ+ individuals and lifestyles. One area in which these studies are taking place is in relation to the coming out process. For, while it can be easy to understand someone having an attraction to someone of the same sex, understanding the inner-self and the need to come out are often more difficult for therapists and clients.




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