Gender Affirming Therapy
Do you feel misunderstood in your sexuality or gender expression?
Do you identify as LGBTQIA+ or questioning?
Are you experiencing symptoms of depression, distress, and anxiety as a result of gender dysphoria or lack of acceptance from your community?
Could you benefit from the support of an identity-affirming therapist whose role is to help you feel more confident and secure in yourself?
Whether you are newly questioning or long-rooted in your sexuality and gender expression, you’ve probably encountered stressors along the way that have compromised your mental health. For many of us living beyond heteronormativity and the gender binary, there are often considerations we have to make when engaging with our environments and the people around us—typically having to do with assessing which spaces are safe and inclusive. As a result, many of us are experiencing significantly higher rates of trauma, discrimination, and PTSD than our straight, cisgender peers.
At Mindful Mental and Behavioral Health PLLC, we recognize the value and humanity of all of our clients, acknowledging the spectrum of identities among the people we work with in therapy. Whether you’re navigating the coming out process, experimenting with your gender expression and reflecting on your sexuality, or looking for affirming community and resources, we want to create a counseling experience that makes you feel excited about—and supported in—your future.
The Systemic Oppression Of LGBTQIA+ Individuals Creates Barriers To Optimal Health And Wellbeing
In every culture, at every period in time, there have always been queer and gender nonconforming people. Looking at older civilizations, we understand that gender and sexuality exist on a spectrum—and that to confine them to strict binaries is misleading, limiting, and so often to the detriment of our collective wellbeing.
This is no more evident in the US, where the rights of queer and gender nonconforming individuals are increasingly under attack. Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation creates a ripple effect of challenges for many in the community, including stigmatization and barriers to gender affirming healthcare. These factors alone can keep people from coming out and living as their most authentic selves.
Identity affirming therapy offers a space to challenge the narrative that you’re unsafe, alone, and misunderstood in your gender and sexuality. By working with an experienced clinician who can provide you with lifelong skills for managing stress and building relationships that nurture your identity, you can begin to let go of the anxiety, distress, and dysphoria holding you back.
Culturally Competent, Gender Affirming Therapy Is Available Through Mindful Mental And Behavioral Health PLLC
Our practice provides a safe, collaborative environment where you can meaningfully process experiences and identify strengths. Through the exploration of your emotional complexities, you can chart short- and long-term goals for working towards a life where you feel empowered in your gender identity and expression.
What To Expect
We incorporate a range of gentle yet effective therapy techniques in the process of offering LGBTQIA+ affirming support, including:
- Behavioral approaches—including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)—to enhance emotional regulation, clarify goals and values, and foster self-compassion.
- Stress reduction strategies for managing emotional flooding or overwhelm.
- Therapeutic space to process decisions around coming out, transitioning, and/or navigating interpersonal dynamics towards a stronger understanding and affirmation of your identity.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to target core trauma and calm the nervous system, mitigating chronic stress and anxiety.
- Skills for challenging harmful narratives and unpacking how sexuality and gender have been socialized and/or affected by certain religious, familial, or cultural influences.
While the counseling process is individualized to the unique needs of each client, a big aspect of an affirming therapy experience is that you feel safe in your identity and relationships. As such, your therapist will work with you to refine self-advocacy techniques, practice communication skills, and establish boundaries so that you can feel supported both in and out of the treatment space. We’re here to build community alongside you to increase a sense of security in yourself and your connections.
The prospect of seeking help can be scary, but you are never alone in this process. You are worthy of feeling validated and celebrated in your identity, and gender affirming counseling can be a transformative step in your journey. With tailored, culturally aware support, you can see that—despite false narratives and systemic barriers—a supportive, empowering community awaits you.
Common Concerns About Treatment
I’m really struggling right now and I’m worried that therapy will take a long time to make a difference.
We understand that for many LGBTQIA+ folks, there can be acute symptoms stemming from continued systemic oppression and trauma. If you are in immediate need of support, contact us and we can put you in touch with helpful resources, including local groups and community support networks.
Therapy is useful for addressing both long-term issues and temporary discomfort. Taking a strengths-based, solution-focused approach to counseling, our gender affirming therapists will work with you to address immediate concerns while also building your tool kit for coping, communicating, and getting your needs met.
Though lasting change doesn’t happen overnight, with time and effort, therapy can absolutely enhance your life and wellbeing, and our hope is that you begin to see a reduction in symptoms within a few sessions.
Talking about my experiences will just make me feel worse.
While it’s common for people to feel concerned that the counseling process will bring up tough emotions and memories, treatment is designed to make you feel better—not worse. What happened to you is real, and by talking about your experiences with a therapist, you can process pain, feel supported, and empower your strengths as you move through challenges.
Therapy can feel “big” and uncomfortable at times, but the ultimate goal is to open up more space in your life. As you bring difficult experiences to light, you also illuminate insightful perspectives on the path to healing.
I am worried about feeling judged by a therapist/judged by others for needing therapy.
As supportive, culturally aware clinicians, we make it our mission to treat every person with unconditional positive regard. At Mindful Mental and Behavioral Health PLLC, you will never be judged about what you bring to the counseling space. You can also find comfort in the fact that our diverse team of therapists has treated individuals with a wide range of experiences and, in some cases, can personally identify with your identity- or mental health-related concerns.
If you’re worried about others’ perceptions of therapy, keep in mind that challenges to mental health are normal—and needing support is, too. Therapy is an entirely confidential process that has become less stigmatized over time. Many LGBTQIA+ folks benefit from therapy not because anything is “wrong” with them, but because unpacking our identity and the impacts of the gender binary is a process for all of us—and often a very transformative, liberating experience.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Practice
Sessions are conducted primarily online via telehealth. If you are interested in meeting with a provider in-person, please contact our office at (207) 316-2609 to discuss availability for in-person sessions.
- In general, we accept:
- Aetna
- Blue Cross Blue Shield (Anthem, Premera, Regence, etc.)
- CareOregon/Health Share of Oregon
- Cigna
- First Choice Health
- Kaiser Access PPO
- PacificSource
- Providence
- That said, the insurances our providers work with can vary from provider to provider. To learn what insurances a provider accepts, please visit their About page or contact our office at (207) 316-2609. In addition, we recommend that you check with your insurance company prior to initiating services to ensure we are in-network and to determine your patient responsibility for sessions. If at any time we discover we are not in-network with your insurance, you will be responsible for the full costs of all sessions (past and future).
- We do not accept Medicare.
- We do not work with EAPs.
- In addition to the accepted insurances listed above, our services are available to self-pay clients and those with out-of-network benefits.
For individuals using insurance to cover appointments, the cost of appointments is determined by each insurance’s contracted rates with our organization. Thus, the cost of appointments may be notably different than the cost of appointments for individuals who are self-pay. Furthermore, the cost of appointments may vary from session to session depending on several factors to include the length of the appointment and the complexity of the appointment. If you plan to use insurance, our office can provide a better estimate of costs once you provide your insurance information. Please contact us at (207) 316-2609 if you require further assistance.
For individuals who are self-pay:
Rates vary depending on type of service (therapy vs. medication management) and length of session. Please contact our office for additional information.
Payments are completed through our patient portal. Payments can be made using major credit/debit cards (American Express, Visa, Mastercard, etc.) as well as FSAs and HSAs.
Our policy is to collect payments before rendering services. However, we cannot always predict the cost of sessions in advance because services and length of sessions may vary from appointment to appointment. For clients using insurance, you will likely be responsible for either a co-pay or for paying the full costs of sessions until your deductible is met. Please ensure you fully understand your insurance benefits to prevent future billing concerns.
Regardless of your insurance status and payment method, we will always be as up-front with you as possible about the cost of treatment.
We have therapists with immediate availability. To schedule an intake assessment with one of our therapists, please visit our scheduling page.
To inquire about medication management services with our PMHNP, please contact our office at (207) 316-2609.
Clients must cancel or reschedule appointments at least 48 hours before their appointment. If appointments are not canceled or rescheduled with at least 48 hours’ notice, or if clients do not show to their appointment, they will be charged a late cancellation fee of $150. To ensure we treat all clients consistently and ethically and to be respectful of our providers’ time, we must enforce our late cancellation and no-show policy. Fees incurred for late cancellations and no shows are out-of-pockets expenses. They cannot be billed to insurance.
Harness Your Strengths, Empower Your Identity
Mindful Mental and Behavioral Health PLLC provides client-driven therapy to LGBTQIA+ individuals on the path to a more fulfilling, affirming sexuality and/or gender identity. Learn more about our culturally aware, gender-affirming therapists and schedule an intake here, or contact us. Online treatment is available to clients throughout Oregon and Washington.