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Sometimes it can feel like life is just a façade. We adopt personalities, traits and behaviors to adapt to our social environment, our cultural norms and our family expectations. In this process of acculturation, we often learn our values, our faith, our connections, the ways of how we navigate the world - things that are intrinsic to our being, but we often also bury parts of ourselves that we never get to discover. Among these buried treasures lies sexuality and gender. As a queer therapist, having both lived and professional experience with our population, I know the immense amount of difficulties one phases when discovering that there is more to us than what it appears. The shame of having to acknowledge somethings that perhaps we knew all along. The guilt and the energy spent in having to reshape everyone's perception of us, which unfortunately is not always reciprocated with the same light of excitement. Whether you are just coming out, or starting the gender transition process, or you feel that your sexual or gender identity needs further exploration, I offer a judgement free space when we can talk about it means to be you and face together the implications of what that might bring into your life. A conundrum I always think about is how while society shapes us, it is those who manage to break through the mold who truly learn to how live wholesomely. Time after time, it has been shown that those who love and live authentically illuminate a home to those seeking the same. Queerness, in a well-nourished environment can foster abstract thinking, human empathy, amicability, understanding and self-esteem. It can be the least interesting thing about you, but it can be one of the most formative. |
