July 19th, 2009
I have learned from my clients that being LGBT and in the military is not easy. Having to hide an integral part of yourself can take it’s toll. The military poses special challenges for same sex couples in which one or both of the partners is serving. For some couples, secrecy becomes important both on the job and off. And if the couple decides to live openly while off-duty, worries about being seen or “caught” can still be present.
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Tags: & Queer Concerns, bisexual, couples, gay, Kink & Sexuality, lesbian, polyamory, relationships, transgender
Posted Under | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, & Queer Concerns, Relationships, Couples, Polyamory, Kink & Sexuality | No Comments »
June 27th, 2009
Do you know about the Trans Health Conference in Philadelphia? I just attended the 8th meeting in early June and found it to be a great resource for everyone…trans folk, gender variant children, therapists, doctors, and anyone else interested in transgender concerns, lives, and health.
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Tags: gender identity, transgender, transsexual
Posted Under | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, & Queer Concerns | No Comments »
June 10th, 2009
When parting with folk, I often say something like “Be good to yourself.” I thought the meaning of this statement was self-evident. But when someone asked me what I meant, I realized that I needed to be clear.
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Tags: hope, self-love, therapy
Posted Under | Alcohol, Drugs, & Other Addictions, Depression, Anxiety & Stress, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, & Queer Concerns, Therapy & Counseling | No Comments »
May 21st, 2009
If you bring forth that which is within you,
Then that which is within you
Will be your salvation.
If you do not bring forth that
Which is within you,
Then that which is within you
Will destroy you.
~The Gnostic Gospels
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Tags: addiction, grief, hope, Therapy & Counseling, trauma
Posted Under | Alcohol, Drugs, & Other Addictions, Cancer, HIV and Other Illnesses, Depression, Anxiety & Stress, Grief & Loss, Sexual/Physical Abuse & Trauma, Therapy & Counseling | No Comments »
May 11th, 2009
Intimate Partner Violence, also known as Domestic Violence and Dating Violence, is a very secretive affair. Folks don’t talk about it, but approximately one in four couples (straight and same-sex) experience it. (Barnes, It’s Just a Quarrel’, American Bar Association Journal, February 1998, p. 25.) Most of the times, it remains a secret out of shame and embarrassment. Other times, partners might not identify the dynamics as abuse or violence. What ever the case, you don’t have to accept this kind of relationship.
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Tags: abuse
Posted Under | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, & Queer Concerns, Sexual/Physical Abuse & Trauma | No Comments »
May 1st, 2009
“In rock climbing, there is a step called a ‘commitment move.’ You’re tied to the ropes and there’s a moment you have to let go of solid ground to move to the next higher place. It’s a scary step. You must trust what you’re tied to more than what you’re standing on.” –Mary Manin Morrisey
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Tags: counseling, hope, therapy
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April 19th, 2009
So many things can happen in life that trap us is shame. Being raped or in a violent relationship, childhood sexual exploitation, having an addiction or dealing with sexuality issues, or even a mental illness are just a few of the things of which folks feel ashamed. There are many more. Most of them are not our fault. But “The Shame Trap” catches you.
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Tags: addictions, hope, sexual abuse
Posted Under | Alcohol, Drugs, & Other Addictions, Depression, Anxiety & Stress, Sexual/Physical Abuse & Trauma | No Comments »
April 1st, 2009
Being walkers with the dawn and morning,
Walkers with the sun and morning,
We are not afraid of night,
Nor days of gloom,
Nor darkness–
Being walkers with the sun and morning.
– Langston Hughes
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Tags: addictions, hope, Therapy & Counseling, trauma
Posted Under | People of Color, Therapy & Counseling | No Comments »
March 17th, 2009
Forgiveness is a tough concept. Especially if you’ve been abused, neglected or molested. It’s hard to even think about forgiveness if you’ve been mistreated by lovers, bosses, so-called friends, or even society (especially if you’re a Person of Color or LGBT). How can you forgive someone who hurt you so badly?
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Tags: addictions, hope, sexual abuse
Posted Under | Alcohol, Drugs, & Other Addictions, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, & Queer Concerns, People of Color, Sexual/Physical Abuse & Trauma, Therapy & Counseling | No Comments »
March 9th, 2009
Have you seen the documentary “Southern Comfort”? It is a beautiful, heartbreaking, yet ultimately empowering depiction of how a transgender “family-by-choice” deals with life in a marginalizing Southern culture. We watch as they navigate relationships and the world, while the patriarch of this circle of friends is dying of cancer. If you are transgender yourself, you might find this a powerful film, watching a group of people with whom you connect. If you’re simply sensitive to the lives of transsexual folk, you may find the film both illuminating and humanizing.
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Tags: transgender, transsexual
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