Therapy And How It Can Help You Explore Your Sexuality
Exploring your sexuality can be empowering, exciting, and even a little bit scary. You might have new feelings. Or, you might be dealing with feelings that have been lingering for years that you haven’t been sure how to process.
Now, if you’re open to exploring your sexuality, you might wonder where to begin, or what it really means to dive into this part of yourself.
You might also be nervous about what you’ll discover, especially if you’re dealing with sexual orientation or gender identity issues. Maybe you’re concerned that you won’t have a support system or you’re not sure how to let your true identity come forward.
Whatever the case, the most important thing is to recognize that you’re not alone. Therapy can help you explore your sexuality at every turn.
Therapy Provides a Safe Space
Even in the 21st century, sexuality is still a taboo issue for some people. You might have been brought up to believe it’s something you shouldn’t talk about.
While there are some aspects of sexuality that might be better left to private conversations, therapy is meant to be a safe space for any and all topics – including sexuality. If you feel like you don’t have a safe space at home or in your circle of friends to talk about your sexuality, therapy is the place to do it.
There is no judgment or assumptions when you’re talking to a therapist. You’re free to be yourself. That, alone, can be extremely empowering. It might even give you the motivation you need to open up more within your sessions, or even to other people in your life.
Therapy Answers Questions
When you’re exploring your sexuality, not everything is black and white right away. It’s okay to have questions along the way – especially if the feelings you’re experiencing are relatively new.
Part of exploration is getting answers to those questions. More importantly, it’s about knowing that it’s okay to ask them, in the first place.
That’s especially true if you’re questioning your sexual identity. If you’ve gone your whole life thinking you’re attracted to a certain sex and now you’re developing different feelings, it can leave you with a lot of questions – not only about your sexuality, but about who you are as a person.
While a therapist isn’t there to answer those questions for you, they can guide you on your journey to discover the answers yourself in healthy, effective ways.
Therapy Provides Support
Again, it’s not always easy for people to open up when they’re exploring their sexuality. If that feels familiar to you, it could be because you don’t have the support in your life to guide you through this journey.
Or, perhaps you do have the support system now, but you’re worried that their view of you might change if you open up about your sexuality.
Therapy provides more than a safe space to open up. It lets you know that your feelings are valid. It can provide you with the support you need to feel confident in who you are and what you’re discovering.
Therapy can also provide you with some great resources. You might work one-on-one with a therapist to explore your sexuality. But, they might encourage you to attend group sessions, as well. Or, they’ll suggest different community groups that will also support you along your journey.
Exploring your sexuality doesn’t have to be taboo or something you’re ashamed of. It can be an empowering experience if you’re open to it, and you shouldn’t have to do it alone.
If you’re ready to open up and dig a little deeper into who you are, feel free to contact me for more information about LGBTQ counseling.
Learn more about LGBTQ+ Therapy.
