The Crossroads
We specialize in difficulties with LGBTQ+ experiences and challenging spiritual/religious experiences. We live in an area that is highly religious which comes with many benefits but is also accompanied with many challenges, especially for those who may not feel like they fit in.
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To many we realize that integrating beliefs, experiences, and being a member of a community that is largely religious can be challenging.
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Wherever you find yourself in this difficult balance, be that leaving your religious/spiritual beliefs and communities, choosing to more holistically integrate your experiences with religious beliefs/community, or you find yourself somewhere in between, we can help you learn how to honor all parts of your identity.
Faith-Inspired Celibate Path
Within many faith systems, single celibacy is often the path that is encouraged and many decide to adhere to this way of living. This can often create heartache, loneliness, difficulty, hopelessness, and confusion.
For many of you, your religion or spirituality is important to you and your desire to stay fully involved in your faith is just as important as other parts of your identity. We understand this and respect this brave, difficult, and often lonely decision.
Many therapists and clinics are either secularly biased and demonize religion or are more biased towards ignoring the importance of the experience of being an LGBTQ+/SSA individual. Having experienced this personally, we believe our specialist is better able to find balance and respect between both vital parts of you. We believe that a rich and fulfilling life can be achieved as you clarify your own beliefs, what you want in your life, accepting what you can’t change and vigorously and powerfully engaging with what you can change.
Mixed Orientation Path
This decision can be made for many reasons but is often a decision made to support your spiritual beliefs. This too, can be a decision fraught with many challenges as you navigate an intimate and romantic relationship with often no, or little sexual, attraction towards your companion of choice.
Perhaps you haven’t told your companion about your sexual orientation, or perhaps you are debating on how to tell loved ones about this part of yourself.
You may be unsure how to help your spouse or partner to feel your love and attraction for them. Maybe you or your companion are agonizing and wondering if a mixed-orientation relationship is right for you at all. We want to help you navigate this journey in a way that can help you feel satisfaction and peace within your own personal context.
On the Fence Path
Do I stay in my faith and live out the rest of my life celibately in accordance with the teachings of my faith? Do I try to enter a mixed orientation relationship? Do I try to start dating people I’m attracted to and enter a same-sex relationship? Does remaining in my faith tradition and dating someone I’m sexually attracted to require alterations in my own belief about my faith?
Maybe you’re on the fence about what you believe or whether staying in your religion is good for you. Perhaps you know what you need to do but there is fear around what loved ones might think or do if you were to follow through with your decision.
We've found it helpful to have someone who understands much of what you’re going through to talk to, bounce ideas off of, and to help you develop coping strategies and self-care routines.
Change in Faith Path
Perhaps you have made the difficult choice to transition into a new faith tradition or spiritual system. Maybe you have done the personal work and decided that traditional belief systems no longer align with your own beliefs and values.
Mixed emotions can accompany these experiences such as excitement for newness and growth from new decisions. Or there can be difficulty, trepidation, and unsurety of where to go next.
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How do I influence my family and friends to be supportive of my decisions? How do I mend or heal misunderstandings and wounds that I and my loved ones might feel with my new direction? How do I decide who to continue to include in my life in addition to creating new supportive relationships? What kinds of things will I keep from my old path and what things need to change?
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All of these questions and concerns can be navigated and worked through as you learn to listen to that wise inner self. Newness of life is discovered and wholeness can arise out of the ashes of the old.
