How to Find a Queer-Affirming Therapist in Washington, DC
And Why It Matters to Find One Who Sees You Whole
If you’re looking for a therapist who truly affirms your queer identity and understands the complexity of your experiences, you’re not alone. Therapy can be a transformative space for healing, growth, and reclaiming your joy—but only when you feel fully seen, heard, and safe.
What Does “Queer-Affirming” Really Mean?
Being queer-affirming is more than just using the right pronouns or checking a box on a form. It means recognizing how your identity intersects with systems of oppression like racism, ableism, and classism, and how these forces impact your mental health. It means understanding trauma that often comes from family rejection, societal stigma, and internalized messages about who you are. It means honoring your whole self—body, mind, spirit, and community.
Why Traditional Approaches Don’t Always Cut It
Many common therapy styles tend to focus primarily on controlling or changing your thoughts and behaviors. While helpful for some, this approach can feel incomplete or frustrating for those of us carrying deep wounds from attachment, family, or systemic oppression. It often leaves out the embodied experience—the way trauma, stress, and joy live in your body, not just your mind.
When therapy doesn’t account for these deeper layers, it can feel like you’re being asked to “fix” yourself without addressing the root causes of your pain. It may also overlook the ways society’s violence and injustice shape your story. Healing isn’t just about managing symptoms; it’s about reclaiming your body, your story, and your place in the world.
What I Offer as a Therapist
I blend Gestalt therapy, somatic awareness, mindfulness, and social justice perspectives to create a space where you can reconnect with your whole self. Together, we explore your body’s wisdom, your emotions beyond thoughts, and the stories you carry from family and culture. This approach helps you:
Build a deep sense of safety and trust in yourself
Process trauma that lives in your body and relationships
Navigate identity and systemic oppression with compassion
Reconnect with joy and authenticity, beyond survival mode
I’m queer, gay, and neurodivergent myself, so I know firsthand how vital it is to find a therapist who “gets it” — not just intellectually, but with empathy and experience. In Washington, DC, you deserve care that honors your identity, your history, and your resilience.
How to Find a Queer-Affirming Therapist in DC
Look for lived experience and cultural humility. Therapists who share or deeply understand queer identities and intersectional experiences often create more validating spaces.
Check queer-specific directories. Many therapists will list themselves on queer-affirming directories like these:
Ask about their approach. Do they mention working with the body, emotions, trauma, and social justice? Are they open about the limitations of purely “thought-focused” work?
Check if they are explicitly queer-affirming and neurodivergent-affirming. Many DC therapists include this on their websites or profiles. But don’t be shy—ask them directly how they affirm and support queer clients.
Notice how they talk about systemic issues. Therapists who see your struggles in the context of societal oppression and not just personal “problems” tend to offer deeper understanding and healing.
Trust your gut. The right therapist should feel like a safe place, not another pressure to “fix” yourself. You deserve to be met with warmth, curiosity, and respect.
Let’s Connect
If you’re in DC and want a queer, gay, neurodivergent, kink, poly/ENM, and BIPOC-affirming space that embraces your full story—body, mind, heart, and culture—I’m here to walk alongside you. My approach is grounded in compassion, social justice, and the belief that healing is a journey home to yourself.
Feel free to reach out for a free 15-minute consultation to see if we might be a good fit. You don’t have to navigate this alone.
Email me at Glen@GestaltGlen.com, call me at 202-922-5747, or visit GestaltGlen.com to schedule your call today.
Learn more about Queer-Affirming Therapy with Glen here.
