LGBTQIA+ affirming and celebratory therapy plays an important role in offering a supportive and understanding space for queer and trans individuals. As a queer psychologist living in North Carolina, I know that treatment toward queer folks and views on queer identity can vary widely from one region to another. As such, having access to mental health care that recognizes and celebrates who you are can make a huge difference. Therapy that reflects a client’s lived experience helps people feel seen, heard, and supported in ways that go far beyond surface-level care.
One major benefit today is the availability of telehealth. With virtual therapy sessions, people across North Carolina can access affirming care no matter where they live. For those who want in-person support, Be BOLD Psychology and Consulting now has a physical office in Durham. Be BOLD Psychology and Consulting also offers walk and talk therapy services in Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh. These access points help connect clients to care that celebrates their identity and centers their emotional well-being.
The Significance of Affirming and Celebratory Therapy
Therapy that is affirming and celebratory goes beyond “just tolerance.” It means actively recognizing and lifting up a client’s identity with care, respect, and encouragement. For queer and trans clients in North Carolina, this kind of support is especially meaningful because many have experienced environments where they felt erased, judged, or misunderstood. Affirming therapists listen without agenda, validate lived experiences, and help people embrace their full selves.
This approach to therapy is strongly grounded in trauma-informed care. For those who have experienced discrimination, rejection, oppression, microaggressions, workplace violence, or other forms of harm, therapy needs to feel safe and supportive. Trauma-informed care starts with boundaries and trust. It focuses on the client’s emotional safety, their autonomy, and the power of a compassionate alliance in the therapy space. When someone feels supported in their identity and validated in their experience, healing can truly begin.
A therapist who practices this way will openly celebrate and validate a client’s gender expression during a session, reinforcing that their therapist truly sees and values them. A trauma-informed, LGBTQIA+ celebratory therapist will also respect and encourage the needs and autonomy of the individual, understanding that what might feel affirming and helpful for one client, may not feel the same for another. Knowing each client individually, and what feels celebratory and affirming for them, is a key aspect of offering trauma-informed, LGBTQIA+ celebratory care.
Barriers Faced by LGBTQIA+ Clients in North Carolina
Accessing mental health care can be complicated for LGBTQIA+ individuals, especially in a state like North Carolina. While support is growing, many regions still lack affirming providers, and the current political landscape has increased barriers to accessing gender-affirming care more specifically. As such, clients often face a long, exhausting search to find someone they can trust and who is competent in supporting queer, trans, and gender-diverse clients. In that regard, a frequent barrier is the lack of experience or education among therapists in supporting queer and trans identities. This can lead clients to feel dismissed or invalidated, rather than supported.
In some cases, people avoid therapy before even starting because of fear. Research has shown a significant number of trans and gender diverse adults avoided necessary medical care due to costs (28%) and fear of mistreatment (24%). Likewise, a study of 92,329 trans and nonbinary adults found that 48% of respondents who visited a provider in the past year reported experiencing at least one form of negative treatment due to their transgender identity. These negative experiences included being denied healthcare, misgendering, use of harsh or abusive language, or experiencing rough or abusive treatment.
Money and insurance coverage also play a part. Not every provider is covered by insurance, and not every client can afford out-of-pocket costs. Very few insurance companies have directories that make it clear which therapists are queer-affirming. Without public directories or referral systems that focus on LGBTQIA+ care, many people give up looking for a match. A great resource to consider is inclusivetherapists.com, where you can filter by therapist speciality, identity, and insurance related considerations.
These barriers leave clients feeling like their care is out of reach. The combination of distance, cost, fear of judgment, and lack of experience among providers adds up. But affirming telehealth services are helping to change that—and Be BOLD is part of that effort.
How We Meet The Needs of LGBTQIA+ Clients
At Be BOLD Psychology and Consulting, we center the values of anti-oppressive, affirming, and celebratory therapy in every session. We support clients in a way that reflects who they are without pathologizing or minimizing their experience. One of the foundational approaches in our work is using identity-first language. This means respecting each person’s identity, and making space for the whole person in therapy. For example, recognizing the identity-first language of our Autistic clients, and recognizing their Autistic neurotype. Just as someone’s identity as a queer woman, an aromantic person, or a nonbinary person feels salient and important for them.
Our practice also embraces neuroaffirming care, a framework that honors neurodivergent identities as valid expressions of brain and human diversity. This approach avoids comparisons to so-called norms and works to affirm, not change, how someone thinks or feels.
Telehealth is central to how we offer care across North Carolina. Clients can find affirming providers from the comfort of home, without needing to drive long distances or navigate less safe environments. For those who prefer in-person therapy, our new office space in Durham provides a warm and welcoming place to connect.
From your first session forward, our goal is to support your mental health in a way that feels safe, celebratory, and grounded in your truths. Our staff is trained in trauma-informed care, meaning we meet you where you are and move at your pace, always working to reduce harm and increase well-being.
The Positive Impact of Queer-Affirming and Celebratory Therapists
Having someone who sees you in therapy can be life-changing. For LGBTQIA+ clients, queer-affirming therapists provide a space where you don’t have to explain, hide, or soften any part of yourself. This recognition builds trust. It helps reduce anxiety, shame, and sadness that might come from living in a society that too often marginalizes queer and trans experiences.
We’ve seen the ways a supportive relationship with a therapist can help clients claim more space for themselves in their daily lives. Mental health gains are not just about feeling better in session — they ripple out into daily relationships, work, and the way clients relate to themselves and the world around them.
Affirming therapists tend to create an environment that promotes reflection and resilience. They focus on open conversation, validating feedback, and support that puts the client first. Rather than forcing a therapeutic model onto someone, they invite the client’s experiences and goals to guide the process.
A strong therapeutic connection can help queer, trans, and nonbinary clients feel empowered to move through the challenges that come with systemic bias, personal trauma, or emotional overwhelm. Progress might look like less self-doubt, better coping skills, or simply being able to talk out feelings in a space that feels safe. Affirming therapy isn’t a fix, because there is nothing wrong with you. Instead, it’s a process that supports growth and reflection at a sustainable pace.
Begin LGBTQIA+ Celebratory Therapy in NC Today!
Therapy should feel like a place where every part of you is welcome. At Be BOLD, we believe in honoring the identities that shape your life. Our work is grounded in trauma-informed, neuroaffirming, and celebratory care that helps LGBTQIA+ clients find space to explore, process, and grow.
If you are looking for support that aligns with your values and actually sees you for who you are, we’re here. Whether in-person at our Durham office or virtually through telehealth across North Carolina, our therapists are proud to walk beside you.
You deserve care that celebrates you. Therapy doesn’t have to be a place where you fight to be seen—it can be a place where who you are is the starting point. Let’s help you get there together.
Be BOLD Psychology & Consulting is a queer-owned, neuroaffirming and LGBTQIA+ celebratory therapy practice serving clients across North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and select PSYPACT states.
We have immediate openings, including evening (4–9 PM) and Saturday appointments, for individuals (ages 6+), couples, families, and folks in any kind of relationship.
We also offer comprehensive neuroaffirming psychological evaluations for adults (18+) – currently scheduling same week with one of our four psychologists, including Saturday and Sunday openings!
We offer telehealth, walk-and-talk sessions, and limited in-person availability in Durham, NC.
View our clinicians and self-schedule a free 20-minute consult:
https://beboldpsychnc.com/therapists-in-north-carolina-and-virginia/
You can also schedule via:
📱 Call or text: 919-525-1873
📧 Email: info@beboldpsychnc.com
Come as you are. We’re here to celebrate and support you.
