LGBTQIA Affirming Counseling in Missouri
Supportive Counseling in For Self Discovery & Self Affirmation
A Safe Space to Question, Explore and Begin Living Authentically
Has Your Child Or Teenager Expressed Confusion About Their Gender Identity Or Sexual Orientation?
Have You Questioned Your Own Sexual Orientation Or Gender Identity And Are Seeking Support On Your Journey Of Self Discovery?
Are You Wondering How To Take The Next Step Toward Living Your Life As Your Authentic Self?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you have found the right place. Aspire Counseling provides a safe and supportive environment to provide the best care for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) Mid Missouri community. We provide LGBTQIA affirming counseling services to adolescents, teenagers, college students & adults.
Our therapists want to help you live authentically. We can help you embrace your true self. Aspire counselors have training and experience working with individuals with a variety of sexual orientations and gender identities. Our office is a safe place to explore who you are as a person. You can find the confidence, peace, and happiness you have been looking for.
Are you or your loved one is looking for an LGBTQ affirming & safe mental health therapist who will encourage personal growth and self-acceptance? If so, please contact Aspire Counseling today by calling 573-328-228
LGBTQ+ Affirming Counseling
On the other hand, maybe you are already very comfortable with where you are in your journey and just looking for a therapist who will fully accept your sexuality or gender identity while they help you work on general mental health issues.
Are you a member of the LGBTQIA community looking for help with…
Overwhelming stress?
Strong emotions and mood changes?
Adjusting to a major life change?
These are things that anyone would find stressful. Even if you were straight and cis-gender, you’d still come to counseling for depression, grief, anxiety, etc. We offer the same treatment as we would for anyone suffering from these issues, but in an affirming and supportive place where you are safe to bring ALL of yourself to sessions. We want you to know that our counseling office is supportive of you as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and we know that there are ways your gender identity interacts with your mental health. For example, you may experience very real anxiety about family gatherings due to a negative experience coming out or worry about discrimination in the workplace. Our therapists will treat you as a whole person, listen to your story and help you find a way to find healing while living authentically as yourself.
Trauma Counseling for the LGBTIA Population…
We know that beginning trauma counseling can be especially difficult for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Our counseling practice prides itself on having really good trauma counselors. Our therapists use evidence-based counseling techniques that work. You don’t have to be stuck with invasive trauma memories for years. Trauma counseling can take as little as a couple of months if you’re ready to begin and working with a well-trained therapist. But we know there may be an extra layer that’s holding you back from seeking trauma treatment…
You wonder if a therapist will really understand why the stressful memory hurts so badly. It’s likely that you’ve told yourself that what you went through “wasn’t that bad” or you could have even had the thought, “That’s just what happens to minorities.” Maybe the trauma was a sexual assault and you’re ashamed to even discuss what happened. Or perhaps it was bullying that happened when you came out. Sometimes systematic discrimination alone can be so traumatizing that you develop PTSD.
Our therapists are not only trauma experts. We’re also compassionate human beings who have been through specific training on issues unique to the LGBTQ community. Several of our trauma therapists experience specifically treating individuals who identify as a sexual or gender minority for PTSD. You don’t have to stay feeling stuck, anxious, or with all of the negative self-talk that can happen after a traumatic experience. We can help with your anxiety, depression, or PTSD. Most importantly, we will treat you with the utmost respect at all times while providing trauma treatment that truly works.
Gender Affirming Letter Writing
Sometimes surgeons, insurance companies or another entity may require a mental health assessment or a letter from a mental health professional to move forward with something that affirms your identity. Many times this is not the case and we specifically know that many physicians in the Mid Missouri area specifically will write a prescription for HRT without a letter. However, if you do find yourself needing a gender affirming letter that is a specific service we offer. Our clinicians can write these letters for established clients. However, even if you’ve never seen one of our therapists before we can often write these letters with as few as one assessment sessions. Please check out our Gender Affirming Letter Writing page for more information.
LGBTQIA Affirming Counseling in Missouri
Are you looking for a therapist who can help you find internal peace and deep healing while also being affirming of your sexual orientation and/or gender identity? We can help.
Aspire Counseling is a mental health counseling center in Missouri that provides quality treatment for these and many other mental health concerns. We are affirming of those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or anywhere else on the spectrum of sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Aspire Counseling can be your safe haven as you find healing and overcome a wide range of mental health concerns. We believe in the power of counseling. To help, we provide a comfortable therapy environment and will work with you to accomplish your mental health goals.
We offer in-person counseling in both Columbia & Lee’s Summit, MO proudly serving the LGBT+ community both in the Mid Missouri & Kansas City areas of the state. We strive to make sure our counseling offices are inviting places where you feel welcome. In our Lee’s Summit office (conveniently offering counseling near Blue Springs), we have a gender-neutral bathroom. While our bathroom is shared with a professional building that has bathrooms with traditional gender signs in our Columbia building, we do encourage clients and staff to use whichever bathroom they feel most comfortable with. Our staff will support trans clients using the restroom congruent with their gender expression and want them to feel like our office building is a safe space to be themselves. Additionally, we have subtle references throughout our spaces that we hope communicate to you that every single person regardless of gender or sexual orientation is welcome and invited to fully express who they are when inside our office space.
Unable to join us in person at one of our offices? Many of our LGBT+ clients prefer online counseling. Or some see our therapists from more rural areas of the state where it would be less convenient to travel to one of our counseling offices on a regular basis. If this applies to you, we also offering LGBT+ affirming online counseling to anyone in the state of Missouri.
Are you ready to begin your journey toward mental health? If you would like an accepting therapist by your side, please reach out to Aspire Counseling today. Call 573-328-2288 to set up a free consultation. Peace, happiness, and joy are all within reach.
Other Resources for the LGBTQIA Community in Missouri
Columbia, Missouri, and the surrounding area have several resources that can provide much-needed support to members of the LGBTQ+ Community. Below are a few resources you may find helpful.
The Center Project – Http://Thecenterproject.org/
“The Center Project (TCP), a grassroots nonprofit organization, is Mid-Missouri’s only community center focused on the needs of LGBTQ individuals and communities. Designed as a safe and open space, TCP supports the under-served sexuality and gender-based groups within the region, including youth, families, and those living in rural communities.”
The LGBTQ Resource Center At Mizzou – https://lgbtq.missouri.edu
“We’re the MU LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) Resource Center and it is our goal to meet the needs of Mizzou’s campus.”
Out, Proud And Healthy – http://www.outproudandhealthy.org
“Out, Proud and Healthy is a statewide effort to raise awareness of LGBTQ health disparities in Missouri and connect people with resources and community…Our goal is to promote better health and quality of life for LGBTQ individuals by striving to eliminate health disparities through access to information, resources, and community.”
Transgender Health Network – http://www.transgenderhealthnetwork.org
The Transgender Health Network (T-Net) was created “with the intention of forming a network of health care professionals specifically focused on increasing and improving health care services to trans-identified and gender-expansive individuals in our community”.
Transgender Parent Newsletter – https://www.veredcounseling.com/Parent-Support
Vered Counseling offers a free newsletter for parents of individuals who are transgender. In addition, Kimberly offers supportive and informational sessions to parents of transgender children, teens & adults. Because this is a supportive/informative service and not mean to be emotional processing or counseling, she offers this service to parents anywhere in the country.
Begin LGBT+ Affirming Counseling in Missouri
You need a little extra support right now and want to make sure you are working with someone who fully respects you. Our therapists would love to help. Here’s how to get started:
1.
Contact Aspire Counseling
First, you’ll speak to a member of our Client Care team who will ask you a few question about who you are looking for and take the time to match you with a therapist we think will be a great fit.
2.
Meet with an Affirming Therapist
Because we know how important it is to find someone you feel comfortable with, all of our therapists offer a free 30-minute consultation where you can ask as many questions as you’d like.
3.
Begin Counseling
You & your therapist will come up with a plan forward based on your needs, you’re therapist’s experience and the counseling method’s they’re been trained in so you can start moving forward.
You deserve support & to feel fully respected.
Other Mental Health Services
Our Missouri therapists at Aspire Counseling know life is complicated. You are more than just your gender identity or sexual orientation. You are a unique person with a unique set of struggles. Our therapists are able to help with a wide range concerns. We offer mental health services at our counseling office in Columbia, our counseling office in Lee’s Summit or online therapy anywhere in Missouri. Some of our specialties include depression counseling, trauma therapy/PTSD treatment, counseling for caregiver stress, anxiety treatment, teen counseling, support during chronic illness and more! You deserve to feel supported and to find the tools to face everything life is throwing at you. When you’re ready, our therapists are here to help.