For many gay and lesbian people, life can be filled with feelings of self-judgment, confusion, and either subtle or overt messages that part of you is wrong or bad.

Many gay and lesbian people are reacting to the bullying that happened to them as children and, as a result, shy away from intimacy, trust, and vulnerability. Others are often reacting to the very real, current day attacks on gay and lesbian individuals and couples.

Internalized homophobia, which often begins at a very young age and impacts one's way of trusting and interacting with other people, can result in low self-esteem and feelings of shame about who you are. Sometimes this results in compartmentalizing your life and living partly in the closet as a way to avoid criticism and judgments from family, friends, colleagues and even strangers. Sometimes people learn to cope with these feelings of shame and inadequacy by indulging in compulsive shame-driven behaviors such as over-indulgence in drugs, sex, work or exercise.

I help gay and lesbian clients learn to trust themselves, their partners, and others in their lives. I work with clients to bring their sexual identity into alignment with their spiritual or cultural beliefs and find more emotional intimacy and connection with other gay and lesbian people. My practice is a safe environment, without judgment, where you can fully be yourself and begin to heal from old wounds. You can begin to face the world with newly discovered inner freedom, strength and confidence.