LGBTQ Issues, Marriage and/or Relationship Issues, Self-Esteem Issues EMDR

LGBTQ Issues, Marriage and/or Relationship Issues, Self-Esteem Issues

Counselling for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer individuals makes the transition to living true to yourself easier. While acceptance of GLBTQ people is on the rise, it can still be stressful for some. Speaking to someone about your fears and struggles can make the transition easier.


While GLBTQ people are more easily accepted than years ago, there are still some homophobic elements that discriminate against the movement and people who form part of it.

Despite the strides made in public acceptance by the GLBTQ community, they still face many issues that require psychological or counselling intervention. Depression caused by discrimination is one of the main issues that counselling addresses, as well as religious abuse, homophobic work and living conditions, self-destructive behavior, assault, and family estrangement or rejection.


HIV and AIDS issues are serious concerns faced by gay people who might be in denial and practice unsafe sex. Some people will develop anxiety about being tested, and coping with results, while others might face the trauma of caring for a loved one with AIDS.

In the past, GLBTQ counselling was not as freely available as it is today, but the demand has risen as the community realised that it offers a safe and non-judgmental environment for people to get help. Today, counselling helps thousands of people to live freely and healthily without a fear of judgment, through specific support services and counselling that helps Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer people as well as their friends and families to live harmoniously.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who works with the GLBTQ commuity you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.

Entering into a relationship means merging your life with another person, understanding his or her flaws, quirks and beliefs. With marriage rates declining and divorce statistics set at 50%, it is clear that people are increasingly challenged by marriage and relationship issues, and many lack effective ways to address them. So how can we bridge the gap to understanding our partners better and enjoying romantic bliss?

Many factors affect the interpersonal relationship between two partners who are a couple and sometimes it's hard to see the cause of conflict or friction in a relationship. While some people find divorce to be the best or only option, other people speak to counsellors and psychologists  in a bid to try salvage the relationship.

Signs that indicate a need for couples counselling include poor communication in a relationship, affairs, living past one another, inability to resolve marriage of couples' issues, and acting out negative feelings. When divorce seems like the only option, or if a couple is staying together for the kids' sake, that's a sure sign that therapy is needed.

Therapists do not necessarily  believe that all marriages can be salvaged, but counselling can often help even some of the most challenged relationships.  Through talk therapy, the couple will discover again why they fell in love and what they can do to get back to that place in their marriage. They use a range of effective, proven methods to help couples in any situation to restore intimacy and move past the hurt and wounds to a safe and comfortable place.

The concrete tools used by marriage therapists provide guidance in a supportive and encouraging setting and empower clients to restructure their thoughts and emotions. It helps the couple to work with each other, instead of on one another, helping each individual to find the person he or she is at the core level and to build a happy union.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who works with  couples you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.

A positive self-esteem is an essential tool to help someone function as a productive member of society. Our basic sense of worth determines how well we are able to deal with situations and how well we perform in the family, at school, at work and in life.

Having a healthy self-esteem means that we have a sense of self-worth, self-respect and the ability to find the good in yourself. On the contrary, a negative self image can lead to social anxiety, loneliness, self-criticism, shame and even anger. A person with low self-esteem often feels isolated.

Self-esteem issues are usually created in childhood when negative experiences and poor influences and reactions from caregivers stunt the development of a positive self esteem. Self-esteem can also be affected by abuse, or by being different. A person may be stigmatized for his or her social identity, race, social class, behaviors or appearance.

However, a person's self-esteem can also be challenged during adulthood when one experiences marital issues, financial problems, career glitches or legal challenges.

Therapy can help a person come to terms with self-esteem issues. A therapist will help identify the causes of self-esteem issues and help the individual to regain control over circumstances through goal-directed therapy.

It can help someone with low self-esteem to separate who they are from what they have, or how they look in order to overcome low self-esteem issues. Discovering one's worth is a great way to take control of situations and to learn to feel adequate.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who offers goal directed therapy to address your self-esteem issues, you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.
 

EMDR

EMDR, also known as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy uses a range of processes to address the full clinical situation. Dual stimulation is one of the key elements and the therapist will use tools such as bilateral eye movements, taps or tones.

Reprocessing involves the client momentarily attending to triggers, past memories or anticipated future events, all the while focusing on the supplied external stimulus. Normally, the client will experience memory changes, new associations and insights. EMDR has been found to be incredibly useful for processing past and present trauma that can continue to impact an individual in many ways.

There are eight phases to EMDR treatment and the therapist will devise a treatment plan during the first phase, and equip the client with the necessary coping skills in the second phase. Phases 3-6 cover the actual EMDR treatment, described above. Phase 7 is about closure, while phase eight is all about re-evaluation of the process.

If you are looking for a therapist who offers EMDR Therapy, please browse our list of practitioners below..

Note: You may narrow your search by selecting more than one filter below.

Jordan Gruenhage

M.A., RCC
    • Video on profile
    • Online booking
I’m a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Canadian Certified Counsellor who primarily works with gay men through online video counselling. As a gay man, do any of these sound familiar? I’m so... Read more

Renee Bartkiewicz

M.A., RCC
  Renee Bartkiewicz is both a Registered Clinical Counsellor and an Art Therapist. In her inclusive, creative, and collaborative practice, she sees individuals that present with a variety of  issues... Read more

Roya Vojdani

M.A., RCC
    • Blog on profile
    • Online booking
Life is a journey full of twists and turns, but you don't have to face it all alone. Depression, anxiety, trauma and other emotional struggles take away from the joys of everyday life and might leave you feeling... Read more

Sally Shamai

M.Ed., RCC
COVID-19 - Please note that  I am currently offering  both remote and in person sessions . I am interested in the processes of change and acceptance; individual, relational and social.  My desire is to... Read more

Begum Ozeke

MCP, RCC
Welcome! I support individuals and couples through a wide range of challenging issues and specialize in culturally-sensitive Trauma treatment. I have extensive training and experience working with adult survivors of... Read more

Dawna Silver

M.A., RCC
Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read my profile. If you are like many people who seek therapy, you are struggling. Maybe you are in a time of crisis in your life. Something has happened out of the blue that... Read more