(see links for education and support at the bottom)
I provide counseling services for the LGBTQ community in Vancouver, Washingon in a safe, non judgemental space. This is a place to come and share your life experience, your accomplishments as well as your struggles. I will help you prioritize, search your feelings, search your struggles and help you create a road map to your personal success. If you are considering coming out or have recently come out and you need someone to talk to during this transition, please come to me. I can help. If you are having troubles in your relationship(s), I can help you discover why and help you get on the path to success. I have over 20 years of experience working with people who have experienced trauma, depression, anxiety, or difficult life transitions. I will help to hook you up with resources and give you tools to be successful. I will listen and offer a warm and safe environment to explore your path and help to prioritize how you may make some changes in order to live a happier life. I will not judge here. I will be open and honest and will expect the same from you in order to do some hard work to help you on your way. I will understand that there are times you may live a secret life in order to "get by" or "pass", you have reasons for decisions you have made. I will understand. Let us work together to help you be successful in your love life, social life, work life.
Below are some links that you may find helpful and supportive.
People within the LGBTQ community struggle with all of the same issues as those who are outside the community. There are relationship issues, family issues, depression and anxiety, traumas, crisis, drug and alcohol abuse and dependence, domestic violence, sexual intimacy issues, even significant mental illness such as Schizophrenia and Bipolar. Additional struggles may be accessing services for sexual reassignment surgery, fear of interactions with others who are not accepting of their lifestyle, isolating due to fear of rejection, feeling shame for living life as their "true self".
Many in this community thrive with confidence, are successful in their business and personal lives and have found fulfilling and supportive relationships. Others, struggle with feeling a lack of acceptance from their families and friends, struggle with being able to feel comfortable in their own skin. Many have been excommunicated from their church and even their own family homes. With isolation from family and church contributing to such a lack of support, depression issues can creep in which may lead to drug and alcohol abuse or other unhealthy coping mechanisms. Sometimes even attempting suicide.
My personal goal is to be a strong support, an ally, someone to stand by your side and help you walk through your difficulties with grace and come out the other side feeling whole.
Thanks and I hope to hear from your soon. Call me at 360-524-2045.
Jennifer
"Happiness, not in another place, but this place... not for another hour, but this hour" ~Walt Whitman
Tons of Resources and Support-
http://lgbtrc.ucdavis.edu/lgbt-education/lgbtqia-glossary
http://www.pdxqcenter.org/about/
http://www.nwgenderalliance.org/
http://www.pdxgayyellowpages.com/p/
http://www.itgetsbetter.org/video/
http://www.gayvancouverwa.org/