Gay Affirmative Psychotherapy

A high priority for many gay men is to find a psychologist who knows and understands your world. Therapy works best when you feel free to talk about everything. If you’ve tried therapy before and found that your therapist lacked a full appreciation of your experience, I encourage you to contact me. I’m committed to ensuring you’ll have an accepting and understanding experience so you can feel comfortable bringing your whole self into therapy.

Gay affirmative psychotherapy takes the perspective that gay and straight people are absolute equals. Growing up in a homophobic world is traumatic and invalidating in both overt and subtle ways. Taking in homophobic attitudes from family, school, and the world at large can have a negative impact on personal growth and development. The aftermath may include low self-esteem, social anxiety, depression, and difficulty with trust.

Gay affirmative psychotherapy aims at healing from the aftermath of homophobia. Our work together may help you unravel what’s often a complex mix of influences holding you back: negative relationship patterns you learned growing up, homophobic attitudes you encountered that still exert an invisible influence on your feelings about yourself, and a lack of role models for committed gay relationships in society.

Psychotherapy may help you get unstuck so you can build a more satisfying life. Depending on your preferences and needs, you and I may decide to work together briefly to get through a current challenge or longer-term to resolve long-standing difficulties and achieve lasting results.

While I have worked with bisexual men and women, lesbians, and transgendered people, the primary focus of my practice has involved working with gay men. For more on specific topics, visit my gay affirmative therapy microsite, ChelseaTherapy.com.

Getting Started

Whether you’re thinking about coming out now or have been out for a while; whether you’re single and trying to deal with ‘the scene’ or partnered and wish your relationship could be healthier, I’d like to help.

I invite you to explore this site to gain a sense of my mindset and approach. If you think that I may match your needs, feel free to contact me with any questions or to schedule an initial consultation.

Licensed Psychologist, PA & NY | 1518 Walnut St Philadelphia | 49 W 24th St New York