Do you feel alone or as if you are you living a double life because of your gender expression or sexual identity?

Have you experienced rejection or discrimination by your family, friends, neighbors, school, co-workers, religious or secular institutions?

Has being a part of the LGBTQ+ community elicited stress, anxiety, depression, anger, and/or substance abuse?

Do you and your spouse/partner need support as a couple from an LGBTQ+ affirming & knowledgeable therapist?

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It can be incredibly stressful and exhausting to censor your authentic self due to threats or repercussions you have experienced or having the fear of potential consequences for expressing your true gender and/or sexual identity. Even if you have found or created a supportive community of other LGBTQ+ families, friends, and coworkers, there are still people, places, and institutions that do not yet welcome all LGBTQ+ individuals.

Institutionalized homophobia and discrimination against LGBTQ+ folks is real, painful, unfair, and limiting. While some marginalized populations can find unconditional love, belonging, and solace with their family, friends and neighbors who also have similar identities, and spiritual communities, this is not always the case with individuals who identify as LGBTQ+.

Many LGBTQ+ individuals & couples struggle personally and relationally at times.

Do you have relationships with your family of origin or significant others (friends or co-workers) that you want to mend because of past hurtful words they said, supportive words they didn’t say, or even unintentional discriminatory messages they expressed? As one of my clients (with permission) shared, “There’s a reason Pride Fest is on Father’s Day”. 

Perhaps you are part of an LGBTQ+ couple and experiencing difficult dynamics, which may be attributed to the challenges that all couples face at different points in their relationship. (Ex. conflicts regarding sex, mess, kids, work, and money affect everyone.) However, LGBTQ+ couples also may face internalized homophobia and holding inside the pain of discrimination or microaggressions, which can take its toll in the form of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse or other addictions, and even anger or violence toward one another.

Are you seeking emotional support and guidance as you navigate the process of gender transition? You might also be looking for a qualified therapist to write your WPATH-SOC letter in order to start hormone replacement therapy or undergo gender affirmation surgery?

LGBTQ+ counseling can help you heal, live an authentic, joyful, and successful life, and create healthier relationships.

Whether you identify as queer, gay, lesbian, bi, curious, questioning, or trans, I can provide a safe, non-judgmental space for you to speak openly, work through past and present hurt, fine tune your relationship skills with your partner, and brainstorm your version of your ideal life. You may wish to explore and process the question, “Who am I?”. You may wish to discuss the nuanced process of coming out and weigh the benefits and the risks.

Or, you may be beyond the “coming out” process and desiring instead to work on relational goals, such as: finding your LGBTQ+ tribe of friends or an intimate partner, exploring options of having children, working through common relationship issues, overcoming the challenges of blended families, empowering your children or yourself to assertively speak up to combat homophobia and educate others about inclusion.

Even if you are at the top of your game in your career, finances, and relationships, you might still need support in the areas of mental health, substance abuse, or past trauma. It’s actually not uncommon for these issues to rise to the surface once we feel safe and supported in our lives.

I’m considering LGBTQ+ counseling, but still have questions and concerns…

“Are you a part of the LGBTQ+ Community? If not, how do you understand my unique experience and the dynamics of queer couples?” 

First, I have been an ally to the LGBTQ+ community from birth. 

I grew up with two loving uncles and their community of friends, which felt like a family. I also got to know the LGBTQ+ community through my family’s business. Here is a link to a historic newspaper article photo of my parents (yes, that’s them handcuffed to each other ;), my uncle Pat, and other bar manager, Ben. My parents and uncles opened their first gay bar in Chicago called Christopher Street located at the corner of Halsted and Cornelia.

To learn more about my unique story about growing up in “Boys Town” (in Chicago), click the link here.

I am committed to my office being a safe, nonjudgmental space for clients to talk about sex, gender, and sexuality. Because I lost an amazing community to AIDS in the ’80s and ’90s, I also strive to keep up with knowledge about safer sex practices and the prevention and treatment of HIV. For example, here is a TED Talk called, “Our treatment of HIV has advanced. Why hasn’t the stigma changed?“

Second, I believe it is my responsibility to keep abreast of current research on best practices in working with couples of all backgrounds. I find it energizing to keep up with sex positive and LGBTQ+ affirming authors and speakers.

At the beginning of my career as a K-12 teacher and therapist, I joined the organization, GLSEN (gay, lesbian, and straight education network) and began educating my colleagues on the unique needs and strengths of LGBTQ+ students and how we could make schools safer for these youth.

Third, I strive to continually remain curious, not make assumptions, and learn from each unique client, couple, and family.

What Clients Are Saying…

“Sometimes even the most accepting of people can still make you feel like the odd man out when you use pronouns they are not expecting. Talking to Lana never felt odd. Acceptance was such a natural part of our sessions that it never came to mind.” 

“I always felt I could be myself with Lana. She was supportive of my relationship [with my female partner] from the get go. I would recommend Lana to any couple. She was extremely helpful and knowledgeable and went above and beyond…”