Holding Space for Queer Resilience: Why Supporting the LGBTQ+ Community Matters Now More Than Ever
As a queer therapist practicing in Pasadena, California, I’ve had the privilege of sitting with LGBTQ+ clients through seasons of celebration and joy—and through the painful reality of living in a world that often questions their right to exist.
Right now, we are in one of those painful seasons.
Across the United States—and indeed, across the globe—we’re witnessing a dangerous rise in anti-LBGTQ+ sentiment, rhetoric, and legislation. Trans youth are being denied lifesaving healthcare. Drag performers are being criminalized. Protections for queer families and same-sex marriage are being chipped away, and the language of erasure is being repackaged as “parental rights” or “religious freedom.”
As therapists, advocates, and members of the queer community, we cannot remain silent. Our liberation has never been guaranteed. It has always been fought for, held tightly, and defended—sometimes with great cost. But the strength and creativity of our community have always been our greatest assets.
Now is the time to return to that strength. And to remember why queer-affirming therapy matters more than ever.
Therapy as a Form of Resistance
When queer people walk into my office, they are often carrying not just personal pain, but generational wounds. Shame, rejection, and trauma are woven into the fabric of so many queer lives—not because of who we are, but because of what society has projected onto us.
In this context, healing becomes an act of resistance.
To sit with a queer client and witness their truth—to affirm their identity, honor their grief, and celebrate their joy—is to push back against a culture that tells them they are less than.
Therapy, at its best, is not neutral. It is liberatory. It creates space where all parts of a person can be seen, held, and integrated—not just the ones that feel palatable to others.
In my practice in Pasadena, I often work with clients who are navigating both the personal and political aspects of queer life. Some are coming out later in life, shedding decades of internalized shame. Others are young and terrified, trying to understand who they are while watching their rights debated on national television. Some are exhausted activists, parents, or educators who are pouring everything they have into fighting for justice—and are running on empty.
They all deserve care. They all deserve rest. And they all deserve to feel safe in their own skin.
Visibility Is Not Enough—We Need Solidarity
In recent years, there’s been a cultural shift toward visibility, and that’s not nothing. Pride flags in storefronts, LGBTQ+ characters in media, queer influencers building massive followings—all of this matters.
But visibility alone won’t protect us when laws are written to erase us. Visibility won’t keep trans kids alive when their doctors are forced to abandon them. Visibility won’t prevent families from being torn apart by discriminatory policies.
What we need is solidarity.
That means showing up not just in June, but all year long. It means hiring queer providers, donating to LGBTQ+ mutual aid efforts, speaking up in your workplace, voting in every election—not just the presidential ones—and having the hard conversations with your loved ones when they don’t understand.
It also means investing in queer mental health, because the stress of living in a targeted body or identity is not theoretical. It’s physical. It’s neurological. It wears on our nervous systems. It can lead to depression, anxiety, substance use, suicidal ideation—and we cannot pretend that this is an individual issue. It’s systemic.
The Role of Queer-Affirming Therapy in Times of Crisis
Queer-affirming therapy is not just about using the right pronouns (although, yes, that matters too). It’s about understanding the layered experiences of living in a marginalized identity and building a therapeutic relationship rooted in dignity, mutual respect, and cultural humility.
In times of increased threat, therapy becomes even more essential.
For some, it’s the only place they feel truly safe.
For others, it’s the container where they begin to reconnect with their body, their voice, and their right to joy.
I work with clients in Pasadena and beyond who are not just trying to survive the news cycle or the latest wave of hate—they are trying to heal, to grow, to love, and to live fully. They want relationships that feel real. They want careers that align with their values. They want to parent with presence. They want to feel proud of who they are.
And they deserve that.
We all do.
You Are Not Alone
If you’re queer and feeling overwhelmed, numb, or afraid right now, I want to say this directly: you are not broken. You are not weak. You are responding to a world that has made it incredibly hard to feel safe and whole.
And you are not alone.
There are therapists like me—and entire communities—who see you, honor you, and will fight like hell to protect your right to thrive.
Whether you’re looking for support around coming out, navigating family dynamics, managing burnout, exploring gender identity, healing religious trauma, or simply wanting a space to process the world—we are here.
A Call to Action (For Everyone)
If you’re reading this as someone outside the queer community, ask yourself: What can I do today to make life safer for the queer people around me?
Check in on your LGBTQ+ friends and coworkers.
Speak up in the face of anti-trans jokes or bigoted policies.
Hire queer professionals.
Support queer-owned businesses and creators.
Vote.
Volunteer.
Listen.
The fight for queer liberation isn’t over. But it has always been powered by love, imagination, and community. That’s how we’ve survived before. And that’s how we will again.
Start Working With An LGBTQ Therapist in Pasadena, CA
If you’re seeking queer-affirming therapy in Pasadena or virtually across California, I’m here to help. Let’s build a space where your story, your identity, and your resilience are not only welcomed—but celebrated. You deserve a space where your identity is honored, your experiences are validated, and your healing is a priority. Start your therapy journey with Thomas Blake Therapy by following these simple steps:
Contact me for a free consultation
Meet with an affirming therapist
Start finding solidarity and support!
Other Services Offered at Thomas Blake Therapy
LGBTQ affirming therapy isn’t the only service that Thomas Blake Therapy offers. Our team is happy to offer support for your mental health with a variety of services. Other services offered include EMDR therapy to help you cope with past trauma, narrative therapy, and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy to assist patients who have struggled with treatment-resistant concerns. If any of these services resonate with you, please reach out. Our online therapy services are offered in California and New Jersey. For more about us and our services, check out our Bio page and Blog today!
