Navigating the Complex Intersection of Sexual Orientation, Faith, and Spiritual Identity

It can be a profound and heartbreaking struggle when your spiritual core and your sexual orientation seem to be at war. Navigating this conflict often brings an overwhelming sense of disorientation and isolation as deeply held beliefs begin to shift or evolve.

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For those with a non-heterosexual orientation who are members of traditional faiths including the LDS faith—you may often find yourself in a painful place struggling to belong to your faith tradition or even the LGBTQ+ community. Perhaps your spiritual inclinations are different, your political affiliations are different, perhaps you're uniquely you and a struggling to fit what everyone else wants you to be. You may wrestle daily with questions like: "Is there something wrong with me?" "Am I loved and accepted by God?" or "Is it possible to harmonize both of these deep, fundamental parts of who I am?" in addition to many other questions.

 

The Challenge: Painful Exclusion

The core struggle is often one of deep, systemic exclusion and internal trauma. Many grow up fearing abandonment, internalizing the idea that their sexuality is "aberrant" or "an illness," or "a project," or "someone to worry over," and feeling they must pretend to be someone they are not. When you attempt to seek community, you can feel othered or even persecuted by both sides—by faith communities that exclude LGB people, and sometimes by LGBTQ+ communities wary of religious commitment. This leaves you asking, "Where do I truly belong?"

 

Our Path Forward: Healing and Integration

​As a therapist who is active in the LDS faith and also gay, I understand this intersection deeply and have found immense confidence and harmony through integration. My job is not to dictate your path, but to guide you toward what your own inner light is moving you towards.

In our work, we gently explore the wounds that have inflicted trauma and how the narratives you've internalized are holding you back. We focus on:

• Transforming Narratives: Changing the meaning of the stories that have caused you pain.

• Trusting Your Core Self: Exploring your relationship with deity and discerning what aligns with your own inner wise core self.

• Building Confidence: Learning to trust your ability to distinguish truth, cultivate a healthy relationship with your spiritual self, and embrace all parts in a wholistic cohesive way.

Together, we'll reveal a path where your spirituality and your orientation are integrated sources of strength, not conflict.

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LGB and Not Needing Help with Spirituality or Religiosity?

Absolutely! Your identity, whether you are lesbian, gay, or bisexual, is welcome here, and your therapeutic focus is entirely up to you. While our main specialty addresses the intersection of faith and orientation, your counseling doesn't have to.

We are fully equipped and committed to working with LGB clients on a wide range of mental health and relational issues. If you are struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, relationship issues, or self-worth, your therapist is ready to work with you from an informed, affirming, and non-judgmental perspective. Your safety and self-discovery are the only paths we focus on.

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