Unlocking Healing: Culturally Competent LGBTQ+ Therapy in NYC
Unlocking healing starts with a safe space. Culturally competent LGBTQ+ therapy in NYC provides the support you need to heal, grow, and thrive.
Updated 3/20/2025
Why Culturally Competent LGBTQ+ Therapy Matters
Finding the right therapist is already a challenge, but for LGBTQ+ individuals, it often comes with an additional layer of complexity: Will this therapist actually understand me? Will they recognize the nuances of my identity, my experiences, and the weight of what I carry? If you've ever felt unseen or misunderstood in therapy—or in life—you're not alone. And that’s why culturally competent LGBTQ+ therapy in NYC is so essential.
But culturally competent therapy isn’t just about having an LGBTQ+ flag on the website or using the right terminology. It’s a practice—a commitment to deep awareness, self-reflection, and an ongoing effort to hold space in ways that are truly affirming. As a White, cis-male therapist, I recognize that I hold unearned power and privilege. That means I don’t assume sameness, and I don’t assume I know your experience. What I do bring is humility, intention, and a dedication to understanding how systems of power, history, and identity shape our lives—and how I can create a space that truly supports healing.
My Own Journey to Understanding—and Unlearning
I resonate deeply with my clients who come to NYC searching for belonging, seeking to heal, or trying to shake off the weight of messages they’ve absorbed about who they should be. I remember what it was like to move here myself—navigating dating for the first time outside of the restrictive, shaming framework of Christian sexual ethics and purity culture. It was in those moments, realizing how anxious I felt simply trying to show up in relationships, that I really understood how much healing I needed. It wasn’t just about dating—it was about unwinding layers of trauma, shame, and internalized rejection.
And that’s the thing: we don’t just think our way out of these wounds—we have to heal them. That’s what I help my clients do.
Common Struggles I See in My Clients
Most of the LGBTQ+ individuals I work with come to me struggling with one (or more) of these challenges:
Anxiety and stress around dating and relationships—feeling unsure, unsafe, or unworthy of love.
Reconciliation of identity—unpacking internalized shame from family, religious backgrounds, or broader societal messages.
Navigating NYC—figuring out how to find connection, build community, and feel at home in a city that can be both freeing and overwhelming.
Healing attachment wounds—realizing that struggles in love, work, and self-worth often stem from deeper wounds with family or religious trauma.
Overcoming political and social stressors—processing the deep fatigue that comes with existing in a world where LGBTQ+ identities are still debated, legislated, and erased in some spaces.
Creating Safety: The Foundation of Deep Healing
Before we can do any real healing, we need safety. Not just the absence of judgment, but the presence of trust. This is something I prioritize from the very first session. We talk about going slow, about setting boundaries, about what to do when something feels overwhelming. I help my clients build an internal sense of safety—not just within our sessions, but in their lives—so they can take up space in the world in ways they never thought possible.
Safety also means having the ability to set limits and trust yourself in interactions. Many LGBTQ+ individuals have had relationships where they felt unseen or had to conform to someone else’s expectations. In therapy, we practice standing firmly in your experience while still fostering connections that are healthy, reciprocal, and affirming.
How Culturally Competent LGBTQ+ Therapy Can Transform Your Experience
What does healing actually look like? Sometimes, it’s subtle. It’s realizing that the voice inside your head telling you that you’re “too much” or “not enough” isn’t your voice—it’s something you inherited. Other times, it’s radical: it’s standing in your identity with pride, refusing to shrink yourself in spaces that were never meant to hold you.
Lately, I’ve been incredibly inspired by my clients who are standing firm in their identity, despite a political landscape that seeks to erase them. It’s profound to witness someone move from a place of self-rejection to a place of deep pride and solidarity with themselves. That’s the power of this work.
The Therapeutic Approaches I Use
No two clients are the same, so no two therapy journeys should be either. I integrate multiple therapeutic modalities, tailored to meet the unique needs of each person:
Internal Family Systems (IFS): Helping you explore and heal the different parts of yourself, including the parts that have absorbed shame or fear.
Psychodynamic Therapy: Looking at how past experiences shape your present, and how old patterns might be keeping you stuck.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): A highly effective trauma therapy that helps you process and heal from painful past experiences.
Mindfulness and Somatic-Based Approaches: Because healing doesn’t just happen in the mind—it happens in the body, too.
Attachment-Focused Therapy: Understanding how early relational experiences shape current emotional and relational patterns, and learning to cultivate healthier, more secure relationships.
Why Work With Me?
I’m not just another therapist who "also sees LGBTQ+ clients." My entire practice is built around helping LGBTQ+ individuals heal, grow, and thrive. I bring:
Lived experience—I know firsthand the impact of religious trauma, internalized shame, and the struggle to belong.
Clinical expertise—With years of specialized training in trauma and LGBTQ+ mental health, I combine deep knowledge with real, human connection.
An affirming, nonjudgmental space—Whether you’re unpacking faith-based trauma, struggling with relationships, or just trying to feel good enough, I’m here to help.
A holistic approach to healing—Therapy isn’t just about coping skills; it’s about fundamentally shifting the way you see yourself so you can move through life with more ease and self-trust.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Healing starts with a conversation. If you're looking for an LGBTQ+ therapist in NYC who truly gets it, let's talk. I offer a free 15-minute consultation to see if we’re a good fit. Click below to schedule a call.
If you're not quite ready to reach out but want to explore more, check out my other specialties to learn more:
You deserve a space where you feel seen, supported, and empowered. Let’s build that space together.
Ready to feel more grounded, clear, and at peace? Schedule a free 15-minute consultation with Eric Hovis, LMHC. Offering online therapy for anxiety, trauma, and identity exploration across New York and Connecticut.
