Gentle Note: This blog touches on themes of discrimination and mental health impacts related to identity. Please take care in reading and engage only if and when it feels supportive for you.
Each June, Pride Month offers a powerful opportunity to honour and celebrate the 2SLGBTQI+ community. Flags are raised, voices are amplified, and important conversations around identity, equality, and inclusion take centre stage. But the need for visibility, safety, and mental health support doesn’t end when the rainbow banners come down.
At The Therapy Collective, we believe that affirming, inclusive care must extend well beyond a single month. Supporting the emotional and psychological wellbeing of Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and additional gender- and sexually-diverse individuals is not a seasonal act—it’s an ongoing commitment to safety, belonging, and dignity in all aspects of care.
Mental Health and the 2SLGBTQI+ Community
Members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community often face unique stressors that can have a significant impact on mental health, including:
- Discrimination and systemic oppression
- Family rejection or lack of social support
- Barriers to affirming and informed healthcare
- Trauma and identity-based violence
- Internalized shame, fear, or isolation
These experiences can contribute to higher rates of anxiety, depression, self-harm, and substance use, as well as an increased risk of suicide—especially among trans and nonbinary youth. It is essential that mental health care providers not only understand these realities but also offer care that is actively affirming, safe, and culturally aware.
Affirming Care is Not Optional
Mental health care should never require someone to educate their therapist about their identity or defend their right to exist. Affirming care is about:
- Using inclusive and correct language
- Understanding how systems of oppression impact mental health
- Supporting gender exploration and self-expression
- Validating identity as a source of strength and resilience
- Creating safer spaces where clients are met with empathy, not assumptions
Our therapists at The Therapy Collective are committed to continuous learning and unlearning, guided by the lived experiences of 2SLGBTQI+ communities. We aim to co-create spaces where healing is possible, where stories are honoured, and where mental health care feels like home—not another site of erasure or harm.
Keeping the Conversation Going
Celebrating Pride is important—but the deeper work lies in what happens after June. That includes listening, speaking up against injustice, reflecting on our biases, and ensuring that mental health care remains inclusive and accessible all year round.
If you’re a member of the 2SLGBTQI+ community looking for support—or if you’re someone striving to be a better ally—we invite you to be part of this ongoing conversation with us. Because everyone deserves to feel safe, seen, and supported.
Affirming & Inclusive Resources we love...
These organizations are dedicated to providing inclusive and supportive care tailored to the needs of the 2SLGBTQI+ community. If you need more information or assistance connecting with any of these services, feel free to reach out!