Westborough LGBTQ Counseling

LGBTQ Informed Therapy in Westborough, MA—Therapists

Without a doubt, many cultural and legal advances have been made for those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender, queer, or questioning. The United States sent two openly gay athletes to the 2018 Olympics, and Adam Rippon became the first gay man to win a medal at the winter Olympics. Recent legal victories have paved the way for marriage equality and other human rights of the LGBTQ community. While many advances have been made, without a doubt, there is room to grow. People who identify at LGBTQ still face discrimination, abuse, and marginalization just for being themselves. There is a steep price for this stigmatization, and the LGBTQ community has higher rates of depression, anxiety, and addiction than cis-gendered, straight communities.

“It takes no compromise to give people their rights…
it takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no political deal to give people freedom. It takes no survey to remove repression.” ― Harvey Milk

Emotional health requires freedom to be oneself. That means being honest about what you like and do not like. That means acknowledging your weaknesses and strengths. It also means being true to one’s sexuality and gender. For those in the LGBTQ community, there are particular challenges that others do not face. The therapists at Thriveworks Counseling in Westborough offer LGBTQ informed therapy. We understand the unique challenges that people who identify as LGBTQ face as they fight for mental health and self-acceptance.

LGBTQ Informed Counseling

Living in freedom and self-acceptance is important, but it is not easy. Other people may not be supportive. Sometimes, worst part is the internal confusion. These are difficult but normal challenges. It is important to know that the therapists at Thriveworks Westborough work hard to make a safe space for their clients. Everyone needs a place where they do not feel shame or judgment—a place where they can question, dream, remember, plan, and speak. Therapy is often that place, and in safety, often a strong sense of self and self-acceptance can grow. Those who identify as LGBTQ often need extra support in that process because they are facing particular challenges.

People in the LGBTQ community are up against an unfair and untrue stigma that is unfortunately very real. This stigma takes an emotional and psychological toll. It is the stress of living with harassment, rejection, and discrimination that others do not have to face. This toll translates into real-world impact. For example, those within the LGBTQ community …

  • Experience substance abuse at a rate of 30 percent while straight and cis-gendered populations experience substance abuse at a rate of 9 percent.
  • Report living with “minority stress.” They often experience a heightened anxiety because they face more abuse, prejudice, harassment, denial of their human rights, social exclusion, and family rejection.
  • Who are age 10-24 experience more bullying, fear, hatred, and prejudice in their homes and school as compared to their peers.
  • Are diagnosed with mental disorders like generalized anxiety disorder or major depressive disorder three times more than other populations.
  • Suicide is a leading cause of death for LGBTQ youth.

These sobering statistics are only part of the story. When members of the LGBTQ community reach out for mental health care, they also must navigate a “dual stigma.” That is, the mental health field has not always been inclusive of people who identify as LGBTQ. Before 1973, the American Psychological Association categorized homosexuality as a disorder. While it is true that they changed their position, it is also true that attitudes have lagged behind the change. Not all therapists are inclusive or informed about the unique mental health needs of those in the LGBTQ community.

Social and cultural context matters to people’s mental health and given this history, many people who identify as LGBTQ are skeptical of mental health professionals. Many within the mental health community are working with members of the LGBTQ community to earn back trust both between the two communities and between individual therapists and individual clients. More and more, people who identify as LGBTQ are receiving the mental health care they deserve.

What does it mean for counselors to give their clients LGBTQ informed care? The professionals at Thriveworks believe that the key is building trust with their clients. Everyone needs a place where they can speak their reality, process their experiences, and be heard without fear or judgment or shame. Our therapists work hard to understand the pain that abuse, discrimination, and harassment have caused. That pain needs to be honored. As the pain heals, new dreams will arise. Those dreams also need to be honored. That is the positive aspect of therapy—building a life each client wants to live.

Each client sets the pace of counseling, but often, clients who identify as LGBTQ want to talk about:

  • Dealing with discrimination and non-acceptance
  • Addiction
  • “Coming out” issues
  • Anxiety and stress
  • Family concerns
  • Dating and other relationships
  • Eating disorders
  • Gender and sexual identity
  • Healthy communication
  • Past trauma and abuse
  • Transcending gender roles
  • Depression
  • Self-esteem issues
  • Safety concerns

Appointments at Thriveworks in Westborough for LGBTQ Informed Counseling

If you are ready to meet with a therapist who will respect who you are, then the professionals at Thriveworks Counseling in Westborough are ready to meet with you. When you contact our office, you may have your first appointment within 24 hours. We offer evening and weekend sessions. We also accept many different insurance plans. Call today.

Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

People Love Our Providers!

Overall Rating: 5★★★★★ based on 39 5 1 39 reviews. See all reviews
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Donna hayes

★★★★★
Hello all, I just want to tell everyone at thriveworks in Westboro mass office and future customers that I have had the pleasure of a 5 star counselor in donna hayes. Donna helped me when I was at the lowest point in my life. A law enforcement life, with lots of issues. She has helped me immensely. God bless you donna. Hopefully I will see you in fall when I return home. Thanks for your help and sorry for quitting exit today on my last appointment. Best regards always. Brian
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

I’ve had a wonderful experience.

★★★★★
I’ve had a wonderful experience. The staff is punctual and kind.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

My therapist is very supportive and communicative.

★★★★★
Thriveworks has been wonderful so far. My therapist is very supportive and communicative. The appointment reminders are very helpful, too.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

I love my therapist

★★★★★
I love my therapist and feel better about my life knowing that I have guidance and direction in my life
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

My therapist is thoughtful

★★★★★
My therapist is thoughtful, compassionate, incisive in a good way, understands complex trauma, and is full of good humor.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Attentive, note-taking, observant

★★★★★
For a first visit, this place set a very good example for what is ahead. Attentive, note-taking, observant I am pleased with the initial visit.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Just met Greg today so far everything went well.

★★★★★
Just met Greg today so far everything went well.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Good chat with Stephanie

★★★★★
Good chat with Stephanie
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

I’m so grateful to have found this practice.

★★★★★
I’m so grateful to have found this practice. This is the first person that I felt truly confident in their ability to help me.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Stephanie was great!

★★★★★
Stephanie was great! AJ seemed very comfortable talking to her. Thank you!
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

I really enjoyed speaking to Ayala

★★★★★
I really enjoyed speaking to Ayala and I’m looking forward to future appointments.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Counseling

★★★★★
My husband and I were having great difficulties in our marriage and seeing Ayala was the last thing we were willing to try before divorce. Ayala helped save our marriage! Not only did she listen and offer support and guidance, she was not judgmental and did not take a side. Ayala was amazing and I would recommend her to any couple who is experiencing marital difficulties.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

I had my first visit with Stephanie

★★★★★
I had my first visit with Stephanie the other day and I instantly felt very comfortable with talking to her. She was so nice and was ready to accommodate for my 15 month old son in case he needed to stay during my appointment (and for future appointments) as well!
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

I had a great experience!

★★★★★
I had a great experience! I was really nervous and anxious going into it, but I felt comfortable as soon as I got there.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

I loved meeting Vivian.

★★★★★
I loved meeting Vivian. She seemed to really understand where I was coming from and what my goals are. So warm, engaging and smart. Really looking forward to working with her.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Great experience!

★★★★★
Great experience!
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Excellent, very welcoming.

★★★★★
Excellent, very welcoming. Looking forward to continuing to work with thrive works
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Vivian

★★★★★
Vivian is an exceptional therapist. Our family sessions with her have been an investment in our family's health. We get to the issues quickly and sort out what needs addressing. Vivian validates how we are feeling and helps us to process solutions. It feels like a team effort, and Vivian treats us with the type of care one receives from a family member. She combines her professional skills with a compassion that is rarely found in a therapist. We leave each session with much accomplished and strategies to help us reach our family goals. She greets each session with great enthusiasm, so even the beginning of the session feels like we will get the answers we are seeking.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Vivian

★★★★★
Since this past summer, I found myself having to deal with residual anxiety, PTSD, depression and (what I felt like, was life changing psychosis) that came after the death of my very best friend in a horrific car accident. Long story short, I thought I’d never be normal again, I was sure I’d carry the weight of my problems around with me forever. Not to mention I had all of these issues AND the undeniable pressure of trying to be a college student and working full time. I stumbled into Vivian’s office not long after I realized I was falling apart. Over the course of about six or seven weeks of visiting Vivian, my life has changed completely. I’m a healthy and happy person, planning to move to Worcester at the end of this summer. It’s hard to think that just a few months ago, I had to move home from college to be under the supervision of doctors and my parents. There are not many people in a lifetime that help you dissect the truth of who you are as a person and how you can embrace it. Vivian is an amazing woman with truth and insight beyond what I could achieve on my own. She has an awesome way of saying really intellectual concepts very simply, which helps me to think about myself in a different, more positive way. Vivian went far past just helping me develop strategies to deal with my panic and trauma; she went to the verity of what was making me feel this way. It’s impossible for me to explain the growth and strides I’ve made since going to thrive works. Vivian has made me feel proud, brave and sure of my ability to overcome anything in my life with a new understanding of myself and who I am.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Vivian Sockol

★★★★★
My family and I have been with Vivian for years now. She is an amazing person and goes above and beyond for her clients.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Greg is a Svengali (In a good way)

★★★★★
After only one year of seeing Greg I have transformed my personal and professional life. Battling substance abuse, a marriage on life support, despondent children, unable to hold down a job, financial ruin and depression was what I gave Greg to work with. Undaunted, he listened and did something I did not expect. He never asked me about my Mom or upbringing as a way to lay blame or explain my condition, instead he focused on giving me the tools and encouragement to reverse the cycle and put me on a positive path to rebuild my life. He is a master of individual and couples therapy because of his decades of experience but his approach is less clinical and more conversational. I look forward to my sessions because I always leave feeling energized and motivated to make up for lost time. Thank You Thriveworks for staffing such a high quality individual in Westborough.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Insightful

★★★★☆
Only had 2 appointments, but so far we feel Stephanie is very knowledgeable & insightful!
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Excellent therapist

★★★★★
Excellent therapist
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Great first meeting

★★★★★
Great first meeting. Greg is awesome and I'm looking forward to my next appointment.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Thoughtful and direct

★★★★★
Our counselor was thoughtful and direct...after one session I feel very motivated to work towards our goals.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Vivian is wonderful

★★★★★
Vivian has such warmth about her that you feel right at home in her office. She has no judgements but a helpful ear that has made me have what I call "dawning moments". She has helped in a way that has felt empowering to me. I always look forward to our appointments because I know I will always leave feeling as if I have accomplished something substantial. Thank you Vivian!
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Excellent experience

★★★★★
Stephanie is a great listener and is very good at getting right to the issues that matter. We've seen others previously who seem to drag out the process, and never want to get involved. Stepanie is the opposite - She is extremely skilled at zooming in on the key issue, unbelievably helpful. Highly recommended!
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Great Referral

★★★★★
I have referred several people in our organization to Greg. The feedback is consistently positive with comments like "helped me figure out the next steps I needed to take", "he walked me through a really tough time" and "very kind."
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Patient focused help

★★★★☆
I have been a client of Greg Handel for about a month and I have already put into practice many of his suggestions to help me. I have been to a few other therapists who continually ask "how does that make you feel", and Greg really guides our conversations into points that will not only benefit me moving forward, but assist me in understanding how I got into the challenges in the first place.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Review

★★★★★
Outstanding environment and very professional staff. Decor of waiting room very conducive to wholeness and well being. Very accessible location and appointment availability is prompt
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Greg is awesome

★★★★★
Amazing ..beyond words ..in only a short time he helped me realize ..that I was standing in my own way ..by letting me figure things out and advising me ..nit pushing me or making me see his viewpoint ..lime more therapist do...Everyone that dees his is very fortunate and blessed to have chosen him...thank you Greg ..you ate a true blessing .. Trish Silva
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Constructive guidance

★★★★★
Thriveworks, Westborough has been both a place of solace and a source of empowerment for me. After being urged to talk with a professional by my family, Iheduled an appointment with Greg Handel. Greg has dispelled the stereotype of what I assumed a therapist to be. Instead of being distant and abstruse, Greg has been relational and engaged, empathetic and pragmatic. The tools that Greg has provided have helped me take steps toward greater confidence and well-being. The combination of reliable competence and patient-focused support has made my experience at positive.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Should’ve done this sooner

★★★★★
Dr. Greg Handel has been fantastic. Although our journey is just beginning its as if I've known him my whole life. really makes it easy to trust and open up. Anyone going through hard times or even just looking to work on themselves should definitely check out this practice..
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Greg is excellent

★★★★★
From my first session with Greg I knew I would make progress quickly in resolving my anger and depression issues. Greg was highly skilled at getting to my root causes immediately, practical with his suggestions and compassionate. I recommend Greg and (a really nice, professional welcoming environment) to all.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Trustworthy Care

★★★★★
Over the past few years, I have referred some clients to Greg Handel. He has been exceptional in handling delicate situations and providing quality counseling services.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Review

★★★★★
I am very happy and thankful that I found Thriveworks. Greg Handel has been great in helping me overcome many obstacles. I look forward to every session.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Understanding with compassion

★★★★★
I have known Greg for a few years and he is always ready to listen and act. He understands complicated situations and handles with grace and tact (a difficult combination). He is always accessible and willing to step in and be resourceful.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

friend

★★★★☆
Greg is immediately engaging with a warm smile and uplifting personality. He has great insight about people and situations, showing genuine concern and desire to help people be the best they can be.
Thriveworks Counseling Westborough

Maybe a great place but yearly fee turned me off

★☆☆☆☆
So I was referred to Thriveworks from a different therapist who was not able to work with me. So I called Thriveworks, desperate for help, and as I talked to a support staff, who was very nice, and thought I found the right place for me. When I was informed that I’d have to pay $80-100 for the year in addition to my co-payments and insurance being billed, I was taken aback. I have the money to pay it, that is not the issue. What about others who may not? Yes I know it’s because there are “support staff” on call or whatever the fee was for, but this deterred me from following up for services, as I have never heard of any counseling office doing this and I work in the mental health field. So Thriveworks, you seem like a great office, but your yearly fee for “supports” or whatever it is for, that you may or may not utilize, doesn’t make sense.
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Thriveworks Counseling

Schedule your first appointment with a Thriveworks Counselor or Life Coach!

  • 5 E Main St Suite 3,
    Westborough, MA 01581

  • Mon-Fri:7AM-9:30PM
    Saturday:7AM-6PM
    Sunday:8AM-5PM

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