By Chris Van Dyck, LCSW As humans, we are imperfect. We make mistakes—a lot of mistakes—and we make them frequently. Sometimes these mistakes lead to our unintentionally harming others as well as ourselves. To some extent, this is unavoidable. Despite our best intentions and most earnest efforts, we inevitably say or do things that lead […]

Did you know success can make you anxious? Did you know success can be just as hard to handle for some folx as failures? When you are successful, it can lead to a whole new set of worries and anxieties. You may be worrying if you can continue at the level that you have reached. […]

As I am flying back from WPATH advanced mental health training, I am thinking about how we each identify and the act of making assumptions. People can make a lot of assumptions about you when you are part of the LGBTQ community. For instance, most people assume I am a straight woman. As a queer […]

“We Fall In Love By Chance, We Stay In Love By Choice.” By Unknown By Gabrielle Thorpe Love. Love is an intense feeling of deep affection. I believe anyone is capable of finding love, if they are willing. To fall in love, you must be willing to get hurt, often I hear people say “I’m […]

Depression and hopelessness and sadness can hit at the most difficult times. When you are depressed, there’s often not a reason for your depression. Sometimes you can just wake up in the morning and feel a general feeling of uneasiness. Or, you can feel like you just don’t have the energy to wake yourself up, […]

By Katie Leikam, LCSW, LISW-CP, BC-TMH This week I am speaking at The Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference on Effective Communication with your Cisgender Partner.  I wanted to write a blog about some topics that I feel are important in a partnership when one partner is transgender or non-binary and beginning their transition. Family: If you […]

You’re sitting at home and have just taken a shower. You must be at tonight’s social get together in half an hour and it’s Atlanta so there’s of course traffic. You’re thinking about what you need to do to get ready, who’s going to be there and whether you should talk to that person you […]

Often time when you are feeling depressed or lonely you need positive coping skills.  Sometimes you feel like there is no hope in life. Or, like you are never going to be able to get going or have enjoyment in life.  During times like these, coping skills can help you get through the roughest times.  […]

Mindfulness is everywhere, and people are telling you to be mindful and intentional, but how do you put it into practice? The first thing to know about mindfulness is that you don’t have to sit cross legged on the floor to be mindful. Being mindful is a lot to do with your intentions and being […]

Informed Consent and HRT Letters The first thing to know about getting an HRT letter is that informed consent is possible and there are doctors’ offices that practice informed consent. Informed consent is when you give your consent to begin hormones after learning what happens to your body and the risks without having to get […]