HAPPY PRIDE Month: Your Authentic Self Deserves Better Coping Skills
DBT for LGBTQ+ Identity Exploration 🏳️🌈
Figuring out who you are is hard enough without your emotions feeling like they're on a permanent roller coaster. Whether you're exploring your gender identity, coming to terms with your sexuality, or just trying to exist authentically in spaces and communities that don't always get it, the emotional intensity can be devastating and overwhelming.
So how can we help you navigate pride month and the world during this time? Through DBT.
DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) isn't another way to "fix" you—it's about giving you actual skills to navigate emotional chaos while staying true to yourself.
Why DBT Works for LGBTQ+ Young Adults
DBT was created for people who feel emotions intensely. If you're navigating identity exploration, family dynamics, and societal expectations all at once, your emotional volume is probably cranked to 11 most days.
For Pride, we are going to explain the 4 core skills involved in DBT:
Distress tolerance (surviving crisis moments)
Emotion regulation (understanding what you're feeling)
Interpersonal effectiveness (navigating relationships in an authentic way)
Mindfulness (staying present instead of looping/spiraling)
Distress Tolerance: Does Everything Sometimes Feel Like Too Much!?
Here’s a scenario we see all too much: let’s pretend you were at a family dinner and someone makes a joke about your pronouns and you want to scream or just crawl into a ball and hide immediately. You might wonder how you can handle this - we have a few tips that can assist you (besides actual DBT sessions).
DBT skill: TIPP technique
Temperature: Splash cold water on your face
Intense exercise: Do wall push-ups or jumping jacks in the bathroom or a private room away from everyone
Paced breathing: Breathe out slower than you breathe in
Paired muscle relaxation: Tense and release muscle groups
These few tips literally change your body chemistry and give you space to choose your response.
Emotion Regulation: Stop Making Emotions "Evidence"
The trap many of us to come to: every feeling becomes proof about your identity. Happy in certain clothes? "This confirms I'm trans." Anxious about coming out? "Maybe I'm not really gay." It’s time to reframe your thinking to help you navigate your evolution!
DBT reframe: Emotions are data - not verdicts. Get specific instead of saying "I feel terrible", such as:
"I feel anxious about my family's reaction"
"I feel excited about expressing myself authentically"
"I feel proud of my courage to explore"
Interpersonal Effectiveness: How to Create Authentic Relationships
DEAR MAN for difficult conversations … What’s DEAR MAN? We are glad you’re still reading this and looking for tips this pride month:
Describe: I have been thinking about how we communicate about my identity"
Express: When you use my old name, I feel hurt"
Assert: I need you to use [name] and [pronouns]"
Reinforce: This would help our relationship feel closer"
Have you learned yet how to have boundaries without guilt? Our online virtual therapy is here to dive deeper and help you with this along with staying mindfulness while present.
Virtual DBT for LGBTQ+ Young Adults - Does it Work?!
What are some of the pros for the LGBTQ+ community in NJ, PA, and DE?
Privacy (no risk being seen entering therapist's office)
Access to LGBTQ+-affirming specialists across NJ, PA, DE
Flexibility around work/school schedules that aligns with your therapist schedule
Consistency whether you're home or at college
Finding the Right Therapist
When finding the right fit for you look for:
Explicitly LGBTQ+-affirming language
Actual DBT training experience
Understanding of identity exploration
This Pride Month: Choose Self-Acceptance
Identity exploration is brave work. You deserve actual tools to navigate real challenges, not just "positive vibes."
DBT skills aren't about changing who you are but instead they're about giving you emotional regulation superpowers to be authentically yourself, even when the world feels chaotic.
Ready for LGBTQ+-affirming virtual DBT therapy? Available throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware with therapists who celebrate your authentic self.
You're not too much. You're not broken. You're exactly who you're meant to be. 🏳️🌈 Happy Pride Month! 🏳️🌈