LGBTQ+ Faith & Spirituality

We understand that for many, faith and the LGBTQ+ community are typically viewed as fundamentally incompatible. Some might even go so far as to say that you can’t be both spiritual and LGBTQ+ or gender nonbinary. At Positive Regard Therapy (PRT), we not only reject this notion, but instead embrace examining gender identity, faith, and sexual orientation, side-by-side, as a way of integrating one’s whole “self” – body, mind and spirit. For some clients, exploring one’s religious faith, or any other form of personal spirituality, can be a powerful source of making meaning within the context of therapy.

Throughout history and across cultures, LGBTQ+ individuals have not only been spiritually inclined, but respected and revered for their spiritual leadership. Throughout recorded history, Queer people have instinctually assumed the roles of caregiver, sacred clown, keeper of beauty, mediator, shaman and priest – not to mention the leading role Queer people have played in the development of Christian monasticism. However, because of transparent prejudice and centuries of religious abuse, many Queer people today have understandably rejected or lost their connection with their spiritual heritage.

The field of counseling has been slow in recognizing the need to address spiritual and religious concerns, but there is now widespread interest in the role of spirituality in both theory and treatment. An increasing number of notable professional counseling organizations are now recognizing the importance of spiritual issues in counseling practice, and spiritual and religious matters are increasingly thought of as therapeutically relevant, ethically appropriate, and potentially significant topics for the practice of counseling in secular settings.

Reconciling one’s spiritual or religious foundation with their LGBTQ+ identity can be a complicated task, but one that is worth the effort. Religion and spirituality can often be part of an LGBTQ+ client’s problem, but can also be part of the client’s solution as one’s faith and spiritual understanding can provide a strong anchor in many people's lives, with the benefits of spirituality ranging from a deeper sense of community to fostering a desire to better oneself.

Spiritual values help many people make sense out of the universe and the purpose of our lives on this earth. Like any other potential source of meaning, religious faith or spirituality seems most authentic and valuable when it enables us to become as fully human as possible. It can help us get in touch with our own powers of thinking, feeling, deciding, willing, and acting. For the LGBTQ+ community, there is an opportunity for us to do the work of self-discovery, and in the process reclaim our spiritual nature as teachers, healers, prophets, artists, visionaries, mediators, messengers, entertainers, priests, and keepers of beauty.

Faith and spirituality are not exclusive to straight, cisgender individuals. And with the growing empirical evidence that our spiritual values and behaviors can promote physical and psychological well-being, spiritually-minded LGBTQ+ clients may find that further exploring their understanding of faith and spirituality can be instrumental in promoting healing, creates a bedrock for finding meaning in one’s life and overall enhances the therapeutic process.

If you are looking to speak to someone about your journey regarding faith & spirituality in Chicago please contact us for a free 15-minute phone consultation at 773.673.9095 or use our contact form to email us.