I come from a story shaped by struggle, by breaking silence and choosing a path that wasn’t always safe or accepted. I was the first woman in my generation of my family to attend university, while also breaking through other deeply rooted cultural norms, expectations, and boundaries. This meant confronting patriarchy, honour-based control, and silent forms of oppression within my own community. A decision that brought pride, but also led to painful estrangement, disownment, exclusion, and discrimination.
In addition to this, I have fled civil war, lived as a woman of colour, and lived with a chronic illness that shaped how I move through the world, every single day. I know what it is like to feel judged for simply existing and to carry the weight of being ‘different’ in spaces that do not make room for difference.
These experiences didn’t break me but they shaped me into seeing others with more compassion and empathy. That is why I care so deeply about justice, equality, human rights, especially women’s rights, and the need for inclusion and diversity. I know how important it is to feel seen, heard, and safe in your truth.
This is why I advocate and care so deeply about standing with trans people and other marginalised groups. While I am a straight, cisgender woman and not queer, I know their struggle for recognition and dignity is not separate from mine. I feel connected to the same fight—for a world that embraces difference instead of punishing it. Through this blog, I hope to stand with all those who have ever been pushed to the margins, because I strongly believe that no one should have to fight alone just to be who they are.
This month marks Pride Month, a time to celebrate the lives, identities, and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community. I believe that beyond the flags and parades, Pride is also an important opportunity to reflect on the deep and lasting impact of marginalisation on mental health.
At our core, as human beings, we are all wired for connection and belonging. For the LGBTQ+ community, being excluded, pathologised, or outcast by society has never just been a political issue. Instead, it is a deeply personal one, with long-lasting effects on psychological wellbeing.
As a mental health professional, I recognise that inclusion, safety, and visibility are not just social ideals, but instead they are fundamental to emotional wellbeing. And for many LGBTQ+ individuals, these essentials remain fragile.
Studies consistently show that LGBTQ+ individuals are more likely to experience:
- Chronic depression and anxiety
- Suicidal ideation and self-harm
- PTSD, particularly among those who have experienced hate crimes or family rejection
- Internalised shame and low self-esteem/self-worth
- Barriers to accessing safe, affirming healthcare
These mental health difficulties are often worsened by being treated as outsiders or problems to be fixed, rather than people who deserve compassion, care, and dignity. For trans and non-binary individuals, these risks are even greater intensified by public hostility, legal obstacles, and a lack of gender-affirming care.
For example, here in the UK, recent legal decisions, including Supreme Court rulings that restrict the recognition of trans identities, have decreased protections for trans people. This has sent a powerful and harmful message. When individuals feel that their identity is not legally or socially recognised, it contributes to deep psychological distress and disconnection. It has created immense fear among trans and non-binary individuals. These laws and policies aren’t abstract, but instead hit people hard exacerbating their fear, trauma, and despair. So they have real mental health consequences.
Feeling legally erased or socially stigmatised can deepen trauma and reinforce isolation. Understandably, this discourages many from seeking help or trusting services and professionals, ultimately undermining the therapeutic process.
That is why I believe it is essential to acknowledge this reality and provide spaces where all identities are affirmed and protected. With this also comes the need for trauma-informed patience and sensitivity, especially when a client struggles with trust or shows resistance in therapy.
I also believe it is important to acknowledge that many LGBTQ+ individuals navigate multiple, overlapping identities, and may face compounded marginalisation as a result. A queer person of colour, a disabled trans person, or someone from a religious background may encounter distinct and additional challenges that affect their mental health.
For many LGBTQ+ individuals, mental health difficulties don’t come from their identity, but from being made to feel like they don’t belong. Whether through bullying, family estrangement, faith-based rejection, or being denied healthcare, the message is the same: You are not welcome.
At the heart of many LGBTQ+ individuals’ mental health journeys is a common theme: The impact of being made to feel like “other.” It’s not just about what’s happening now, but the aftermath of years of trauma. For example, historically, LGBTQ+ people were excluded from family homes, misdiagnosed or subjected to conversion therapies, targeted by law enforcement, and denied access to basic rights.
These experiences are deeply wounding. When someone is consistently told, through law, media, religion, or culture, that who they are is wrong, it can lead to profound emotional pain, self-doubt, and shame.
As we know from trauma research, while trauma can have a profound impact, disrupting the brain, nervous system, and overall physiology, it doesn’t mean a person is beyond healing. The brain is adaptable. With safety, support, and the right therapeutic environment, it can be rewired. Post-traumatic growth is possible and many people not only heal, but emerge with deeper insight, strength, and resilience.
When people feel seen, accepted, and supported, it becomes a powerful protective factor for mental health. When their identity is affirmed, their relationships respected, and they are offered safe, inclusive support, their wellbeing improves significantly. This is what makes Pride so important, not just as an event, but as a message of visibility and affirmation. Being seen and feeling safe can literally save lives because this can act as a buffer against the stress of discrimination and allow people to thrive.
That is why I am committed to making my services truly inclusive. I do my best to create space for diversity, cultural sensitivity, and the lived experiences of marginalisation. I consider factors like faith, heritage, racism, ableism, poverty, gender, and sexuality through an intersectional lens. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. But when therapy is compassionate, trauma-informed, and identity-affirming, real healing and post-traumatic growth become possible.
Feeling truly seen, heard, and accepted in therapy can make a huge difference to your wellbeing. That’s why I offer safe, inclusive, trauma-informed, LGBTQ+ affirming therapy, where LGBTQ+ individuals can be fully themselves, and where all identities are welcomed and respected.
You deserve support that understands your experiences and honours who you are, support where you feel seen without judgment, heard with compassion, and affirmed in your identity.
I offer trauma-informed, evidence-based therapies, and I am strongly committed to only collaborating with professionals and organisations that are trauma-informed, inclusive, and anti-oppressive.
Although I am trained in all three levels of EMDR therapy, I have also completed Dr. Laurel Parnell’s specialised training in Attachment-Focused EMDR for LGBTQ+ Clients. I chose this because many LGBTQ+ people come to therapy with mental health struggles directly linked to trauma, such as rejection, discrimination, or feeling unsafe in relationships. Sometimes, standard EMDR is not enough, especially when early experiences of parental rejection or emotional neglect have left deeper wounds. Attachment-Focused EMDR gently addresses these relational hurts, allowing for more complete and lasting healing.
Pride Month is not just a celebration, but it is an act of collective healing. It reminds us of the pain that exclusion causes, and the power that comes from being visible, accepted, and safe. It’s a collective declaration that LGBTQ+ people deserve joy, love, safety, and peace of mind. It’s a space to reclaim dignity after generations of being pushed to the margins.
This month, I’ve chosen to honour not only the history of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, but also the ongoing work of creating spaces where everyone belongs, in therapy, in society, and within themselves.
As a mental health professional, I know that being outcast leaves emotional scars. But I also know that inclusion and recognition are powerful steps toward healing. Whether you are LGBTQ+ yourself or supporting someone who is, I encourage you to use this month to reflect, educate, and reach out. Show your support by listening with empathy, standing up against discrimination, and letting your LGBTQ+ friends and family know they are loved, respected, and never alone.
If you are queer, I want you to know that you are not alone, you are not broken and that you belong. You absolutely deserve care and support that honours your full self.
©Sharmi at Stepping Stones Psychology 2025
