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Being a member of the LBGTQ+ community can be a beautiful source of strength, resilience, self-love, and pride. If a child is questioning their gender or sexual orientation, and they seem to be struggling with their mental health, it's important to note that the cause for distress is often the feedback they are receiving from society about their identity, rather than being upset about it themselves. The reality is that many LGBTQ+ people face discrimination, familial and social rejection, prejudice, harassment, and a denial of civil and human rights. In addition, many people may hold additional marginalized identities which can exacerbate the challenges they face, like the added experience of racial discrimination or socioeconomic challenges of poverty.

It is normal for children and teens to think about or question their identity in its many forms throughout development, and gender and sexual identity are no exception. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning Plus (LGBTQ+) community is inclusive of a wide and diverse range of identities and expressions of sexual orientation and gender, and this community is diverse in race, religion, ethnicity, nationality and socioeconomic status.

When you seek out a doctor for yourself or your child, odds are, you’d like your doctor to be basing their interventions on research and evidence that has been validated in the field. Knowing that your doctor has surveyed the options for treatment and has chosen to proceed in a particular way because the research and knowledge available tells them that it will provide the best outcome is reassuring.

Parenting a child with greater social, emotional, or behavioral needs can be draining for caregivers, as these kids often need more support or create bigger challenges for the family throughout the day. When a child or teen is struggling, and families reach out for support from mental health professionals, the request is often for individual therapy focused on the child or adolescent to help them better regulate their emotions and behaviors. While it may be true that a child’s emotional and behavioral challenges are the root of a family system’s challenges, individual therapy is not always the primary or only recommendation for effective treatment.

The following is an interview with a real client at the Center for Effective Therapy who utilized Behavioral Parent Training to support their child who was struggling with big emotions and how to control his feelings.