Hearts in a rainbow of colors symbolizing mental healthcare for the LGBTQ+ population

North Texas DBT Associates Honors Pride Month

by North Texas DBT Associateson Posted on

Supporting the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Texans Through Inclusive DBT

North Texas DBT Associates recognizes that Pride Month is more than a celebration; it’s a powerful reminder of the strength, struggle, and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community. As a mental health practice grounded in Comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), we are committed to providing inclusive, affirming, and research-driven care to support LGBTQ+ individuals across Texas.

We understand that LGBTQ+ individuals, especially those navigating trauma, rejection, or marginalization, often face significant mental health challenges that require more than generic treatment. They deserve therapeutic services that respect their identities, acknowledge systemic injustices, and empower emotional wellbeing.

The Urgent Need for Affirming Mental Health Care

Research demonstrates that members of the LGBTQ+ community are at significantly higher risk for mental health challenges, including depression, suicidal ideation, and self-harm, often stemming from societal stigma and lack of acceptance.

LGBTQ+ individuals report elevated rates of anxiety, trauma exposure, and suicidality, primarily due to chronic stressors related to identity-based discrimination. Sexual and gender minorities should have better access to culturally competent and LGBTQ+-affirming care.

These disparities are not the result of LGBTQ+ identities themselves but of invalidating environments and structural inequality. That’s why, at North Texas DBT Associates, we ensure our care environment reflects not just clinical expertise but cultural humility, identity affirmation, and a deep respect for our clients’ lived experiences.

Comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): A Transformative Approach for LGBTQ+ Clients

Our practice specializes in Comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), a highly structured, evidence-based model proven to help individuals who struggle with intense emotions, suicidal ideation, or identity-related distress. The full DBT protocol includes:

  • Weekly individual therapy with a trained DBT therapist
  • Weekly group skills training
  • Between-session phone coaching
  • A consultation team to ensure therapist fidelity to the model

What sets DBT apart, especially for LGBTQ+ clients, is its core focus on validation and change. As the Cognitive Behaviour Therapist journal (Cambridge University Press) notes, DBT is uniquely suited to help LGBTQ+ individuals navigate internalized and structural stigma while building a life worth living.

Listening to LGBTQ+ Wisdom to Improve DBT Therapy

Work published by the University of Cambridge highlights that optimizing DBT for LGBTQ+ clients in 2023 discusses the requirements to actively incorporate their voices into treatment planning. Therapists must learn from their clients’ lived experiences to adapt DBT in ways that foster true safety and empowerment.

This aligns with our approach at North Texas DBT Associates: we offer neuro-affirming, gender-affirming, and identity-safe therapy, ensuring that each person feels seen, supported, and understood.

Dialectics in Practice: Balancing Pride and Pain

Pride Month can bring up a wide range of emotions, from celebration and joy to grief and disconnection. At times, it may feel like holding pride and pain in the same breath. As one therapist at Advocating Hope beautifully explains, this dialectic “celebrating who you are while grieving who others refuse to see” is something DBT is uniquely equipped to hold space for. (The Dialectics of Pride Month).

This is the power of Comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): the ability to honor two truths at once, and to help clients build a life that includes both resilience and rest.

Our Commitment to LGBTQ+ in Texas

North Texas DBT Associates offers in-person and via telehealth services, serving clients throughout Texas, including those in rural areas or regions with limited access to LGBTQ+ affirming care. We are proud to:

  • Provide trauma-informed, identity-affirming DBT for LGBTQ+ youth and adults
  • Employ therapists focused on cultural humility, structural awareness, and inclusive care practices
  • Support neurodiverse and intersectional identities through specialized assessments and services
  • Offer treatment for those navigating the impacts of discrimination, trauma, self-harm, and more

Our mission is to help everyone, regardless of gender, sexuality, race, or neurotype, find hope, healing, and a path forward.

This Pride, We Celebrate You

To our LGBTQ+ clients and community: you are worthy of care that sees you clearly and supports you deeply. We see your courage. We celebrate your identities. And we remain committed to being a place of affirming, effective care that stands with you during Pride Month and every day after.

References and Recommended Reading