LGBTQIA+ Therapy

At Relationship Academy MI, we offer LGBTQIA+-affirming therapy for individuals, couples, and families across Michigan. Whether you're exploring your identity, navigating relationships, or coping with the stress of feeling misunderstood, therapy can offer a space where you are met with respect and care.

Our office is in Royal Oak, MI, and we also provide virtual LGBTQIA+ therapy for clients located anywhere in Michigan. You can access support that aligns with your identity and your values, no matter where you live.

A Safe Space for LGBTQIA+ Clients

You shouldn't have to educate your therapist on the basics of your identity. At Relationship Academy MI, our therapists are trained in LGBTQIA+-affirming care. We understand the importance of language, pronouns, and honoring each client's lived experience.

This is a space where your gender, orientation, and identity are not up for debate. Instead, we focus on helping you navigate what's important to you; mental health, relationships, family, trauma, goals, and more, within a space that feels safe and validating.

Why LGBTQIA+ Clients Seek Therapy

LGBTQIA+ clients come to therapy for many of the same reasons anyone else does, stress, anxiety, grief, relationships, trauma, or just wanting to feel more at peace. But members of the LGBTQIA+ community often face additional layers of complexity that deserve to be acknowledged and understood.

Common reasons LGBTQIA+ individuals seek therapy include:

• Managing anxiety, depression, or mood changes
• Processing rejection, discrimination, or internalized shame
• Exploring gender identity or sexual orientation
• Support through coming out
• Healing from religious or cultural trauma
• Family conflict or lack of acceptance
• Navigating medical transitions or legal changes
• Feeling isolated or unseen
• Coping with everyday stress while carrying the weight of being marginalized

Your experience is valid, and you do not need to minimize it here.

What to Expect in LGBTQIA+ Affirming Therapy

Your first session is about understanding what brings you in and what you'd like to focus on. There's no checklist to follow. You set the pace, and we follow your lead with care and curiosity.

Therapy may include:

• Clarifying your identity or working through confusion
• Processing trauma in a way that centers safety and autonomy
• Managing difficult emotions and building resilience
• Strengthening boundaries and relationships
• Working through internalized beliefs that no longer serve you
• Creating goals that reflect your values

We won't tell you who you should be. We'll help you uncover who you already are.

Virtual LGBTQIA+ Therapy Across Michigan

Whether you're in a small town with few affirming resources or simply prefer the privacy and flexibility of online sessions, we offer virtual LGBTQIA+ therapy for clients anywhere in Michigan.

Online therapy allows you to meet with a therapist who understands your identity, without having to travel or worry about your safety in unfamiliar spaces. Sessions are held on a secure, confidential platform and designed to feel just as supportive as in-person care.

In-Person Sessions in Royal Oak

For clients located near Royal Oak, we offer in-person LGBTQIA+ therapy in a welcoming, inclusive environment. Our space is intentionally designed to be affirming and accessible to everyone, including transgender, non-binary, and gender-expansive individuals.

If you're not sure which format works best for you, we're happy to talk it through and help you choose what feels most comfortable.

Therapy That Meets You Where You Are

There's no one way to be LGBTQIA+. No single narrative or experience defines what it means to belong to this community. That's why our therapy work centers around your unique story, not assumptions or labels.

We work with:

• Individuals exploring gender identity or sexuality
• Transgender and non-binary clients at all stages of transition
• LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults
• Couples in same-gender or mixed-orientation relationships
• Families navigating coming out, acceptance, or support
• LGBTQIA+ professionals, parents, and older adults
• Clients of all racial, cultural, and spiritual backgrounds

Your therapist will work collaboratively with you, tailoring sessions to your experiences, goals, and values.

Our Approach

We use evidence-based therapy models with a deep understanding of how systemic oppression, family systems, and cultural messaging can shape emotional well-being.

Your therapist may draw from:

• Trauma-informed therapy
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for shifting unhelpful thought patterns
• Narrative therapy to help re-author harmful stories you've internalized
• Emotionally focused approaches for deeper connection and self-compassion
• Mindfulness and grounding techniques for managing distress

Our approach is respectful, non-pathologizing, and centered on empowerment.

When Therapy Hasn't Felt Safe Before

If you've been to therapy before and felt judged, dismissed, or misunderstood, you're not alone. Many LGBTQIA+ clients have had negative or even harmful experiences in past mental health settings.

We're committed to doing better. That includes:

• Using inclusive, affirming language
• Respecting your pronouns and name
• Acknowledging and honoring your lived experience
• Being open to feedback
• Creating space for honesty and discomfort when needed

You deserve support that affirms who you are.

FAQ: LGBTQIA+ Therapy at Relationship Academy MI

Do you offer online LGBTQIA+ therapy across Michigan?

Yes. We work with LGBTQIA+ individuals throughout Michigan using a secure virtual platform.

Is this therapy only for individuals?

No. We also offer affirming therapy for LGBTQIA+ couples and families.

Do I need to already be out to attend therapy?

No. You are welcome here whether you're out to everyone, a few people, or no one at all.

Can I talk about issues unrelated to my gender or sexuality?

Absolutely. Your identity is part of who you are, but not the only part. Therapy can include any area of your life you want to explore.

Do you have therapists who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community?

We have therapists who are LGBTQIA+-identifying and all therapists at Relationship Academy MI are LGBTQIA+-affirming, trained, and actively engaged in ongoing learning.

LGBTQIA+ Therapy in Michigan. Affirming Care That Feels Like Home

You deserve therapy where you don't have to explain or defend who you are. Whether you're looking for support with identity, mental health, relationships, or simply want a space where your truth is welcome, we're here to help.

At Relationship Academy MI, we provide affirming care both in person in Royal Oak and virtually throughout Michigan. If you're ready to feel more grounded, more empowered, and more understood, let's begin.

Reach out today. We're ready to meet you, just as you are.