Therapy for LGBTQ+ Issues and Shame in Portland, OR

Growing up being judged and shamed for your gender or sexuality has left an imprint on you. Even though rationally you know your gender or sexual identity is nothing to be ashamed of - you can’t shake this feeling of shame. It haunts you wherever you go. 

You walk around with this constant anxiety or fear. At work, on the street, with friends- it doesn't matter. It is like those bullies and bigots are just hiding around the next corner at every moment. You worry that the people you care about will reject you if they know who you really are- because it happened over and over again while you were growing up. Sometimes you catch yourself speaking to yourself with harsh and hateful words.

It is an exhausting way to live. You feel stuck. You feel alone. No matter how hard you try, you feel like you can’t get out of your own way. This internalized shame impacts every area of your life. You never feel settled at work and it impacts your ability to progress. Even around queer friends you just don’t feel like you fit in, they seem so much better at letting things roll off their backs. Recent anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation, proposed or enacted, only amplifies your discomfort.

How I Can Help:

I’m Eric Goodwin, a Licensed Professional Counselor in Portland, OR. As a queer, openly gay and non-binary, counselor, I help people from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersexed, Asexual (LGBTQIA+) community, who experience shame and intense self-criticism, to identify how past experiences of being hurt and judged show up in their current day to day lives. With queer affirming, safe support and a gentle and calming presence, I will walk step-by-step beside you as you bravely heal your relationship with yourself and create the change you hope for. Some topics that can come up in counseling are coming out, internalized homophobia, depression, anxiety, and dating and relationships.

Counseling with me provides a space to challenge words of self-criticism and beliefs that may not align with your values, your truth, and your authentic voice. Together we explore what it means to take the wheel from those feelings of shame and self-doubt and navigate a daily life where you feel free to build the relationships that matter to you and live authentically in the world.

My clients attend weekly sessions to get consistent support as they begin to heal their relationship with themselves, process wounding experiences, and develop ways to manage feelings of overwhelm. We will incorporate self-compassion tools, mindfulness, and grounding techniques to help you build your system for self-support.

“Counseling can be a fifty-minute revolt against the way things are.” - Anonymous

Getting Help for LGBTQ+ Issues and Shame: 

If you are in Portland, Oregon and are ready for help with LGBTQ+ issues in a queer-affirming space, book your free 15-minute consultation by calling me at 971.533.5590. I know that you’ve worked hard to try and find a way forward on your own, you don’t have to take these next steps alone. Let this phone call be your next step in building a strong and healthy relationship with yourself.sues in a queer-affirming space, book your free 15-minute consultation by calling me at 971.533.5590. I know that you’ve worked hard to try and find a way forward on your own, you don’t have to take these next steps alone. Let this phone call be your next step in building a strong and healthy relationship with yourself.