LGBTQ+-Affirming Anxiety Therapy in Portland: The Power of Being Seen

Finding an LGBTQ+-Affirming Anxiety Counselor in Portland

There’s a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from not feeling fully seen. Maybe you’ve spent years managing anxiety on your own, carefully hiding the parts of you that feel too complicated, too sensitive, or too Queer to bring into certain spaces (including therapy).

For many within the LGBTQ+ community, even the idea of opening up in a counseling setting brings up questions like: Will I be understood? Will I have to explain myself? Will this space actually feel safe? In a city like Portland, where mental health care is widely available, the search for the right therapist can still feel overwhelming.

When someone truly sees you, not just your symptoms, that’s where the healing begins. And yet, the reality is that being seen for who you are and how you feel can still be rare, especially in therapy. That’s where LGBTQ+-affirming anxiety therapy makes all the difference.

Why Being Seen Matters in Anxiety Therapy

Anxiety isn’t just racing thoughts or a pounding heart, it’s also the pressure to hold it all together, to make yourself palatable, or to hide your vulnerability. For LGBTQ+ clients, this can be compounded by years of feeling misunderstood or having to over-explain your identity in spaces that were supposed to be safe.

Being seen in therapy means more than being acknowledged, it means being recognized in your full complexity. It means hearing, “That makes sense,” instead of “Let’s not make this about identity.” It’s the difference between managing anxiety and starting to heal it.

When a therapist sees you clearly and compassionately, your nervous system begins to settle. You don’t have to work so hard to justify your feelings or explain your existence. That’s when the real work (and relief) can begin.

The Impact of Internalized Self-Criticism on Anxiety

Anxiety is loud, but it often speaks in whispers: Why aren’t you doing better? What’s wrong with you? It can feel like the inner critic has taken up permanent residence in your mind. For LGBTQ+ individuals, this self-criticism may be rooted in messages absorbed long before you realized they weren’t yours to carry.

Therapy offers a place to explore those messages without judgment. Together, you and your therapist can begin to notice the patterns, how anxiety shows up as perfectionism, people-pleasing, or chronic self-doubt, and gently untangle them.

The goal isn’t to push those feelings away, but to meet them with compassion. Over time, clients often find they don’t have to be so hard on themselves to stay safe. Even their most anxious parts are trying, in their own way, to help and those parts can learn a new way forward.

What Makes LGBTQ+-Affirming Anxiety Therapy Different?

Let’s be honest: a rainbow sticker on a website doesn’t always mean someone truly understands. Affirming therapy goes beyond inclusive language, it means creating an environment where you can exhale.

In LGBTQ+-affirming therapy, you don’t have to shrink or explain your identity just to get to the “real” work. Your identity is part of the work. A truly affirming therapist understands the impact of cultural and systemic stress, family dynamics, and internalized shame, and holds space for it all.

It’s not just about being accepted; it’s about being celebrated. That kind of support isn’t extra, it’s essential to healing anxiety in a way that feels sustainable and real.

How Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Support LGBTQ+ Clients with Anxiety

Mindfulness isn’t about emptying your mind or “thinking positive.” It’s about noticing what’s happening in the moment, without judgment, and creating space to respond, rather than react. For LGBTQ+ clients, mindfulness can be especially powerful because it allows you to witness your thoughts without becoming overwhelmed by them.

Mindful self-compassion takes it a step further. Instead of beating yourself up for feeling anxious (which, let’s be honest, just adds fuel to the fire), self-compassion helps you respond to yourself with kindness. It shifts the tone of your inner voice from critical to caring.

Together, mindfulness and self-compassion offer a deeply healing way to relate to anxiety. Not by ignoring it, but by saying: I see you. I know this is hard. And I’m here.

That kind of practice (especially in therapy) helps soften the edges of anxiety and creates a more spacious, safe internal world.

Finding the Right Fit for Anxiety Therapy in Portland

With so many therapists and counseling styles in Portland, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the search. But here’s the thing: you’re allowed to be selective.

Finding the right therapist is less about credentials alone and more about how you feel in their presence. Does their bio reflect a genuine understanding of anxiety and LGBTQ+ experiences? Do they invite collaboration, curiosity, and care? Do you leave a consultation feeling more at ease?

Anxiety therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all (and it shouldn’t be). Being human is complex. Whether you’re starting therapy for the first time or looking for a better fit, it’s okay to trust your gut. You deserve a space where you feel not just supported, but truly seen.

You don’t have to carry this alone. If you’re exploring LGBTQ+-affirming anxiety therapy in Portland, know that support is available, and that you deserve to feel fully seen.

Eric Goodwin, Anxiety Therapist in Portland and Licensed Professional Counselor

My approach is mindfulness-based and grounded in self-compassion, offering a space where your experiences are met with care and understanding. Together, we can work to transform self-criticism into self-compassion, understand anxiety more deeply, and support lasting change.

I offer a free 15-minute consultation to see if we’re a good fit. Sessions are available in person in Portland or online throughout Oregon. If you're ready to feel more supported and at ease, I’d love to connect.

Call 971.533.5590 or click here to schedule your consultation.