Polyamorous Affirming Therapy

Polyamorous Affirming Therapy

The way you experience your relationships might look different from the heteronormative expectation.

Schedule a Consultation

Explaining this to other people can be exhausting.

Interestingly enough, some people take offense to the way you have relationships. This doesn’t make any sense, considering they’re not affected by it. 

Your polyamorous relationship is worth fighting for.

If this sounds familiar, you could benefit from poly affirming therapy

Life can be tough to navigate if you feel like you’re misunderstood. It can feel like other people just don’t get it. And hey, maybe they don’t. It shouldn’t affect you, right? Well, not always. In the past, or in the present, you’ve been made to feel like the outcast. Like somehow, what you’re doing is wrong. And, this takes up a lot of real estate in your mind. On top of this, there are other things going on in your life. You could be dealing with anxiety, depression, previous trauma, or a laundry list of other issues. It’s EXHAUSTING. Luckily, we can help through poly-affirming therapy.

smiling dapper gender fluid individual. They got online therapy in Dallas, TX with online therapist Jennifer Gay at rethink therapy

Common Reasons Folks Start Poly-Affirming Therapy

Your experience is unique and unlike anyone else. Even among members of your community, each experience looks very different. While everyone starts counseling for different reasons, here are some commonalities:

  • Feeling unmotivated. You feel like you lack the motivation to do anything. It doesn't matter what it is, you just don't want to do it.
  • Loneliness. You feel lonely, even when you are with others. Especially if you're around people who don't understand.
  • Anxiety. You feel dread, fear, strange thoughts, and a pounding heart. Sometimes it's based on context. Other times, the feeling of anxiety doesn't leave.
  • Feeling lost. You feel like you are wandering through life, feeling like something is missing or your balance is “off.” Maybe you're struggling with your identity and navigating what that will look like.

Poly-Affirming Therapy in Dallas, TX Can Help

Living with all of this nonsense is exhausting. And, quite frankly, extremely unfair. Sometimes, it feels like you’re battling a culture that has deemed your existence “less than”. That’s a lot to handle. Poly-affirming therapy can help you sort out all of the noise. We’ve worked with many clients dealing the same problems you are right now. We can provide you a space to explore the intricacies of your experience. Even if you are not usually comfortable opening up to people, poly-affirming therapy may be able to help.

Our Approach To Poly-Affirming Therapy in Dallas, TX

In poly-affirming therapy, you will get you the practical tools you need. With these tools, you can find your way through difficult feelings and situations, and deal with the challenges that arise in life.
If you’re struggling to find your place, poly-affirming therapy can help you figure out who you are and what direction to go in next.
 
In addition, it can improve your relationship with yourself and those you choose to share yourself with. This, in return, will allow you to have the loving relationships you’ve always wanted.
Schedule a Consultation

Our Role In Poly-Affirming Therapy

We’re not naive. There’s a good chance you’ve had therapists in the past that made you feel bad for being yourself, or tried to convince you that this is “a phase.”  We don’t subscribe to that nonsense. You. Are. Who. You. Are. It is not our job to change that, and frankly, we don’t want you to, either . Our therapists can help you sort out the messy stuff and discover what’s important to you, not mold you into the cookie-cutter cut-out that other people think you’re “supposed” to be.

Meet Our Therapists

Jennifer Gay

LMFT-S
Read More

Neli Morris

PhD, LMFT-S
Read More

Starting Poly Affirming Therapy in Dallas, TX

Sure, your lifestyle is “different.” There’s a chance you’ve been told that it’s wrong. And that’s hard to live with. Not feeling accepted can take a toll on your life. However, we can help. Through poly-affirming therapy, we can help you through what life throws at you while respecting your lifestyle. When you’re ready to begin your journey with counseling, follow these steps.

Schedule a Free Phone Consultation

Related Services

error: Content is protected !!

Jennifer Gay

LMFT-S

While my formal training and education provided a solid foundation for my development as a therapist, I attribute most of my professional growth to my clients. I have chosen to pursue trainings and education that are directly applicable to the clients I am working with and the experiences and concerns that they are bringing into therapy. If you ever hear a therapist tell you that they have learned all they can or that they have all of their own shit together all the time – run for the hills! I will never know everything there is to know about therapy, have experience working with everything that clients bring, and be competent in everything in my work – but I will do my hardest to continue my growth and learning to do the best I can in my work with you.

I am a systemically trained therapist, which means that I view each person in the context of their experiences and relationships around them, both past and present. I also work from a collaborative therapy lens, and so I believe that each client is an expert of their own lives and experiences while I am an expert on the process of therapy. I see myself as walking beside you on your journey, whether or not we know where the path leads. My goal is to get you to a place where you can walk this path on your own, but along the way I will guide you, I will support you, and I will challenge you. Even if you feel overwhelmed or unsure about what you want from therapy, or what “change” you want to see, it’s OK! We’ll figure it out together.

So if I am the expert, “what do you know and how can you help me?”, you may ask.

Specialized Training

To meet the needs of the couples I have been seeing, I completed my training in discernment counseling. To meet the needs of many of my individual clients, I completed Phases 1 – 3 of Brainspotting, which I have found incredibly helpful in addressing trauma, anxiety, disordered eating behaviors, grief, and struggles with gender dysphoria, among other concerns. I have also attended a specialized training in Expansion Brainspotting, which focuses on improving athletic performance and creativity, and strengthening our desired states of being and getting us closer to our ideal states; it has also been very helpful in working on strong suicidal ideation and feelings of hopelessness.

As a result of my experiences with Brainspotting, I have also been pursuing education on growing my understanding of the neurobiology and neuroscience and working with trauma and various dissociative experiences (including PTSD, BPD, and OSDD/DID).

As a result of my work with queer and trans clients, I have discovered a lot of overlap in gender diversity and neurodiversity – so I am working on my growth as a neurodiversity affirming therapist.

My clients

In my work with different clients in different settings, I have experience with a wide range of individual and relational concerns. However, I have a specific passion in working with people who may fall on the margins or be seen as “outsiders” in many different ways, especially given that we live in Texas.

Specifically, I do a lot of work with LGBTQIA+ folks, including working with people who are transgender or gender diverse. I work with folks who fall into various non-traditional relationships: consensual/ethical non-monogamy, open relationships, polyamorous relationships, swinging, etc. I work with folks in the kink/BDSM communities, or those who practice kink/BDSM. I also do a lot of work with folks who have distanced themselves from their religious upbringing for various reasons, or who practice less dominant religious and/or spiritual approaches or who are atheist/agnostic/secular/nonreligious. I am knowledgeable and affirming in my work with all these communities.

Belonging to any of the above communities doesn’t necessarily mean that something is “wrong” with you, but having to deal with the discrimination, hatred, and lack of support or understanding from people around you or the society at large is not easy. Many of the clients I see also seek me out because they know that I won’t use their identity, relationship status, kinks, spirituality/religion or lack of it as a problem that needs to be fixed or that is causing their depression, anxiety, relationship problems, and so on.

The relationship between therapist and client is crucial to positive outcomes.

One of the strongest and most consistent predictors of positive outcomes in therapy is the relationship between us. As such, it is important to me that you feel that you feel connected and supported in our work together. I know that I will not be the best fit for everyone who reaches out – and that’s ok! Our initial consultation, as well as the first few sessions, can give you a good sense of our therapeutic alliance together.

contact me

Neli Morris

PhD, LMFT-S

Normal is just a setting on the washing machine.

And I don’t know about you, but I hardly ever even use the “normal” setting when I do my laundry! While there are a lot of messages in our society and in our immediate circles around what is supposed to be “normal,” I am here to help you find your “normal,” not the culture’s/society’s/family’s version of normal.

My Experiences & Approach

While my formal training and education provided a solid foundation for my development as a therapist, I attribute most of my professional growth to my clients. I have chosen to pursue trainings and education that are directly applicable to the clients I am working with and the experiences and concerns that they are bringing into therapy. If you ever hear a therapist tell you that they have learned all they can or that they have all of their own shit together all the time – run for the hills! I will never know everything there is to know about therapy, have experience working with everything that clients bring, and be competent in everything in my work – but I will do my hardest to continue my growth and learning to do the best I can in my work with you.

I am a systemically trained therapist, which means that I view each person in the context of their experiences and relationships around them, both past and present. I also work from a collaborative therapy lens, and so I believe that each client is an expert of their own lives and experiences while I am an expert on the process of therapy. I see myself as walking beside you on your journey, whether or not we know where the path leads. My goal is to get you to a place where you can walk this path on your own, but along the way I will guide you, I will support you, and I will challenge you. Even if you feel overwhelmed or unsure about what you want from therapy, or what “change” you want to see, it’s OK! We’ll figure it out together.

                                           

Specialized Training

To meet the needs of the couples I have been seeing, I completed my training in discernment counseling. To meet the needs of many of my individual clients, I completed Phases 1 – 3 of Brainspotting, which I have found incredibly helpful in addressing trauma, anxiety, disordered eating behaviors, grief, and struggles with gender dysphoria, among other concerns. I have also attended a specialized training in Expansion Brainspotting, which focuses on improving athletic performance and creativity, and strengthening our desired states of being and getting us closer to our ideal states; it has also been very helpful in working on strong suicidal ideation and feelings of hopelessness.

As a result of my experiences with Brainspotting, I have also been pursuing education on growing my understanding of the neurobiology and neuroscience and working with trauma and various dissociative experiences (including PTSD, BPD, and OSDD/DID).

As a result of my work with queer and trans clients, I have discovered a lot of overlap in gender diversity and neurodiversity – so I am working on my growth as a neurodiversity affirming therapist.

My clients

In my work with different clients in different settings, I have experience with a wide range of individual and relational concerns. However, I have a specific passion in working with people who may fall on the margins or be seen as “outsiders” in many different ways, especially given that we live in Texas.

Specifically, I do a lot of work with LGBTQIA+ folks, including working with people who are transgender or gender diverse. I work with folks who fall into various non-traditional relationships: consensual/ethical non-monogamy, open relationships, polyamorous relationships, swinging, etc. I work with folks in the kink/BDSM communities, or those who practice kink/BDSM. I also do a lot of work with folks who have distanced themselves from their religious upbringing for various reasons, or who practice less dominant religious and/or spiritual approaches or who are atheist/agnostic/secular/nonreligious. I am knowledgeable and affirming in my work with all these communities.

Belonging to any of the above communities doesn’t necessarily mean that something is “wrong” with you, but having to deal with the discrimination, hatred, and lack of support or understanding from people around you or the society at large is not easy. Many of the clients I see also seek me out because they know that I won’t use their identity, relationship status, kinks, spirituality/religion or lack of it as a problem that needs to be fixed or that is causing their depression, anxiety, relationship problems, and so on.

The relationship between therapist and client is crucial to positive outcomes.

One of the strongest and most consistent predictors of positive outcomes in therapy is the relationship between us. As such, it is important to me that you feel that you feel connected and supported in our work together. I know that I will not be the best fit for everyone who reaches out – and that’s ok! Our initial consultation, as well as the first few sessions, can give you a good sense of our therapeutic alliance together.

Contact Me

Kaylin Hernandez

LMFT-A

Meet Kaylin

Aren’t you tired of being compared to the generations that came before or after you? Being judged and criticized for what you are or are not? Comparing, being compared, and never feeling like you are good enough.  I’ll admit, I’m guilty of this too. 

I grew up in a big, loud, and most of the time, chaotic Mexican family, I know what it’s like to be afraid to ask questions, to speak up,  and to try to do things differently. Because if I did, I would be faced with the question from everyone, including myself of, “who do you think you are”?

As the oldest in my family I always cared deeply for everyone (it was my job), and I forgot about taking care of myself, sound familiar?

In our families, which often carries in to our adult lives, we often struggled to feel seen or heard, and are made to feel like your emotions don’t matter, or they are just plain misunderstood. Which ultimately leaves us feeling like we’re alone in this big and sometimes terrifying world. That s**t is hard!

As a human (who happens to be a therapist) I recognize that the world I grew up in was vastly different than those around me, however, the emotions are almost universal.

Wether you are an adolescent or an adult, you are probably experiencing  significant changes and transitions in your life – and in case no one told you…Change is normal and you are not alone!

Through our work together I will support, empower, and walk with  you as you navigate this big, scary, fun, messy, and beautiful world.

Contact Me

Verified by MonsterInsights