2SLGBTQIA+ Therapy in Richmond, VA
When You Need a Therapist Who Actually Gets It
You've thought about therapy before. Maybe you've even tried it. But somewhere along the way, you realized you were spending more time educating your therapist than actually getting support. Explaining what non-binary means. Clarifying your pronouns again. Watching them stumble through your identity like it's a foreign language they're learning on the job.
It's exhausting. You came looking for help, not to be someone's learning experience.
Maybe you're navigating coming out, or choosing not to. Maybe you're processing years of internalized messages about who you're supposed to be. Maybe you're seeking gender-affirming care and need a therapist who can actually support that process, not one who treats your identity as the problem to solve.
Or maybe you just want a space where you can talk about your life, your relationships, your stress, your mental health, without your queerness being the elephant in the room or the thing that needs constant explanation.
Queer-affirming therapy isn't therapy that tolerates your identity, it's therapy that fully embraces it. Your therapist understands that being 2SLGBTQIA+ isn't a problem to fix or a phase to work through. It's part of who you are, and it deserves to be met with genuine understanding, not careful neutrality.
For many queer and trans people, finding affirming mental health care is harder than it should be. Too many therapists advertise as "LGBTQ-friendly" but lack real understanding of what it means to navigate the world in a queer or trans body. The difference between a therapist who affirms from outside these communities and one who belongs to them is significant.
2SLGBTQIA+ therapy creates space to process whatever you're carrying, identity questions, family dynamics, discrimination, dysphoria, relationships, or any of the other things that bring people to therapy, without having to translate your experience or protect your therapist from discomfort. It's support that starts from understanding, not from scratch.
Understanding Queer-Affirming Therapy
Working with a Queer Therapist Who Shares Your Experience
License: LPC,
0701013055, Verify License
I'm Kamillah Gray, and I'm not just an affirming therapist, I'm a queer, non-binary therapist who lives this experience. I understand what it's like to navigate identity in a world that often demands you fit into boxes that don't fit you. To wonder who's safe. To carry the weight of other people's expectations about who you should be.
I also understand the particular intersections that come with being queer and Black, queer and neurodivergent, queer and chronically ill. These identities don't exist in isolation, and neither does the support you need.
In our work together, you won't have to start from zero. You won't have to explain what your identity means or justify its validity. We'll spend our time on what actually matters to you, whether that's processing family relationships, working through internalized shame, exploring your identity more deeply, navigating transition, or anything else you're carrying. I also provide gender-affirming care letters for clients seeking hormones or surgery, because practical support matters alongside emotional processing.
What 2SLGBTQIA+ Therapy Sessions Feel Like
Sessions are a space where your identity is understood from the start. We don't waste time on 101-level explanations or navigate around your queerness like it's something delicate. It's simply part of who you are, and we can focus on what you actually came to work on.
What we talk about is up to you. Some clients come specifically to process identity, coming out, transition, internalized shame, family rejection. Others come for support with anxiety, depression, relationships, or life stress, and their queerness is context rather than content. Both are valid. We work on whatever matters most to you.
I bring curiosity without assumptions. I won't assume you want to come out, that your goal is transition, or that your identity looks any particular way. You lead; I follow. And if you're still figuring things out, still questioning, still exploring, that's welcome too. You don't need to have your identity resolved to deserve support.
The vibe is warm and real. I show up as my authentic self, and I invite you to do the same. We can talk about hard things without it feeling clinical, and celebrate wins without it feeling performative.
What Queer-Affirming Therapy May Offer You
Everyone's therapy experience is different, and I can't promise specific outcomes. What I can say is that many clients notice real shifts when they finally have space to be fully themselves:
Less Code-Switching
You may find relief in not having to translate your experience or manage someone else's learning curve.
More Authenticity
You might feel freer to explore who you are without defending your right to exist.
Deeper Processing
You may be able to go further when you're not stuck explaining the basics.
What Life Might Feel Like with Affirming Support
Imagine having a space where you can just exist. Where your identity isn't a topic to address or a thing to explain, it's simply part of you, understood and accepted. Where you can talk about your relationship without first establishing that your partner's pronouns are valid.
With affirming support, you might find yourself letting go of some of the armor you've built. The hypervigilance about who's safe might soften when you have at least one space where safety is guaranteed. The internalized messages, about being too much, too different, too queer, might start to loosen their grip.
If you're navigating coming out, you might find clarity about what you want and who you want to share it with. If you're exploring transition, you might feel supported in taking steps at your own pace, including accessing gender-affirming care letters when you're ready. If you're processing family dynamics or past rejection, you might find space to grieve without being told to forgive before you're ready.
This isn't about arriving at a particular destination. It's about having support while you figure out what authenticity looks like for you.
Beginning 2SLGBTQIA+ Therapy in Virginia
If you're ready for a therapist who actually gets it, here's how we begin:
Reach Out
Send a message through the contact form. Share whatever feels comfortable about what you're looking for, no need to have it all figured out.
Free Consultation
We'll schedule a brief call to connect and see if we're a good fit. This is your chance to ask questions and get a sense of whether this space feels right.
Begin Sessions
If we decide to work together, we'll schedule your first session and start wherever feels most important to you.
Insights That Emerge in Queer-Affirming Therapy
As clients experience what it's like to be fully understood, certain realizations tend to surface:
- "I didn't realize how much energy I was spending on translation until I didn't have to."
- "My identity isn't the problem, it never was."
- "I get to decide what coming out looks like for me."
- "I can take up space without apologizing for who I am."
- "There's no right way to be queer or trans."
- "I deserve support that actually fits me."
Frequently Asked Questions About 2SLGBTQIA+ Therapy
Do I have to be "out" to work with you?
No. You can be anywhere in your journey, out to everyone, out to no one, still questioning, or somewhere in between. Therapy is confidential, and we work with wherever you are right now.
I'm questioning my identity. Is that okay?
Absolutely. You don't need to have your identity figured out to seek support. Therapy can be a space to explore, without pressure to arrive at any particular conclusion.
Do you provide gender-affirming care letters?
Yes. I provide letters for hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgeries for clients who are ready for that step. We can discuss the process and timeline during our work together.
What if I just want regular therapy, not focused on my identity?
That's completely valid. Many clients come for support with anxiety, depression, relationships, or other concerns, and their queerness is context rather than the focus. We work on whatever matters to you.
Are you affirming of all identities under the 2SLGBTQIA+ umbrella?
Yes. I work with clients across the full spectrum of gender and sexual identities, including identities that are less commonly understood. You won't need to justify or explain the validity of who you are.
Ready for a Therapist Who Gets It?
If you're tired of educating your providers and ready for support that starts from understanding, I'd love to hear from you. Reaching out is just a conversation, no pressure, no assumptions about where you are in your journey.
You deserve a therapist who doesn't need the basics explained. When you're ready, I'm here.
