In the book Man’s Search for Freedom, Viktor Frankl (a neurologist, psychologist, philosopher, and Shoah [holocaust] survivor) offers a blueprint for a new approach to therapy called logotherapy. Logotherapy emerged as an especially useful modality for those of us who are interested in trauma work and existential questions (or as Frankl suitably terms it, “existential frustration” (2006, p. 100)). Frankl’s notion that inner tension is a part of life—that it is “an indispensable prerequisite for mental health” (2006, p. 103)—is a refreshing take in contrast to those we see which frame these deeply human struggles as an inconvenience or illness.
“In the mountains of truth you will never climb in vain: either you will get up higher today or you will exercise your strength so as to be able to get up higher tomorrow”. – Friedrich Nietzsche, in Thus Spoke Zarathustra.
Frankl’s argument that the “search for meaning is the primary motivation in […] life” (Frankl, 2006, p. 99) is a compelling counternarrative to the popular ideas which focus exclusively on thought-adjustments without consideration of meaning. After all, how can one be content without a sense of meaning and purpose? Or at least, without grappling with meaning and purpose so as to cultivate a sense of freedom?
Existential psychotherapy, developed more fully later by Irvin Yalom, offers clients a chance to think about meaning, purpose, and freedom in a therapeutic environment.
Yalom’s makes good use of Sartre’s infamous quip that “we are condemned to freedom” (as cited in Yalom, 2017, p. 137). In their works, Yalom (2017, p. 137) and Frankl link freedom to responsibility (2006, p. 132) while emphasizing the great importance of highlighting responsibility in the treatment for the successful realization of one’s freedom (Yalom, 2017, p. 139; Frankl, 2006, p. 132). Perhaps through accepting one’s responsibility, and finding meaning in responsibility, one is better able to realize their freedom.
More closely contemplating freedom and meaning in therapy can help bring these questions to the forefront of life, to contribute to a more meaningful existence. Clients mights find themselves often asking: “will doing this add meaning to life?”. “Will this purchase this add meaning to my life?” “Does this behaviour give me a sense of meaning?”
During the season of hyperconsumption (I write this blog post on Black Friday weekend so it is top of mind), a closer examination of meaning and freedom can help you to take responsibility for your freedom and making the most of this freedom.
Ultimately, existential psychotherapy is highly individual. It’s a process through which one comes to their own answers (or perhaps, just more questions). It is also a deeply personal process. It’s not about finding definitive answers but about opening the door to more profound questions.
If you’re interested in existential psychotherapy, consider if reaching out for a free consultation to begin a new therapeutic process might also give you meaning and enhance your sense of freedom. This could be the first step toward a more meaningful and therapeutic journey.
Read more:
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. Boston: Beacon Press, 2006. (Originally Published in 1959.)
The Gift of Therapy by Irvin Yalom. Harper Collins Press, 2017.
Existential Psychotherapy by Irvin Yalom. Basic Books, 1980.
In recent years, queer-informed and queer-affirming psychotherapy has gained recognition as a vital approach for supporting LGBTQIA2+ individuals on their mental health journeys. This approach is separate from merely queer-allied and LGBTQ+-allied counselling/psychotherapy. It isn’t just about acknowledging sexual orientation or gender identity—it’s about understanding the unique social, cultural, and personal contexts that shape each client’s experiences, challenges, and strengths. Queer-informed psychotherapy goes beyond traditional frameworks by centering the lived experiences of queer people and addressing the impact of systemic discrimination, heteronormativity, and cisnormativity.
Queer-informed therapists recognize that the issues LGBTQIA+ clients face are not solely internal but are deeply intertwined with societal structures– the outside world and its limited supports for non-normative sexualities and identities. This approach prioritizes creating a safe, nonjudgmental space where clients can explore their identities, process the effects of discrimination, and foster resilience. Whether queer folks are seeking support for anxiety, relationships, identity exploration, or trauma, queer-informed therapy prioritizes honouring their identity and experiences.
Additionally, queer-informed therapy often involves an understanding of the broader LGBTQIA+ cultural landscape, including queer and trans trauma (like religious abuse, medical abuse, the coming-out process, familial abandonment, etc.), the validity of chosen families, gender affirmation, and the intersectionality of various identities. For example, clients might want to explore trauma processing, somatic work, spirituality, community, or creative self-expression as part of their healing process. By integrating these elements, queer-informed therapists offer a holistic approach that allows clients to heal and thrive as their authentic selves.
Internalized homophobia and internalized transphobia
Dr. Joe Kort emphasizes the importance of approaching “internalized homophobia” and “internalized transphobia” (and by extension, internalized queerphobia, lesbophobia, etc.) in working with the LGBTQIA2+ community. LGBTQ2+ folks endlessly engage in a meandering coming-out process. This is done either explicitly or implicitly as we navigate the culture. Coming-out inevitably becomes a part of the work, even if the client is at the end of this process. Coming-out is difficult, not uncommonly traumatic, and often needs tending to in some way.
Coming-out
Queer-informed psychotherapy, when relevant, centres the nuanced stages of coming out originally outlined by Dr. Vivienne Cass. These stages are always transitory– we queer and trans folks are rarely just in one stage.
1. Identity confusion
In this stage, folks are often confused about their sexuality and identity. You might be in denial about the feelings they are experiencing. You might take out this confusion in anger or sadness. You might come to therapy as you (or others) notice these emotions and confusion and seek help in understanding why this is.
2. Identity comparison
During identity comparison, folks are aware of their identity diverging from what they may have previously assumed. In this stage you might compare different identities/sexualities and what they mean to them (e.g., asexual, polyamorous, queer, gay, bisexual, cisgender, non-binary, etc.). You might take comfort or confusion in the plethora of possible identities out there. You might come to therapy for help in better understanding who you are.
3. Identity tolerance
Identity tolerance involves coming to terms with your self. You might not have the perfect label (many people never do), but you have come to tolerate that something about you is different than others. Tolerance (as opposed to acceptance) speaks to this difference not exactly being desired, but is observed and allowed. There isn’t denial (at least by yourself).
4. Identity acceptance
The shift from identity tolerance to identity acceptance is an important one, where not only is the difference in your identity known and understood, you have also accepted it as a part of who you are. It may or may not be an important part of your understanding of self, but you are able to accept it as a part of your self.
At pride events around the world, LGBTQ2IA+ folks can celebrate their beautiful existence through art and gathering.
5. Identity pride
Identity pride is an interesting and exciting time for an LGBTQ2IA+ person. Sometimes folks refer to this stage as a “second adolescence” (especially when identity pride comes at a later time in life). This is because many of us did not have the opportunity to be fully ourselves during our actual first adolescence (which can be a source of trauma). During this stage, we might take advantage of many of the missed opportunities of our youth– especially in connecting to the broader community. Here, we can address our internalized homophobia/transphobia/queerphobia/…, and move into self-love. This is an important developmental stage. Take joy in it!
6. Identity synthesis
Notice we don’t end at the identity pride stage. After going through identity pride, we end with identity synthesis. Synthesis speaks to the combination of ideas to form a new unified whole. We grow out of “adolescence” and into adulthood. In this stage, we might be less compartimentalized from the non-LGBTQ2IA+ community, and instead see how we can unify ourselves between all of our communities. Maybe your sexuality does not define your identity anymore, and is merely a joyful aspect of it. How can we healthily be ourselves everywhere, and continue loving your self? These are the questions of the identity synthesis stage.
Ultimately, queer-informed and affirming psychotherapy celebrates and supports the resilience of LGBTQIA2+ people while offering support that is affirming, inclusive, and empowering. This therapy approach not only nurtures individual growth but also contributes to a larger movement of social justice and healing within the queer community.
If you’re interested in learning more about what queer-informed and affirming psychotherapy might actually look like in practice, I offer free 20-minute consultations. These are no-obligation meet-and-greets to learn more about me, my process, ask any questions you may have, and for both of us to see if we might fit together for this work. Please book here.
Trauma in the LGBTQ2IA+ community is a complicated topic to explore. The clinical research on this topic is extensive, but also limited, often focusing on white, cis, middle-class gay men in North America and Western Europe. This exclusion limits our understanding of trauma as it affects diverse LGBTQ2IA+ individuals from various backgrounds and identities.
LGBTQ2IA+ trauma has long been healed through identity pride! At pride events around the world, LGBTQ2IA+ folks can celebrate their history and present culture through art and gathering. What’s better than being prideful of the very aspect of yourself society tries to shame? Community is a wonderful antedote.
Dr. Joe Kort, a pioneer in LGBTQ+-affirming psychotherapy, defines trauma as “an event or episode, acute or chronic, that causes overstimulation without an outlet or release for that overstimulation. This leaves individuals feeling helpless or overwhelmed.” He emphasizes that trauma can result from any situation that feels unmanageable or threatening to one’s sense of safety. It’s not only about what happens but how it leaves a person feeling—especially when there’s no safe outlet to process it.
The roots of our understanding of trauma run deep, and early theories highlighted how certain experiences breach our sense of safety, leaving us feeling profoundly helpless. In the early 20th century, Freud noted how individuals facing unprocessed trauma often fell into patterns of reliving these experiences, even unknowingly. This repetition can feel like an endless loop, where past trauma subtly shapes thoughts, behaviors, and even dreams.
In the LGBTQ2IA+ community, trauma can often show up in more incremental ways—like microaggressions or repeated experiences of exclusion. Even seemingly small, consistent slights over time can profoundly impact self-worth. Many LGBTQ2IA+ people grow up facing daily reminders that they are “different” in a society that may not fully accept or celebrate who they are. As these experiences accumulate, they can lead to internalized shame or a diminished sense of self, even when specific incidents might not be clearly remembered.
For the LGBTQ2+ person, they often experience, at the least, “incremental trauma, where slights happen over a period of many years, and children learn to internalize them” (Kort, 44). For instance, we often discuss microaggressions—these comments may not be terribly harmful in one instance, but constantly hearing them as a child leads to serious devaluing of the self.
Recognizing and addressing these past experiences is essential. Leading trauma researcher Bessel van der Kolk says unresolved trauma can become ingrained, leading people to relive or avoid situations tied to traumatic memories (cited in Kort). Without this understanding, therapy can feel incomplete, as underlying wounds remain unaddressed, impacting one’s quality of life.
If the traumatic experiences of the client are unaddressed, the client’s complete healing is jeopardized– some symptoms might be reduced, but the healing might be left unfinished.
Healing is not an overnight project. Jumping right into trauma work is not feasible or safe. Trauma-informed practice is about going at a slow, comfortable pace guided by the client. Trauma-informed work might begin with reconnecting with the body (e.g., somatic work), or skills building to support client success (e.g., dialectical behavioural therapy/DBT).
If you are interested in trauma-informed LGBTQ2IA+-affirming psychotherapy, I offer free 15-minute consultations. These are no-obligation meet-and-greets to learn more about me, my process, ask any questions you may have, and for both of us to see if we might fit together for this work. Please book here.
Sigmund Freud’s Beyond the Pleasure Principleis an interesting, though wildly out-dated (and problematic) historical source on the first understandings of trauma.
