LGBTQIA+ Therapy
Therapy for navigating identity, relationships, family dynamics, and the parts of yourself you’re still making sense of.
Online in North Carolina and South Carolina
Aetna and BCBS accepted
Mina Rasti, LCMHC
When Being Yourself Hasn’t Always Felt Simple
You’ve spent so much time considering what others think or expect of you that it’s sometimes difficult to recognize what you need.
You’re exploring your gender identity or expression and want space to better understand what feels authentic to you.
You’ve experienced rejection, judgment, or misunderstanding that has influenced how you see yourself and connect with others.
Family expectations, cultural messages, or past relationships have made it difficult to feel fully accepted.
You notice yourself people-pleasing, overthinking, or holding back parts of yourself to maintain connection with others.
You want relationships where you feel respected, understood, and comfortable being yourself.
How Can LGBTQIA+ Therapy Help?
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Make space to sort through identity, expectations, and the parts of yourself that may have been shaped by other people’s opinions, without feeling like you have to rush toward a label or have everything figured out.
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Explore the impact of criticism, exclusion, family dynamics, religion, culture, or past relationships that may still affect how you see yourself and what you expect from other people.
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Look at how fears of rejection, people-pleasing, pulling away, or difficulty trusting can show up in relationships and begin finding ways to feel more secure without losing yourself.
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Work toward feeling less guarded and more comfortable being honest about who you are, what matters to you, and what you want your relationships and life to look like.
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Gender-affirming therapy can provide support as you explore gender expression, navigate social transition, process changing relationships, or make decisions about what feels right for you.
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Practice saying no, asking for what you need, and handling difficult conversations without automatically shrinking yourself, overexplaining, or feeling responsible for everyone else’s comfort.
You do not have to keep holding this by yourself.
Hi, I’m Mina.
I believe therapy should be a place where you can show up as yourself without feeling like you have to explain, justify, or defend who you are.
I work with LGBTQIA+ adults, including transgender clients and individuals exploring their gender identity. My approach is affirming, collaborative, and grounded in curiosity about your experiences, relationships, and the patterns that have shaped your life.
Sometimes identity is at the center of what brings someone to therapy. Other times, it's relationships, anxiety, family dynamics, or experiences from the past that continue to show up in the present. We can explore whatever feels important to you without assuming that your identity needs to be the focus.
My style is warm, conversational, and collaborative. I'll ask questions, help you connect the dots, and explore different perspectives alongside you. There's room for the complicated conversations, the frustrating ones, and the moments when we can laugh, too.
You don't need to have everything figured out before reaching out. We can start wherever you are.
LGBTQIA+ Therapy FAQs
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Absolutely! I work with LGBTQIA+ teens and adults, including transgender and gender-diverse individuals. Whether you're exploring your gender identity, navigating relationships, processing difficult experiences, or seeking support with something entirely unrelated to your identity, therapy is a space where we can focus on what matters to you.
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Gender-affirming therapy means approaching your experiences with respect, curiosity, and an understanding that you're the expert on your own identity. We might explore gender identity or expression, relationships, social transition, family dynamics, or the emotions that come with navigating these experiences. There's no expectation to identify a certain way or make any particular decision.
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You don’t need to have the perfect label or a clear answer before starting therapy. There’s room for uncertainty, exploration, changes over time, and figuring out what feels right for you.
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That’s completely okay. Your identity can be part of the picture without needing to be the focus of every session. We can work on anxiety, relationships, trauma, family stress, self-esteem, or whatever is bringing you in, while still making space for the parts of your identity that matter.
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Yes. My practice is fully virtual, and I work with teens and adults throughout North Carolina and South Carolina.
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Yes. I’m in-network with Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield, and I also offer a self-pay option of $150 per session.
Ready for a Space That Feels More Like Yours?
You deserve therapy where your identity is understood without becoming the only thing we talk about.
Let’s talk about what’s bringing you in and what you’d like to feel different.