As a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, my main role is to address mental health concerns, such as anxiety and depression. We frequently cite how mental health concerns occur at a higher frequency in the LGBTQ+ population, but unfortunately, these concerns can still be under-addressed. I see this most often when there is conflict between a child or adolescent’s identification or disclosure status, and the reception (or anticipated reception) by their family.

Throughout training and in my current practice, I have had the honor of being part of the identification and disclosure journeys of many LGBTQ+ patients while concurrently caring for their mental health.