Pride and the Power of Becoming: A Therapist’s Reflection

June is here—and with it comes Pride Month. It’s a time of vibrant celebration, community, and remembrance. Across cities and towns, you’ll see parades, picnics, and rainbow flags waving high as we honor LGBTQIA+ culture, progress, and the individuals—past and present—who’ve fought fiercely for our right to live and love openly.

But for many of us, Pride also carries deeper, more personal meaning. As a therapist—and as a gay man—I’ve come to appreciate that Pride is both a celebration and a space for reflection. It’s a month where joy meets complexity, and where being “out and proud” often comes with a long journey through struggle, shame, and ultimately, healing.

If you had told 15-year-old me that one day I’d be married to another man, raising a child together, and running my own therapy practice, I would’ve laughed—maybe cried—and absolutely not believed you. Growing up in a strict Catholic household, in a generation not yet ready to embrace queer identity, and in the shadow of the AIDS crisis of the ‘80s, I was shaped early on by fear and shame.

I learned to believe I was “critically flawed.” I remember feeling like my future was doomed simply because of who I was. Shame colored everything, and as The Velvet Rage so poignantly states, “The toxic core of shame has the gay man utterly convinced that he is critically flawed, and this shame...causes him to filter out the good and grasp only the difficult, bad, and distressing.”

That spoke to my experience for years. I oscillated between trying to prove I was “good enough” and giving in to hopelessness when I felt like I never would be. That tug-of-war led me down some painful paths.

But healing didn’t come in one single breakthrough. It came slowly—through years of self-exploration and growth. Through therapy. Through faith. Through heartbreak and healing, through retreats and books and medicine. Through the steady love of my husband and the joy of raising our daughter. Through mentors, friends, and sometimes, just the quiet decision to keep going.

And that’s what Pride is to me: not just a celebration, but a reclamation. A deep, intentional honoring of how far we’ve come—individually and collectively—and how resilient we are. It’s a time to show up authentically, to be seen, and to remind others who are still in the struggle that they are not alone.

If you are someone who is struggling—whether with your identity, your mental health, addiction, or isolation—know this: help is out there. You deserve support, connection, and healing.

Here are a few resources that may be helpful:

·        The Trevor Project – Crisis support for LGBTQIA+ youth📞 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 678678🌐 www.thetrevorproject.org

·        Trans Lifeline – Peer support by and for trans people📞 1-877-565-8860🌐 www.translifeline.org

·        LGBT National Help Center – Support for youth, seniors, and all LGBTQIA+ individuals📞 1-888-843-4564🌐 www.glbthotline.org

·        SAMHSA National Helpline – For mental health and substance use support📞 1-800-662-HELP (4357)🌐 www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

This Pride, take a moment to honor your story—where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going. Be proud of the progress you’ve made. And if you’re not quite there yet, that’s okay too. Healing is not linear, and you are not alone.

With pride and warmth,

Chris DiGiovanni, LCSW, CADC

Founder & Therapist at Beacon Counseling and Wellness