Parents of LGBTQ Children - Therapy Support Groups

Mama Dragons has partnered with Flourish Therapy to bring LIFT group therapy for parents. This program has been built to create a space for parents of LGBTQ children to express their emotions, increase their understanding of mental health issues related to their kids, and help them and their children develop coping skills and self-care techniques. 

Each month will cover a specific topic relevant to parenting an LGBTQ child. In November we sold out of spots in our first group and had a strong turnout for the second. 

We thank you for your support in launching this program and for creating affirming homes for LGBTQ folks. 

Learn more about LIFT HERE

Sending all the Mama Dragons love, 

Celeste Carolin - Executive Director Mama Dragons

Coming Topics for the Year

NOVEMBER: Eating Disorders

DECEMBER: Substance Abuse 

JANUARY: Self-Harm

FEBRUARY: Chronic or Acute Suicidal Ideation & Mental Health Hospitalizations

MARCH: Ongoing Depression and Anxiety

APRIL: Non-Affirming Family

MAY: Boundary Problems

JUNE: Bullying

JULY: Sexual Activity, Safety, or Promiscuity

AUGUST: Managing Conflict at Home

SEPTEMBER: Neurodiversity Impacting Mental Health

OCTOBER: Abuse (sexual, physical, emotional)

FAQs:

• 75-minute sessions

• Limited to 18 attendees

• Led by licensed therapists

• For parents of LGBTQ kids

The Mama Dragons team would like to thank all of our generous donors who have already donated and continue to donate to the “Parents of LGBTQ Children - Therapy Support Groups” campaign. We are very grateful for your support and generosity. Your donations have allowed Mama Dragons to start planning this vital series of support groups for parents of LGBTQ children. With continued campaigning and donations, we will launch this program in September 2023. 

The LGBTQ community has always faced discrimination, violence/bullying, and insufficient legal protections. Yet, the threats are so severe that The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. in June 2023. Beyond today’s alarming and dangerous anti-LGBTQ climate, other longstanding statistics hold steady: LGBTQ youth are at least 4x more likely to attempt suicide. 

With research showing that the needs of parents of LGBTQ children to support their LGBTQ children is different than parents of their cisgender, heterosexual counterparts, your donations help us meet this vital need parents have to support the LGBTQ children in their lives. This therapist-led support group series will bring hope to parents, like this mother, who shares why she is grateful for the creation of this support group:

“As mothers, we put our kids first and ourselves last. But, we go through SO MUCH when our kids tell us something we didn’t know - worrying for them and their safety, their future, etc. We need safe places to deal with our own processes, separate from our kids (and often, separate from our spouses.)”

Mama Dragons has identified a need for bi-monthly therapist-led support groups to help parents whose LGBTQ children are actively struggling with depression, anxiety, self-harm, eating disorders, and suicidal ideation. These will be topic focused and provide critical resources for parents as they advocate for their LGBTQ children's mental health.

The funds you have donated have helped us begin the necessary steps to create and launch this therapist-led support group series. We have a ways to go to reach our needed funding goal and will continue to count on support from people like you.