Healthcare in Chicago, a city with an enormous amount of cultural diversity, should be as comprehensive as its residents. For the therapy and counseling practices to be productive for LGBTQ+ individuals, self-care should take a primary space in their health treatment. Members of the LGBTQ+ community face a number of different hardships, including coping with social stigma, discrimination, or even family ostracization. Thankfully, Blue Cross Blue Shield Chicago subsidizes the cost of mental therapy, making it easier for LGBTQ+ individuals to access services without financial strain.

The Importance of LGBTQ-Affirming Therapy

Mental health concerns are prevalent among the LGBTQ+ adult population, who are more likely to experience these compared to heterosexual adults. Clearly, there is a need for mental health services. However, the decision to seek help is often hindered by the fear of prejudice and the lack of an appropriate therapist.

Affirming therapy means working with a provider who recognizes the complexities of gender and sexual identity. The attending therapist offers compassionate care devoid of harsh judgments and attends to the complexities of your problems.

A therapist who specializes in LGBTQ+ mental health has the necessary skills and knowledge to care for patients at all stages, whether it be in coping with coming out, trauma, anxiety, depression, or any related issues. Such a professional is able to understand and integrate the cultural aspects into the care they provide. Here are Summit Psychotherapy, we pride ourselves on offering such a level of mental health care.

Ready to start your healing journey? Contact Summit Psychotherapy today at
(773) 612-6206 or complete our intake form to schedule an appointment.

How does Blue Cross Blue Shield Chicago Support LGBTQ+ Therapy?

Expensive treatment is one of the primary concerns regarding mental healthcare. Out-of-pocket payment for routine therapy sessions is economically constraining for many and creates a system where people are not able to receive needed care.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Chicago starts mitigating this issue by paying for a vast array of mental health services including individual therapy, couples therapy, and even gender affirming therapy.

Using its managed care program, Blue Cross Blue Shield in Chicago provides people who identify as LGBTQ+ with relevant therapists who understand and have experience working with different identities and cultures. We are proud to be in-network, specialized therapists with BCBS Chicago.

In addition to therapy, other services covered under several BCBS plans include psychiatric evaluations and medication management, as well as more specialized treatment for trauma, addiction, and mood disorders. These services help guarantee that LGBTQ+ patients receive adequate attention in regard to their overall mental health and emotional needs.

The Takeaway

Mental health should be viewed with equal importance as physical health, but in most cases, it tends to be neglected because of costs, stigma, or the lack of appropriate specialists. No one should have to face any challenge on their own — much less the challenges of living — when there is loving, affirming, quality therapy available.

For anyone who has been thinking about starting therapy, it is best to do so now. The right therapist can help people move forward in any direction with confidence. Everyone deserves to feel appreciated, heard, and, most importantly, empowered. Healing is within reach, and the possibility of change is here. Call Summit Psychotherapy today.