Healing Internalized Stigma with LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy

December 27, 2025 2SC Staff

Internalized Homophobia in Queer Counseling When you grow up in a society that sends pervasive messages that being queer or trans is abnormal, wrong, or sinful, you inevitably absorb those messages. This is the root […]

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‘Hot Jock’ on Halsted Street: What Gay Labels Say About Desire and Identity

December 19, 2025 2SC Staff

As a therapist who works with gay men in Chicago, I spend a lot of time thinking about language. Not just what we say in therapy rooms, but the words we use out in the […]

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“I Can’t Stop Going to Steamworks”: When Does It Become a Problem?

December 10, 2025 2SC Staff

Has Steamworks Become a Problem for You? You’re scrolling through your phone at 2am. You told yourself you weren’t going tonight. You have work in the morning. You’re exhausted. But there’s that familiar pull—the restlessness, […]

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How IFS Therapy Helps LGBTQ+ People Heal Inner Critic Voices

December 10, 2025 2SC Staff

Meaninglessness Among Gay Men: Finding Purpose in 2026

December 7, 2025 2SC Staff

Originally published March 2022 | Updated December 2024 Gay Man Trying To Find Meaning? Have you ever felt like your life had little meaning? You weren’t feeling suicidal, but just didn’t feel satisfied and wondered […]

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7 Tips for Gay Men When Cruising in Boystown: A Therapist’s Guide to Staying Safe and Connected

December 5, 2025 2SC Staff

As a gay therapist who’s practiced in Chicago for over two decades, I’ve heard countless stories about cruising in Boystown—some exhilarating, some disastrous, and many somewhere in between. Whether you’re new to the neighborhood or […]

Body Shaming: Shame as a Sick and Twisted Game

December 5, 2025 2SC Staff

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Chicago’s Queer History: Trailblazers & Safe Havens

December 4, 2025 2SC Staff