Pride, Mental Health, and The Power of Being Seen
On Saturday, June 7, 2025, I had the absolute joy of attending my very first Pride event, not just as a participant, but as a vendor with my booth for The Traveling Psychologist. I came prepared with over 200 grown-up goodie bags filled with treats and info about therapy and testing services, plus raffle prizes like a self-care kit and a free intake session. I also set up a table with free Pride stickers, temporary tattoos, and (maybe most importantly on a Texas summer day) nearly 100 ice pops. It turns out rainbow tattoos and ice pops are the universal love language for both kids and adults alike!
The Relaxation Station
While Pride is a beautiful celebration of love and identity, it can also be a sensory overload, especially for neurodivergent folks. Crowds, heat, noise, bright colors – it’s a lot. So I transformed my mobile office into a Relaxation Station: a quiet, air-conditioned space where anyone feeling overstimulated could escape for a few minutes, reset, and breathe.
Some folks visited once. Others came back two or three times throughout the day. Whether they needed a cool space to regulate or simply a quiet moment alone, the response was overwhelmingly positive. It reminded me how rare these kinds of accommodations still are and how much they are needed.
I also used the opportunity to help people experience what therapy with me might feel like: grounded, welcoming, sensory-considerate, and affirming.
The Inspiration Board: Community Wisdom on Display
Right outside the Relaxation Station, I set up a large poster board with the prompt: “What helps you get through hard days?”
Anyone passing by was invited to grab a marker and leave a note. It was beautiful to watch. Total strangers wrote words of encouragement, little rituals that keep them going, reminders of their worth, and heartfelt advice for anyone struggling.
By the end of the event, the board was full. It became this living, breathing collection of resilience and solidarity. Some people came by just to read the responses and smiled as they recognized something that resonated with them. Others added their own words, hoping to inspire someone else.
It’s proof of one of my favorite truths: healing happens in community.
A Psychologist at Pride
This was the largest event I’ve ever attended as a vendor, and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t overwhelming in its own way. The prep alone took weeks, with the final 48 hours being a blur of packing, printing, labeling, and organizing. I worked over 15 hours the day before just to make sure everything was just right.
The day of the event, I arrived at 11 AM to set up, and didn’t get home until nearly 9 PM. By then, I was hot, sunburned, dehydrated, and completely socially spent. But emotionally? My cup was overflowing!
There’s something sacred about being in a space filled with so much joy, love, and unapologetic authenticity. Even in my exhaustion, I felt deeply energized by the community. People I had never met shared their stories with me, opened up about their mental health, their neurodivergence, their fears and hopes. They felt safe. And that is the greatest gift anyone could offer a psychologist.
Pride: A Brief History and a Deep Purpose
Pride started not as a party, but as a protest. The Stonewall Uprising in June of 1969 led by trans women of color like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera marked a pivotal moment in the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights. Pride Month is a time to celebrate identity, yes, but also to recognize the ongoing fight for equity, safety, and visibility.
As a psychologist, I see firsthand how essential it is to feel seen and understood. Queer and trans individuals still face disproportionately high rates of depression, anxiety, trauma, and suicide, not because of their identities, but because of the stigma, discrimination, and rejection they often endure. Pride is not just a celebration; it’s an act of resistance and self-affirmation. And mental health support that affirms and honors identity is a crucial piece of that.
Why It Matters So Much
As someone who specializes in working with neurodivergent adults, especially those who’ve spent years masking or questioning why things feel harder than they should, I know how rare and precious it is to find a space where you can just be. Pride offers that space, and I wanted my booth, my mobile office, and my presence to be an extension of that.
If you or someone you know is craving a place to be seen, heard, and valued for exactly who you are, I’d love to connect. Whether you’re exploring your identity, overwhelmed by life, or simply tired of feeling like you’re “too much” for the world around you, I’m here for you.
Love is love.
Neurodivergence is valid.
You are not broken.
Let’s celebrate that…not just at Pride, but every day.
Ready to take the next step? You can learn more or schedule a free consultation call here.
