Mental health attitudes progress with the improvements in societal cultures as far as sexual orientation and gender identity is concerned, the increasing interest being the LGBTQ. In the past, members of this particular group have battled internal as well as transverse conflicts, such as. The more these issues, including prejudice, exclusion as well as aggression, persist the more detrimental their effect on mental health becomes. 

There has been an increase in the number of practitioners trained to offer affirmative therapy services due to the awareness of such circumstances and the need to provide care that is easily approachable. This paper will focus on the advancement of LGBTQ affirmative therapy, the barriers posed within the community, and the impact of activism on health care provision.

With numerous studies revealing alarming statistics, the LGBTQ community's mental health impairment in India remains a major problem. 39% of sexual minorities report having anxiety or despair, according to an Indian Psychiatric Society poll. This is significantly greater than that of heterosexual people. One of the things that makes people more distressed is the stigma, prejudice, and lack of responsiveness from the social support network. Furthermore, one of the main issues in the centre is the harassment of young people in schools, which leaves the majority of them feeling hopeless. Most often societal rejections result in increased thoughts of suicide with a research by Varta Trust stating that 28% of the LGBTQ individuals have tried or have thought of attempting suicide. 

In the realm of mental health treatment, LGBTQ based therapy is a subculture that has emerged to help members of the LGBTQ community accept and value their sexuality. The act of limiting particular components of identity in order to cure someone is not just the result of ignorance, but also of the persistent stigma attached to that viewpoint in treatment. Not only does therapy replicate these healing spaces, but it also intentionally fosters solidarity among individuals who share a common experience with homosexuality. This is due to the fact that LGBTQ people experience prejudice and hostile surroundings from both society and their families, which may have a different effect on their psychological health than it does on others. 

Such comprehension is not limited to the mere acknowledgement of a client’s sexual orientation or gender identity; it involves a more profound understanding of their lived experiences. Cultural competence allows for the sensitive discussion of difficult concepts and helps in developing a therapeutic strap that is built on trust and understanding. It also motivates professionals working in the sphere of mental health to continue learning about matters that regard LGBTQ so that they understand any latest research findings, resources, and advocacy concerning that community.

Identity affirmation is one more crucial element of LGBTQ affirmative therapy. After all, conforming to the heteronormative precepts is the usual practice in today’s world; this healing model strives to make sure that the clients’ identities are accepted, not suppressed, and their experiences celebrated, not discouraged. 

Therapists do this as a means to help their clients accept and love themselves, which are essential for one’s mental health. This affirmation gives the clients power to accept themselves as they are, without regard to what society expects. For a good number of people who identify themselves as LGBTQ, this can be liberating and raise self-worth as this is the period when an individual lets go off the negative feelings about him or herself.

In addition, the focus on identity affirmation can also promote resilience, in that clients become adept at coping with the difficulties inherent in existing within a potentially hostile or indifferent society. In addition, affirmative counselling  prominently features concepts of intersectionality, as there is an understanding that even LGBTQ individuals may endure multiple, overlapping forms of oppression based on their race, gender identity, economic class and other conditions. This perspective is crucial in ensuring that therapy is not only relevant but also effective for each client's unique context. 

The theory of intersectionality clearly recognizes that the experiences of a queer individual who is a person of colour cannot be compared to that of a white LGBTQIA individual and hence, therapy has to be offered in this way that is supportive. By bringing into the picture, the variance of individuals and the social structures of inequalities, therapists will be able to address the variance in their clients in a better way. Attention to dealing with intersectionality promotes the feeling of inclusion in all clients, which promotes better exploration of clients. In conclusion, therapy focuses on the integration of different factors including the core supplanting social and cultural practices and beliefs of affirmative recognition of LGBTQ who they are.

This approach is supportive of the members of the LGBTQ society, because of the cultural competence, identity affirmation, intersectionality. Moreover, many clients are encouraged to accept themselves and empower themselves when offered these services, because of the therapy, the patient, who is a member of the LGBTQ society, deviates from the hostile environment back to mental health and fosters a healthy and resilient attitude towards herself. As the purpose of mental health awareness campaigns targeted at the LGBTQ population is understood and accepted more broadly, a pool of qualified professionals able to provide the necessary support arises. 

Inevitably, there are other aspects to affirmative practice and gay relationship counselling is one of them. This kind of counselling provides an empowering and supportive environment to the partners enabling them to discuss their relationship aspects such as their communication, their feelings as well as their relationship itself without any fear of being judged. In the course of active interaction designed by specialists, for example, in the format of couple therapy, the partners learn to apply other methods of communication, work through crises, and create psychological intimacy. In addition, counselling can encourage partners to set and fulfil their aspirations regarding their relationship, improve the level of physical closeness, and support comprehension of each other’s feelings and viewpoints. In the final analysis, the aim of gay relationship therapy is to help couples foster healthy relationships that will remain intact despite all trust and respect for one another.

From pride parades to advocacy campaigns, people and institutions work hard to curb discrimination, promote inclusivity and provide mental health services to the LGBTQ community. This has developed as an understanding of the problems and concerns of people belonging to the LGBTQ community. As activism and other forces impact mental health care, many therapists are able to practise in an inclusive and culturally safe manner. Affirmative therapy, which addresses the specific mental health needs of the LGBTQ population, assists clients in understanding, expressing, and bringing cohesion to their identities, as well as ensuring appropriate adaptation to the changing situations.

As global activism becomes the norm, coupled with the heightened sensitization, it remains important to keep the focus on mental health issues amongst the LGBTQ population. In this way, where we support equality, inclusion and respect, it would be possible to thrive irrespective of one’s sexual orientation or gender identity and love oneself, enjoy good mental health and care, and seek to achieve mental well-being.