11 LGBTQ+ Therapy Tools to Support Identity Exploration (Freebies Included!)
- Monique McNamara
- 1 day ago
- 8 min read
Updated: 29 minutes ago
A Safe Place to Explore Identity
You know that moment—when a client hesitates, looks down, and says something like, "I’m not sure what label fits me… or if I even want one." Maybe they’re confused about attraction, maybe they’re caught between what they’ve been told and what they’re starting to feel. Either way, you feel it: this moment matters.
As a therapist, you want to hold that space with care. You want to help them explore, without pressure. Offer language, without assumptions. And support them in their process—whether they’re naming their identity for the first time, questioning it quietly, or somewhere in between.
That’s where the right tools come in.
These LGBTQ+ tools and resources were created with exactly that moment in mind. When clients don’t have the words—or have too many—and when you want to support without steering. In this post, we’re exploring each of these tools and their potential benefits. You’ll get real examples of how to use them in session, ideas for integrating them into your ongoing work, and suggestions for navigating some of the common questions that come up around identity and orientation.
Read our other post about these LGBTQ+ tools:
Why These Tools Matter in Therapy
Working with LGBTQ+ clients often means navigating more than just labels—it’s about creating a space where identity, attraction, and expression can be explored without judgment. But let’s be honest: even the most experienced of us can sometimes feel unsure when terms shift, language evolves, or a client arrives with questions that aren’t easily answered.
You might hear:
"I feel like I’m making things up. What if I don’t know what I am yet?"
"Does it still count if I only feel that way sometimes?"
"Is this even a real label?"
These are powerful questions. And how you respond can shape how safe a client feels in your space.
That’s why these resources matter. They give you something solid to offer—not answers, but frameworks. Not definitions, but invitations. Tools like these say: “You don’t need to know it all right now. Let’s figure it out together.”
With the right support, identity exploration becomes less about pressure to decide and more about permission to be curious. That’s the heart of this work—and why having tools that reflect flexibility, affirmation, and clarity makes such a difference.
LGBTQ+ Glossary (Free Resource)
You don’t need to be a walking dictionary of LGBTQ+ terms to be an effective therapist—but you do need a resource you can trust. The LGBTQ+ Glossary gives you just that.
This glossary is a free resource designed to offer clarity, compassion, and shared language. Whether you're brushing up on terms between sessions or reviewing a word together with your client, it becomes a tool for connection rather than correction.
In-session use: Let’s say a client mentions identifying as “demiromantic” or “aroflux,” and you’re unfamiliar—or they’re unsure how to explain it. Instead of freezing or redirecting, you can pull out the glossary and say, “Let’s look at it together.” It shows that you’re open, curious, and supportive. You’re modeling that it’s okay not to know everything—and that learning is part of the process.
Ongoing use: Encourage clients to take it home, highlight terms that resonate, or make notes in the margins. It’s especially helpful for teens and young adults who are scrolling through conflicting definitions online and just want something clear and compassionate. A teen might return after a week and say, “This helped me explain to my mom what I couldn’t put into words.”
The glossary helps ground your sessions in shared understanding—and it’s completely free. You can download it anytime from the Freebie Library.
Gender Identity Maps (Free Resource)
When clients struggle to express how they experience gender, sometimes words just aren’t enough. That’s where the Gender Identity Maps can make all the difference.
These visual maps are free, printable tools that offer a gentle way to explore gender. For clients who feel “in between,” “not quite one or the other,” or “somewhere on a spectrum,” the maps give them a starting point—a place to mark what feels true right now, even if it changes later.
In-session use: Let’s say a young adult client shares that they don’t feel like a man or a woman, but they’re also unsure about the term non-binary. You bring out the Gender Identity Map and explain that there’s no test, no pressure—just space to explore. As they color or mark what resonates, the conversation starts to open naturally.
It’s a powerful way to shift the focus from “what are you?” to “what feels right to you?”
Ongoing use: The maps aren’t just for a single session—they can evolve with your client. A teen client might bring the same map back over three months, adding new colors and annotations each time. It becomes a timeline of self-awareness—a visual way to track inner shifts.
The Gender Identity Maps are available for free in the Freebie Library.
Orientation Maps
For many clients, untangling attraction is one of the trickiest parts of identity work. They might know who they’re physically drawn to, but struggle to put words around emotional or romantic feelings—or feel like their experience doesn’t match what they’ve seen represented.
The Orientation Maps are a set of printable visuals that explore three distinct forms of attraction: sexual, romantic, and emotional. These maps offer a way to track and reflect on each layer separately—allowing clients to say “yes here,” “not sure here,” and “no here” all in one place.
In-session use: Use these maps to slow things down when a client says something like, “I’m into guys, but not like that” or “I love her, but I don’t want to date her.” The maps help break down language barriers and show that attraction isn’t one-size-fits-all.
Ongoing use: Clients can revisit the maps as they grow and shift. For example, a college student might use the maps to realize their emotional orientation stayed constant while their romantic and sexual orientations evolved—something they hadn’t been able to articulate before. It can be affirming, eye-opening, and help clients better understand their relationships.
These maps are available in both A4 and US Letter formats and are part of our full LGBTQ+ resource collection.
LGBTQ+ Journal Prompts + Instruction Sheet
When clients are unsure of what they feel—or feel everything all at once—writing can provide an anchor. The LGBTQ+ Journal Prompts and Instruction Sheets were designed to help clients pause, reflect, and gently sort through their experiences without the pressure to explain everything out loud right away.
In-session use: You might begin by selecting one or two prompts together during a session. For example, “What does being ‘me’ feel like right now?” or “What parts of myself do I feel most connected to—and which ones do I question?” Invite clients to write in session or take the prompts home as guided reflections.
Ongoing use: The instruction sheets offer a simple structure clients can follow as they revisit the prompts. One client might use them to process identity milestones—like trying out new pronouns—while another might return to the same question over time, journaling how their answers shift. It’s not about reaching a conclusion. It’s about noticing what’s emerging.
With 84 thoughtfully crafted prompts and 2 instruction sheets, this tool supports emotional processing, identity exploration, and empowerment. It’s an ideal companion to the visual maps—especially for clients who prefer words to visuals or benefit from both.
You can find this resource in our LGBTQ+ product collection.
Identity Maps & Scaling Worksheet
Sometimes identity isn't just about who you're attracted to or what label you use—it's also about the deeper layers of expression, desire, and relationship preferences. That’s where the Identity Maps & Scaling Worksheet comes in.
This worksheet helps clients explore a broader spectrum of their identity by reflecting on how they experience different aspects of themselves—from romantic and sexual expression to gendered presentation and relationship structure.
In-session use: Let’s say your client is overwhelmed by labels but still wants to better understand what feels right in their relationships. This worksheet gives you a way to pause and say, “Let’s look at these pieces one at a time.”
You can explore:
How they feel about romantic vs. sexual attraction
Whether they lean toward monogamy, polyamory, or something else
How comfortable they are with gendered roles or presentation
It allows for nuance—and that can be a relief.
Ongoing use: The worksheet can serve as a snapshot in time. Clients can revisit it every few months to reflect on what’s shifted. For some, it's part of building a more complete understanding of themselves over time.
Whether used on its own or in combination with the identity maps and journal prompts, this tool adds another layer of clarity to your work with clients navigating LGBTQ+ experiences.
You can access it as part of the full LGBTQ+ resource collection.
Gently Navigating Client Misinformation
In the age of social media, many clients—especially teens and young adults—come into therapy having absorbed information from TikTok, Reddit, or friends. Sometimes that information is empowering. Other times, it’s confusing, incomplete, or even harmful.
You may hear things like:
"Someone online said you can’t be bi if you’ve only dated one gender."
"My friend told me genderfluid people have to change their pronouns regularly or it’s not valid."
"I read a post that said romantic and sexual orientation have to match."
These moments can be tricky. You don’t want to invalidate what they’ve read or heard—but you also don’t want misinformation to limit their self-understanding.
Here’s where the tools come in again. When these beliefs show up in session, you can gently redirect with curiosity:
“That’s an interesting take—let’s see what the glossary says.”
“Want to look at the map together and see if it still fits for you even if it doesn’t match that post?”
“There are a lot of ways people experience attraction—there’s space for how you feel in all of this.”
Using these tools to open rather than close the conversation helps clients feel empowered instead of corrected. And it reinforces a powerful message: identity is personal, evolving, and valid—even if it doesn’t line up with what they’ve seen online.
Putting It All Together: Which Tool, When?
Each of these tools stands strong on its own, but they’re even more impactful when used together. Think of them as puzzle pieces that help create a clearer, more affirming picture for your client.
Start with the glossary when your client needs clarity or shared language.
Use the identity or orientation maps when your client is stuck in a feeling and needs a visual outlet.
Bring in the journal prompts when your client needs time and space to process what’s coming up.
Use the scaling worksheet when your client wants to dig into nuance beyond attraction.
For example, you might start a session with a glossary term your client recently heard, then use a map to explore how that term fits, and assign a journal prompt for them to reflect on what it means to them between sessions.
There’s no wrong order—only what feels most helpful in the moment.
Quick Overview + Access Info
Here’s where you can find each tool:
Gender Identity Maps – Free download from the Freebie Library
Orientation & Scaling Worksheets – Included in the full LGBTQ+ resource collection
LGBTQ+ Journal Prompts + Instruction Sheet – Included in the full LGBTQ+ resource collection
Therapy Resource Library members can find all of these tools in their Therapy Resource Library, under the LBGTQIA+ category
Gentle Observation: You don’t need to have all the answers. You just need to offer a space where your clients can begin asking their questions safely.
These resources were created to support that space—to help you show up prepared, curious, and compassionate. Whether your client is exploring identity for the first time or returning to it with new eyes, these tools can help them feel seen and supported.
And maybe, in that space, they’ll feel just a little more at home in who they are.
Jemma (Gentle Observations)
P.S. If you're a member of the Therapy Resource Library, you can find all of these LGBTQ+ tools in your membership hub:
P.P.S. Not yet a member? Learn more about the Therapy Resource Library and how it can support your practice here!