Welcome to Summer

It finally feels like we're getting into summer. This is that ideal time in NYC when the weather is warm enough for shorts but cool enough to keep our windows open at night. Early summer in New York is perfect for getting out of your apartment and checking out some of the free or low-cost events offered in all of the 5 boroughs before it gets so hot we all retreat back into the AC. June also marks the beginning of Pride Month, which is recognized annually to honor the 1969 Stonewall Riots.

Pride is a time to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and reflect on progress made towards equality. For us at CAP, creating a safe and inclusive space for everyone — regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or ethnicity — requires more than just good intentions. It demands deliberate action, education, and practice policies that foster genuine inclusion and safety. It also requires the discomfort of highlighting ongoing challenges, particularly the importance of gender-affirming care and the significant threats currently facing the queer community.

As therapists, we recognize the profound impact that community support and allyship have on the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of LGBTQIA+ individuals. In these challenging times, it is essential to remember the importance of standing together, as both community members and allies, to celebrate the rights we’ve achieved and to express our solidarity and commitment to the future. [Read more about]

By advocating for inclusion and showing up for one another, we send a powerful message of our commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all members of the LGBTQIA+ community. During this month’s Pride and throughout the year, we continue to honor our victories and work tirelessly to protect and expand the rights we have fought so hard to secure, knowing that our collective efforts contribute to a healthier, more equitable society.

Read more about resources and the importance of LGBTQIA+ affirming care on our blog below.

Resources

PFLAG Language Directory

NYC LGBTQIA+ Mental Health Resources

NYC.gov Interactive map for queer affirming health & mental health care

National LGBTQIA+ Mental Health Resources

NYC Community Centers & Organizations
The Center Offers health and wellness programs, arts and culture events, recovery and wellness programs, family support, and youth programs.
Callen-Lorde Provides comprehensive healthcare, including primary care, HIV/AIDS treatment, transgender health services, mental health services, and sexual health services.
GMHC Offers HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and advocacy services. Provides testing, mental health support, legal services, and substance use counseling.
Ali Forney Center Provides housing, healthcare, and support services to homeless LGBTQIA+ youth.
Audre Lorde Project A community organizing center focusing on the needs of LGBTQIA+ people of color. Offers advocacy, education, and direct services
APICHA Community Health Center Provides healthcare services to the LGBTQIA+ community, with a focus on Asian and Pacific Islanders.
PFLAG NYC is a chapter of the national PFLAG organization, dedicated to supporting LGBTQIA+ people and their families in the New York City area. It offers a range of services including support groups, educational programs, and advocacy initiatives.

NYC Legal Support & Advocacy
Lambda Legal Provides legal representation, advocacy, and public education on behalf of LGBTQIA+ individuals and those living with HIV.
The Sylvia Rivera Law Project Provides legal services, advocacy, and education to support the rights of transgender, intersex, and gender non-conforming people.

And more!

Free & Low Cost Pride Events

Manhattan
Black & Queer: A Juneteenth Concert: June 19, 7PM
Youth Pride: June 29, 12PM
Dyke March: June 29 5PM
Pride March: June 30 11AM
Bliss Days: June 30, 2PM
PrideFest: June 30 11AM

Brooklyn
Brooklyn Pride Interfaith Service: June 4, 7PM
Pride Comedy Night: June 5, 7PM
Brooklyn Cyclones Pride Night: June 6, 7PM
Brooklyn Pride Movie Night: June 7, 7:30PM - 10:30PM
Brooklyn Pride LGBTQIA+ 5K Run/Walk: June 8, 10AM - 12PM
Brooklyn Pride Multicultural Festival: June 8, 11AM - 5PM
Brooklyn Pride Twilight Parade: June 8, 7:30 PM
Brooklyn Pride Main Stage: June 8, 12PM - 6PM
Brooklyn Youth Pride: June 15, 12PM - 5PM
Rooftop Films Presents Queerly Beloved: Pride Shorts in the Park: June 25, 7PM

Bronx
Bronx Pride Festival & Health Fair: July 20, 11 AM - 7PM

Queens
Queens Pride Festival: June 2, 11AM - 6PM
Queens Pride Parade: June 2, 12PM
New York Mets Pride Night: June 28, 7:10PM

Staten Island
Staten Island Pride Festival: June 1, 12PM - 6PM

Wellness Date

Jessica Gaines, MPS, CAT:

My wellness date would be exploring a new hike that ends at the water and taking some time to relax alone by the beach.

Identity Collage

The term "collage" derives from the French word "coller," meaning "to glue." The technique was first used by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque at the turn of the 20th century. Their works combined various materials, such as newspaper clippings, fabric, and photographs and created a form of visual expression that was revolutionary in the contemporary fine art world.

During the same time period, Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud was developing a psychological framework to understand personality and human behavior. Psychoanalytic theory, as it came to be known, examines the role that early life experiences and the subconscious play in our daily lives.

Freud’s work had a profound influence on Western psychology and his theories were of interest to many avant-garde artists of the time - particularly surrealist artists who sought to better understand themselves and the world through dreams, symbolism, and the unconscious. Max Ernst, Man Ray, André Breton, Hannah Höch, René Magritte, and Salvadore Dalí all used collage in their art practice.

Just as those artists who came before intuitively understood, using collage can help us examine and explore identity. Gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, spirituality, hobbies, talents, and experiences can all be examined and better understood through collage making.

Materials:

Large paper or poster board, glue, and collage materials - magazines, newspapers, colored paper, fabric scraps, etc.

Procedure: 

1. Cut out images, words, and symbols from the materials that represent various elements of your identity

2. Glue the cut-out pieces onto their collage base

Explorative Questions: 

1. What is the significance of the individual elements that you’ve chosen to include in your collage?

2. Are there any interactions between the elements you’ve chosen to include that stand out to you?

3. When you look at your collage as a full composition, what are some feelings that come to mind?