What does DBT look like when it is truly LGBTQ+ affirming?
In this episode of The Self Careapist Therapist, I sit down with Dr. Kiki Fehling to talk about DBT for LGBTQ+ mental health, minority stress, queer joy, self-love, emotional resilience, and what it means to apply skills in a way that actually honors context.
We talk about why being queer is not the source of mental health harm, how anti-queer environments shape emotion dysregulation, and why DBT can be especially helpful when clinicians understand the transaction between identity, biology, environment, invalidation, and safety.
If you are a therapist working with LGBTQ+ clients, or if you are trying to deepen your affirming practice beyond good intentions, this conversation offers a thoughtful clinical lens. Listen to the full episode of DBT for LGBTQ+ Mental Health: Self-Love, Emotional Resilience & Queer Joy With Dr. Kiki Fehling.
Dr. Kiki Fehling, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and Linehan-Board-certified Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) expert therapist. She specializes in emotional sensitivity, borderline personality disorder, self-harm and suicide, trauma, and LGBTQ+ mental health. She is the co-author of Self-Directed DBT Skills: A 3-Month DBT Workbook and regularly shares mental health tips and DBT-related posts through her @dbtkiki social media accounts. Her work focuses on making DBT skills more accessible and affirming for LGBTQ+ people, especially around self-love, emotional resilience, minority stress, and queer joy.
Website: https://www.kikifehling.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dbtkiki/
Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkikifehling/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/drkikifehling/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dbtkiki
Lorain Moorehead is a therapist, consultant, and EMDR Certified, EMDRIA‑approved consultant specializing in trauma‑informed care and EMDR integration. She works with high‑achieving adults navigating anxiety, perfectionism, identity loss, and relational stress through depth‑oriented, evidence‑based approaches. Lorain brings advanced training in DBT and certification in Perinatal Mental Health, grounding her work in safety, attunement, and nervous‑system awareness. She also supports clinicians through supervision, consultation, and training, with a strong focus on ethical practice and clinical decisionmaking. In 2025, she launched The Self Care‑apist Therapist Podcast, creating space for therapists to explore innovative, research‑backed modalities—including emerging conversations around KAP and trauma treatment.
Website: https://lorainmoorehead.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorainmoorehead/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theselfcareapist/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theselfcareapist
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjS1AkQopGeVq6eP-1j7Y4i-oloOPSJmw
Not sure where you're stuck clinically? Take the free Stuck Point Quiz at lorainmoorehead.com/quiz and get resources matched to your answers.
Self Careapist Therapist Podcast is a biweekly, therapist-to-therapist conversation hosted by Lorain Moorehead, LCSW, PMH-C, EMDRIA Approved Consultant. Guests include psychologists, researchers, and the developers of the clinical models they teach, with practical takeaways for every level, from intern to clinical supervisor. Many episodes offer a free CEU for Arizona licensure through the Board of Behavioral Health Examiners.
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