Kink Positive Therapy
Kink positive therapy in Chicago, IL for adults navigating BDSM, kink identity, polyamory, non-monogamy, and sexual shame. Trauma-informed, affirming therapy helps improve communication, strengthen relationships, build confidence, and reduce anxiety related to stigma or cultural pressure.
Where you're heard, understood, and supported.
For some, kink can be all about exploring fantasies and behaviors that bring about excitement, enjoyment, and even healing. For others, it is an identity, a way of forming relationships, and finding community. Freelife therapists are trained and experienced in helping clients discuss the many roles kink can play in your mental health and happiness and the unique joys and challenges it can bring. Whether you are at the beginning of exploring kinky fantasy or desire or currently living a life where kink or BDSM plays a major role, we are here to support you in your mental health needs.
Quick Facts
- Who It’s For: Adults exploring BDSM, kink identity, fetish interests, polyamory, and alternative relationship structures.
- Common Concerns: Sexual shame, stigma, relationship conflict, communication challenges, anxiety, trauma, identity exploration.
- Modalities: CBT, DBT, EMDR, Brainspotting, trauma-informed and attachment-based approaches.
- Session Format: 50-minute individual or couples sessions; intensives available.
- Location & Access: In-person in Chicago, IL and secure telehealth across Illinois. Insurance accepted.
Therapy for the Kink Community
Therapy for those Exploring Polyamorous Relationships
Whether you’re seeking self-discovery as an individual or aiming to deepen trust and connection within your kink relationships, we provide a safe space for authentic conversations and meaningful growth.
What Is Kink Positive Therapy?
Therapy at Freelife offers a safe and affirming space to explore, understand, and celebrate your identity and relationships within the kink community. It helps you foster self-acceptance by breaking free from societal stigma and fully embracing your authentic self. Through therapy, you can enhance communication skills, fostering understanding and alignment with your partners. It also provides tools to navigate complex dynamics, such as managing boundaries, ensuring consent, and navigating diverse relationship structures. In a supportive environment, you can work through emotional challenges like feelings of shame, isolation, or judgment. Therapy supports you in strengthening connections by building trust, intimacy, and deeper bonds in your relationships. Most importantly, it empowers you to celebrate your identity and lifestyle with confidence and without judgment. Therapy for the kink community is about honoring your unique experiences and empowering you to thrive in all areas of your life.
Therapy at Freelife means working with professionals who truly understand your world—because they’ve lived it too. Our therapists don’t just affirm your identity; they deeply understand the experiences, challenges, and intricacies unique to the kink community. With insight into dynamics, desires, and the stigmas you may face, we provide expert guidance grounded in authenticity and empathy. Here, you’re not just seen—you’re genuinely understood and fully supported as you navigate your relationships, desires, and personal growth within a safe and affirming space.
What Makes Kink Positive Therapy Different?
How Kink Therapy Works
1. Initial Consultation
We begin with a 15–20 minute consultation to understand your goals, relationship structure, and what brings you to therapy. This is a chance to ensure the fit feels affirming, safe, and aligned with your needs.
2. Assessment & Goal Setting
In early sessions, we explore your experiences with identity, relationships, stigma, communication patterns, and any trauma or anxiety that may be impacting you. Together, we clarify meaningful goals for therapy.
3. Treatment & Skill Building
Using evidence-based approaches such as CBT, DBT, EMDR, Brainspotting, and trauma-informed care, we work on emotional regulation, communication skills, shame reduction, boundary setting, and relational clarity.
4. Integration & Identity Affirmation
As progress builds, therapy focuses on integrating insights into daily life—strengthening confidence, improving relationship dynamics, deepening consent practices, and aligning your lifestyle with your authentic self.
5. Ongoing Support or Intensives
Some clients continue with ongoing weekly sessions, while others transition to maintenance or schedule focused intensives for deeper relational or identity work.
Therapy at Freelife Behavioral Health goes beyond addressing challenges—it’s about celebrating your identity, strengthening your relationships, and cultivating fulfillment in your unique journey.
For those in the kink community, struggles can sometimes feel isolating, but therapy offers a supportive space to explore, heal, and grow. Our specialized care addresses the following:
Embracing Identity: Discover and affirm your authentic self, embracing the fullness of your desires and lifestyle.
Overcoming Sexual Shame: Challenge societal stigmas and release shame, building confidence in your sexual expression.
Enhancing Relationship Dynamics: Improve communication, establish healthy boundaries, and navigate the complexities of kink relationships with clarity and care.
Healing from Cultural and Familial Pressure: Work through religious trauma, familial conflicts, and societal guilt that may impact your confidence and connections.
Addressing Repetitive Patterns: Tackle compulsive behaviors or habits in a non-judgmental environment.
Building Resilience: Manage anxiety and life transitions with tools and strategies tailored to your unique experiences and goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Kink positive therapy can be effective when it provides a nonjudgmental space to explore identity, relationships, and emotional patterns. Evidence-based approaches such as CBT, DBT, EMDR, and trauma-informed therapy support anxiety reduction, improved communication, and shame processing.
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Yes. Therapy is confidential and grounded in professional ethical standards. Consensual kink, BDSM, and non-monogamous relationships are not pathologized. Sessions focus on emotional safety, consent awareness, and clear boundaries. You are not required to disclose anything beyond what feels manageable.
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The number of sessions varies depending on your goals, relationship dynamics, and personal history. Some clients seek short-term support around a specific concern. Others choose longer-term therapy for deeper relational or identity work.
Treatment length is discussed collaboratively.
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Kink positive therapy can address sexual shame, communication challenges, relationship conflict, stigma, anxiety, trauma history, boundary setting, and identity exploration.
The focus is on clarity, consent, emotional regulation, and relational health.
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American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5-TR).
https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsmMeyer, I. H. (2003). Minority stress and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations. Psychological Bulletin.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674National Institute of Mental Health. Psychotherapies Overview.
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/psychotherapies
Getting Started is Easy
To get started, fill out the form below and we will reach out for your free consultation.