LGBTQ+

We Offer A Safe Space

We understand that it can be difficult to talk about pelvic and sexual health concerns for anyone and this may be compounded when you are unsure about how your sexuality will be received.

We also know that ~ 20% of LGBTQ+ individuals have or will experience discrimination in healthcare and want you to know that you are welcome here, just the way you are!

Your sexuality is an important part of your pelvic health and if you do not feel safe discussing it honestly you will have a hard time achieving healing of pelvic floor conditions. For this reason, we are here to try to make you feel safe and welcome regardless of your sexuality or gender identity.

Gender and Sexuality Affirming Practices

Pronouns

We invite you to let us know which name and pronouns you prefer and will refer to you by them throughout your care.

Listening

We have long (1 hour or more) sessions that are ALL 1-on-1. You can keep the therapist you want and not be concerned about being handed off to someone you do not know. We are committed to creating a safe environment – we listen actively to your concerns and work WITH YOU to come up with a treatment plan that meets your goals.

Trauma-informed care (link to Blog)

We recognize the increased rates at which members of the LGBTQ+ population have been subjected to sexual and other forms of trauma and we take a trauma-informed approach to every visit to prevent more harm and to try to help restore your sense of “Safety in Me” that is needed to achieve whole-person healing and wellness.

Minimally-invasive and advanced approaches (link to RUSI page when it’s created)

We are able to use tools such as Rehabilitative Ultrasound Imaging and Dry Needling as well as a whole-person approach to allow for effective treatment with minimal invasive/internal treatment as appropriate based on personal preference.

Welcome!

We are excited to be a part of your health and wellness journey and meet you wherever you are. Gender dysphoria can be a challenging condition to navigate and we want to support you as a whole person, using our Functional, Integrative, and Lifestyle Medicine (FILM) approach. With this approach, we can help tease out ALL of the underlying causes of your symptoms (including sleep, diet, hydration, stress, etc.) and treat you as a unique and whole person.

We treat most of the same conditions regardless of your gender or sexuality, they may just look or be called something a little different (aka pain with penetration Vs. “dyspareunia”). We also recognize these as areas that our transgender patients may also be interested in knowing about specifically.

I look forward to getting to know you and helping you on your journey! If you identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ population, I am your go-to specialist. While all of our providers are competent and caring, I have worked with OutCare Health and attended continuing education courses through the APTA to attain further knowledge on how I can provide you the best care possible.

No, I do not personally identify as LGBTQ+, but I am a strong Ally and I have found myself surrounded and embraced by members of the community my whole life because of my sincere commitment to valuing diversity in all aspects of humanity.

-Dr. Keeli Gailes

Binding, Tucking, and Packing

If you are currently using gender-affirming practices such as binding, packing, or tucking, you may have learned that they can take a toll on your body over time. We are here to help you eliminate and/or manage the discomfort that can arise due to changes in muscle and fascial tissue from these practices.

Post-surgical Rehabilitation

Pre-hab

If you are already dealing with bowel, bladder, or sexual dysfunction or pelvic pain it is important to work with a pelvic PT to address these concerns prior to surgery to allow for the best possible recovery and minimize the impact of surgery on these functions.

Top-surgery

Whether you undergo breast augmentation or reduction/removal there will be scar tissue. All individuals will benefit from learning how to best manage this scar tissue and some will have more repercussions than others. You will likely also notice changes in your posture and tension patterns through the neck/shoulders and upper back and may need assistance improving tissue or joint mobility as well as learning how to strengthen into your new “ideal” posture to prevent long-term impacts. Some of those changes may be increased effort with breathing, voice strain, pelvic floor tension, and stress/anxiety response via the impact on the Vagus nerve.

Bottom-surgery

It is absolutely necessary to get pelvic PT following any kind of bottom surgery due to the complexity and invasiveness of the procedure and significant potential for scar tissue and spasms that may result to lead to pelvic pain, urinary urgency/hesitancy or incomplete emptying as well as constipation and pain with intercourse. Initiating PT early (following initial tissue healing or ~4-6 weeks) is important to decrease risks posed from scar tissue/adhesions. It can also help you re-learn how to find and engage the muscles, progress with dilator use, and understand your new anatomy and how it will respond differently for sexual, bladder, and bowel function.

If you have any specific questions or want to see if we are a good fit for your unique situation, book your appointment today!

Read more about LGBTQ+ Health topics in our Blog!