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As humans, we all want to belong. But we have to feel like we are in a safe space to be ourselves to thrive. 

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Lori Sweetman to talk about their journey from not feeling like they fit in and having mental health struggles to now, where they help members of the LGBTQ+ community to feel more empowered when it comes to their gender and sexuality so they can be their authentic selves. 

Lori Sweetman, a lifelong educator in a public elementary school and, as a non-binary sexually fluid human who bore witness to the impact of minority stress on queer identity development, strives to create affirming and positive environments for LGBTQ+ populations. 

With a particular interest in how this impacts the community’s youth, Lori is currently researching LGBTQ+ identity formation and internalized biases, and how art appreciation, education, and environmental changes can positively influence identity development. Through exploring what creates internalized biases toward the queer community, Lori unpacks environmental and unconscious influences. 

Today, as director of Include LGBTQ Empowered Life Coaching and Consulting, Lori devotes their life to helping people feel empowered in their gender and sexuality, and thereby confident in living as their authentic self, freely and openly. 

Lori is married to their wife, Dana, and has two children, two puppies, and three guinea pigs in Great Meadows, NJ.  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• What internalized bias is 
• Creating a safe space for people to be themselves
• Lori’s journey growing up feeling like they didn’t belong
• When they realized they were attracted to women and the impact it had on their marriage
• The anxiety and depression that Lori experienced during their relationship
• The benefits of having language and labels to describe yourself 
• Going with the flow when it comes to your children
• The secret to having a positive impact on your child
• Why you don’t have to fit into an “absolute role” 
• How Lori helps kids feel safe

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Lori. If you want to learn more from them, make sure to check out their website here. You can also follow them on Instagram here. 

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! 

Links: 

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Get in touch: [email protected]

Quotes: 

“Experimenting can be great, but it can also be bad when you don’t feel safe.” -Lori

“I wanted to have language to say that I came out of this with something and I know who I am.” -Lori

“There’s comfort in fitting into a box, but we need to find our box.” -Marc

“I don’t think anyone fits into what we would call these ‘absolute roles’”. -Erik