John Sovec is a therapist, coach and counselor based in Pasadena, California. He is a nationally recognized expert on creating affirmative support for LGBTQIA+ teens and their families during the coming out process. John is the author of Out: A Parent’s Guide to Supporting Your LGBTQIA+ Kid Through Coming Out and Beyond. He is a frequent contributor to numerous publications on providing LGBTQIA+ support, speaks at conferences nationally, and provides training and consultation on LGBTQIA+ competencies for community agencies, schools, and non-profits.

He is a nationally recognized expert on creating affirmative support for LGBTQIA+ adolescents with his work featured on The Riki Lake Show, OWN, FOX, The Advocate, Bravo, LA Talk Radio, The Washington Post, and columns for Huffington Post, Medium, and Good Therapy. John is the host of OutTalk, a monthly web series for OutCare Health.

In this episode of Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal talks with John Sovec about all of the thoughts, feelings, and considerations families experience when a child comes out as Queer or trans. John helps us understand the sometimes bumpy road to acceptance, gives great advice on how to respond when your kid comes out, and explains the nuanced differences between the experiences of having a child come out as Queer and having a child come out as trans.

You can learn more about John Sovec and the good work that he does at www.JohnSovec.com and www.GayTeenTherapy.com.

You can purchase John’s book, Out: A Parent’s Guide to Supporting Your LGBTQIA+ Kid Through Coming Out and Beyond, here: https://www.amazon.ca/Out-Parents-Supporting-LGBTQIA-Through/dp/1839974249/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3LA72EGXF…

A coming out song that John loves is Cher’s ‘Believe.’ You can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZXRV4MezEwhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/nZXRV4MezEw

You can follow John on Instagram: @ JohnSovedtherapy or on Twitter, @ JohnSovec