Sexuality and Identity Exploration
Therapist for expats and internationals
Questions about who you are, who you’re drawn to, or how you want to live your gender or sexuality can surface at any age, and they rarely arrive with easy answers. Maybe something no longer fits, maybe something new is emerging, or maybe you’ve known for a long time and are working out what to do with it.
At Bloomwave, I offer an affirmative space to explore these questions without pressure to label yourself or reach a conclusion by any deadline. Book a first session to get to know each other. It’s free of charge, with no waiting list or referral required.
Location
🏠 Leiden
💻 Online
Languages
🇬🇧 English
🇪🇪 Estonian
Useful Info
⏱️ No waiting list
🧍Adults 18+
Who is this therapy for?
This work is for anyone exploring their sexual orientation, gender identity, or sense of self. My practice is explicitly LGBTQIA+ affirmative: your identity is never treated as a problem to fix, and exploration is the goal, not steering you toward any particular answer.
You might recognize yourself in some of the experiences below:
- Questioning your sexual orientation or gender identity
- Navigating coming out, or deciding whether and when to
- Growing up between cultures with different expectations of you
- Shame or fear around desire, attraction, or expression
- Grief or conflict in family relationships around your identity
- Feeling like you’re performing a version of yourself
Identity questions can be heavy to carry alone, and can feed (signs of) anxiety and depression.
How therapy can support your exploration
You set the agenda and the pace. My role is not to steer you toward any identity or away from one, but to give you room to be honest, perhaps for the first time out loud. Our work together is tailored entirely to your own experiences, patterns, and needs.
Together we’ll untangle what is truly yours from what was expected of you, work through shame or fear that has attached itself to your identity, and think through real-world questions like coming out, relationships, and community. My aim is for you to feel at home in yourself.
Some of my approaches to identity exploration
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT helps with the anxious loops that often accompany identity questions, like catastrophizing how others will react or endlessly searching for certainty. Together, we work on managing that anxiety so exploration feels less like a threat.
Schema
Therapy
Schema Therapy helps untangle internalized messages about who you were supposed to be, from family, culture, or religion, and the shame they can leave behind. Understanding those patterns makes room for an identity that is actually yours.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
ACT is well suited to identity exploration: it focuses on values, acceptance, and living authentically even when uncertainty remains. You don’t have to have it all figured out to start living as yourself.
Hi, I’m Laura!
Laura Ruusalu (She/Her)
As a licensed therapist and an expat myself, I know what it is to work out who you are across cultures and languages. I’m originally from Estonia and grew up moving between Finland and Norway before finally settling in the Netherlands.
Now I offer therapy in English and Estonian, in Leiden and online. I mainly work with expats, international students, and LGBTQIA+ individuals exploring sexuality, gender, and identity in an affirmative, judgment-free space. My approach is evidence-based and focused on creating a safe space where every part of you is welcome.
What you can expect when working with me
Free 30-minute session
Your journey begins with a free 30-minute online contact session, where we’ll explore how I can best support you.
Sliding scale pricing
I offer a sliding scale to keep therapy accessible, with rates based on your financial situation. €80 – €140 / hour
Personalised treatment
I use an integrative approach tailored to your individual needs and desires, always in collaboration.
Client testimonials
“Laura is amazing, as someone who intellectualises their feelings and experiences, finding a good psychologist is sometimes very difficult. However, Laura was heaven sent and has really helped me actually feel my feelings and process my traumas while also working on my triggers and coping mechanisms. Cannot recommend her enough. Thank you, Laura!”
– TK
“I had a very good experience with Laura. She is professional but also makes you feel very comfortable and made me realise things about myself that I still think about/use to this day (which is the first time this has happened for me in therapy). To me, this shows that Laura really listens to her clients.”
– ND
“Having tried various therapists in the past, I came in with feeling a little uneasy and curious to see how Laura from Bloomwave would address my issues and working together through therapy. I am a 22 year old female and I am extremely satisfied with my experience. In the past i often felt like I was not able to be fully understood. But with Laura I felt not only understood but also pulled out of my perceptions to think more critically and understand myself even better. Very professional and very good with helping one find comfort in the session environment. I hope to continue working with her for many sessions to come for my foreseeable future.”
– IW
Why choose Bloomwave practice?
- Personalised, integrative approach
- Accessible rates based on your financial situation
- No waiting list, no referral needed
- Safe space, LGBTQIA+ affirmative
Ready to take the next step?
If questions about your identity or sexuality have been asking for room, therapy is a solid place to give them that. I offer a free 30-minute online consultation so we can chat about what’s been going on and see if working together feels like the right next step for you. There’s no pressure and no obligation. The contact session gives us a chance to see if my approach matches what you need.