This really goes for gender dysphoria too. Having a fursona that's majorly fem-presenting has likely saved me years of grief with gender dysphoria. Even today, where hrt is out of reach both because of financial reasons and [gestures at the state of American transphobia], my fursonas are d doing loads of heavy lifting to keep my mental health in this regard above water. I'm not fem-presenting at all irl, unfortunately, but it hurts considerably less when I have p pictures of a really pretty anthropomorphic Vulpix/fox to look at and say "That's me!"