LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapists in Los Angeles, CA

I began my private practice with one purpose in mind: to treat clients with respect for the possibility of change in their lives. It is my belief that the best treatment includes the development of a trusting relationship. I am here to support you in creating a life of courage in which you can tackle the obstacles that have limited your potential. I empower individuals to replace feelings of hopelessness with hope for a brighter future. Together, we can forge a plan that will lead to a much more fulfilling life experience.

Working together, I help you overcome challenges, setbacks, barriers, and losses in life, to heal and thrive again. You can learn to overcome challenges such as depression, anxiety, trauma, OCD, ADHD, job stress, career planning, dating/relationship skills, sexual dysfunction, and substance issues, as well as building a better relationship with your partner. I am the most experienced gay men's specialist psychotherapist in the United States, with over 29 years experience. I'm also an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, adjunct Associate Professor at USC, clinical supervisor, and author. In-office, phone, &webcam sessions available.

My passion lies in helping you find your path to increased happiness and living a life that is authentically yours. Through our conversations, you will gain deeper insight into elements in your life that might be challenging to shift. Together we will work to understand your experiences, process feelings and create inner peace and acceptance from within.

I identify as a queer , femme, Chicana therapist. I provide Psychotherapy that is Intersectional and Trauma-informed treatment. Combining techniques of traditional Psychodynamic Therapy as well as Somatic Therapy together we investigate your past and what is happening currently in your body (physical pain, ailments, sensations) in relation to environmental triggers (systemic racism, queer & trans -phobia, sexism, micro-aggressions), as well as attachment styles that inform your core beliefs to get you to a place of a fully developed and embodied sense of self and well being.

Give yourself permission to be vulnerable by putting yourself first. Negative and highly-critical self-talk, especially for gay men, is the root of many of our problems and addictions. You may feel “less-than” others, think poorly of yourself, or are unsure how to get your needs met. I can help you to shed light on where this inner-critic is coming from, how to quiet it, and help you rebuild your relationship with self/others. Next, we can develop tools to manage anxiety and depression, embrace your sexuality, develop a healthier relationship to sex/porn, heal infidelity, integrate love and sex, or improve your relationships.

I have a deep passion for helping people find liberation from problems that bring them to therapy. Understanding why we do things the way we do them is critical to growth, change and healing. I ground my work in warmth, compassion, authenticity and an understanding of how thoughts and emotions relate to neuro/physiological processes, as well as how past experiences inform current beliefs, thoughts, feelings and behaviors. My aim is to help you gain clarity into underlying causes of problems, provide strategies for coping and support you in taking risks and trying new ways of being, to live a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

If you are thinking about beginning therapy, you are not alone. Many people struggle with a difficult situation, a life transition, a relationship, feeling emotional pain, finding thoughts problematic or are living with a frustrating behavior pattern. I provide therapy for couples, marriages, LGBTQ + multi-partner relationships, individuals, in-person EMDR, trauma, and people/partners in the entertainment industry. I am trained in problem gambling and Thanatology/Death/Dying as well. I work relationally and collaboratively to explore, clarify, reflect on, understand, and navigate all aspects of your situation.

Mike Rizzo, LMFT I have worked in the addiction recovery field since 2004. From 2007 to 2019 I worked at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, developing and managing their Addiction Recovery Services / Crystal Meth Recovery Services. Since 7/19 thru 12/21 I was the Program Director of CAST Centers in West Hollywood. Please visit my website for more information.

Existing can be difficult. Tolerating the pressures of personal and societal histories can leave you feeling stuck; add figuring out meaning and purpose of life, and things get overwhelming. Using a straightforward, interactive style (with plenty of humor) I will assist you in bringing a new understanding to issues from the past that limit and color the present. I create a collaborative space where we make sense of all the unknowns of life; whether you are looking to heal shame, trauma, or heal anxiety or grief, I will help you can make the changes necessary to make living a bit easier and move through life with more grace.

Life can be overwhelming at times because so much is happening to us and around us everyday. Navigating your way through all of it, in the healthiest way possible, can sometimes seem harder than the challenges themselves. Maintaining your peace, living unapologetically, setting boundaries, processing your emotions, owning your truths and overcoming one obstacle after another can all sound like easy tasks, but we’ve all struggled with them. I’m here to invite you into a safe and brave space of recognizing and resolving the challenges you face, while we discover your strengths. The time for radical change and healing is always now.

I am a Gay Cis Male therapist specializing in working with the LGBTQ community. Let's just come right out and say it, life can be really challenging! We all have things that cause us to sometimes feel lost, confused, upset or misunderstood. Through our work together, I can help you find helpful ways to work through uncomfortable emotions, relationship concerns, self-defeating thoughts, and more of life's inevitable stressors. I believe that we all hold the ability to manage life's challenges. To do this, we sometimes need a supportive guide. Enter therapy.

Are you feeling stuck in relationships, jobs, or entrenched beliefs about yourself that may not be valid? Unhealthy thoughts, feelings, behaviors and attachments can create patterns that lead to anxiety, depression, addiction and more. The definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results.” If you want to break the cycle, therapy can be a powerful tool in helping you identify problem areas and begin your personal transformation. The process begins with having someone who will listen, understand your needs, uncover stressors and seek solutions.

You might have what people think is a "good life," but feel something is missing. And while you may be able to get out of bed in the morning, you might feel it's harder for you than others. You may be struggling with anxiousness; sadness; personal or professional life changes; excessive worry; difficult relationships or falling into old romantic habits; difficult break-ups or divorce; grief or feelings of guilt; feelings of isolation; adjustments to growing older; poor self-esteem; or have LGBTQ + concerns.

How does your need for certainty play out? Does it force you to try to predict? Does it persuade you to declare things that you don't actually know? Perhaps the need for certainty is powerful enough to rob you of genuine moments with loved ones or with yourself. Research finds that people who take risks (those who step into the unknown) are happier than those who merely reach for reward or gratification. Why? Because healthy risk-taking has rewards sewn into the experience when we authentically try. It builds skills in self-advocacy, self-love and self-worth.

Choosing a therapist is an important decision. In my experience, the best therapeutic work happens when there is a strong relationship between you and your therapist. I believe that healing happens when you are able to share your inner world with another person and feel safe and supported doing so. My goal is to create an environment where you feel seen, heard, cared for, and understood. Processing your experiences in therapy helps to deepen self-awareness, and can positively impact your mood, functioning, and interpersonal relationships.

Maybe you are acknowledging that old patterns of behavior or thinking are no longer serving you and are instead causing you discomfort or even distress. Maybe you are facing new challenges and are motivated to enhance your skill set to cope with them. In any case, I am ready to join you on your journey of redefining purpose in your life and making meaningful change.

We all have a need to connect and feel understood. When we are struggling to cope with life’s challenges, we may need more support than friends and family can provide. Whether you are struggling with addiction, in the midst of grief and loss, or at a crossroad in your life and want to get in touch with parts of you that feel lost, you do not have to face it alone. You may feel like something is wrong but don’t know what it is and need help figuring it out. Maybe you need support in exploring your sexuality or gender and navigating issues specific to the LGBTQ experience. Whatever got you here, we can find solutions together.

Are you experiencing distress in the current world we live in? The pandemic affected all of us one way or another. Perhaps you are ready to come out. Maybe you feel ready to medically transition and you need someone who understands the process. You might be an actor and got activated in the last episode or scene you just did. It could be that you are fed up with misogyny, racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism and want to live in a better world. You may need help finding solid ground as you process heavy memories. Together we can acknowledge, grieve, and bolster resilience to help you thrive in the face of social inequity.

Los Angeles is not an easy city, and these are not easy times. I invite individuals who are navigating identity, relationships, health, and trauma to my practice. I specialize in working within a gender affirming and trauma-informed framework, cultivating our strengths in order to build a life that feels sustainable and true to who we are. I especially welcome those who are new to psychotherapy and am a firm believer in demystifying the process. I approach my practice with warmth, cultural humility, an active and collaborative stance, and authenticity.

Are you feeling stuck in your life and feel overwhelmed when you think about making changes? Or maybe there has been an unexpected change in your life that feels too big to handle and the coping skills you normally use aren’t working or have become more of a problem than a solution. I help my clients make changes in their lives by helping them work through unhelpful patterns, conducting an examination of where things are for them currently vs. where they would like things to be and to make the adjustments in their lives that helps steer them in a positive direction.