LGBTQ+ Therapists in Grand Lake, Oakland, CA
See all therapists in Grand Lake, Oakland
Michael Larson
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA, MTS
Verified
Verified
My experience and expertise is in spiritual trauma, life transitions, existential questioning, and
queer
identity exploration.
During unsteady times, we can become consumed and overwhelmed by our own pain and suffering. We may hide from the world and even from ourselves. The idea of being seen may evoke shame, fear, and anxiety that can keep us stuck. In our work together, we will practice navigating the crashing waves of life, diving below what seems to be true, and connecting with something larger than ourselves.
Chelsea DeMarte
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, MFT
Verified
Verified
While I work with diverse individuals from all walks of life, I specialize in working with
LGBTQ
+ community and regularly integrate EMDR into treatment.
Navigating through our human journey can be daunting, and everyone can benefit from support along the way. My role as a therapist is to help you gain more insight into the nature of your inner world and a greater perspective of your outer circumstances so that you can become empowered to create the intentional and meaningful life that you truly desire. With compassion and deep presence, we will identify unconscious patterns that are limiting you so that you can gain the awareness and tools needed to create effective changes for yourself.
Justin Harris
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, AMFT, MA
Verified
Verified
I want to thank you for being here, for taking this very large step towards your growth and towards enhancing your wellbeing. Whether you're looking for support with a specific issue or to build on your insights and quality of life, I am here for you. I am a
queer
therapist and enjoy working with other
LGBTQ
+ individuals. I also enjoy working with adults, teens, and couples of all identities and intersections. I look forward to connecting with you.
Justin Leonti
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA, AMFT
Verified
Verified
I am a
queer
, polyamorous, and integrative transpersonal clinician; I specialize in the areas of polyamory, kink, navigating trauma, consent, and entheogenic integration.
You’re fumbling, feeling clunky, ashamed, lost in transition, and searching for answers. You’ve been told you’re too much, too scattered, and too picky, when in reality, you may very well know what you want and it seems others just can’t meet you there. Together we will explore and unfold acceptance and awareness around ALL of your parts, especially the most intense ones. What you’re searching for is out there, let’s take these next steps on your journey
Waitlist for new clients
Julia Simone Fogelson
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW, CST
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
I work from a sex-positive, poly-friendly, kink-knowledgeable,
queer
- and gender-affirming perspective.
Welcome! I offer compassionate psychotherapy to adults, couples, and teens, as well as sex therapy. I am a Certified Sex Therapist (CST) through AASECT and am also a gender care provider. I believe therapy is a collaborative process; you can think of me as a companion as we travel down the roads of your growth together. If you have been thinking about starting therapy, I invite you to contact me. I am committed to helping my clients become the most authentic version of themselves. I love working with issues around sex, relationships, gender, body image and with members of the LGBTQIA2+ community.
Heather Buchheim
Pre-Licensed Professional, AMFT, APCC
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
Your relationship with yourself is key to how happy you are at home, at work, and beyond. I collaborate one-on-one with clients to cultivate self-compassion and heal from old wounds so they can move from surviving to thriving. I act as a guide and sounding board, with a commitment to respecting each individual as the expert on their own experience. As a
queer
, genderfluid therapist and activist, I support partners in monogamous and consensual nonmonogamous relationships, and I’m committed to honoring and uplifting the lived experiences of people from underrepresented racial backgrounds, abilities, genders, and sexualities.
Keri (Kathryn) Sills-Payne
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
As a
queer
-identified and spiritual-identified woman in an interracial, same-sex marriage, I integrate many layers.
Are you wanting to feel better once and for all? Maybe you can't move on from the past or you're worried about your future. If anxiety, panic, or even depression is stealing your joy, I get it. If traditional talk therapy hasn't helped you feel better, it's time to try a new approach to heal at the source of your pain. For 12 years I have refined my approach through professional training and experience in Relational-gestalt therapy and Brainspotting (derived from EMDR) while centering social justice and trauma-informed care.
Jordan Stern
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
3 Endorsed
Verified
3 Endorsed
I welcome trauma survivors,
trans
people, and neurodivergent adults into my practice! I try to use clear and direct communication myself, it's not a problem if you don't want to make eye contact, and I’m able to work via a combination of chat and video with clients who are sometimes or always nonverbal.
Currently full up and not accepting new clients! - In couples therapy with me, I help by teaching you communication strategies to help lessen defensiveness and increase empathy and warmth in your relationship. I intervene to stop or change interactions that are keeping you from getting the connection you want. I provide mediation and structure for difficult conversations. And by teaching in-the-moment self-regulation and co-regulation techniques, I help you and your partner to speak from and listen with your best selves.
Catherine (Cat) Haueter
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA
Verified
3 Endorsed
Verified
3 Endorsed
I love working with those who don't always feel comfortable or "seen" in clinical settings:
LGBTQ
+ folks, kink/BDSM practitioners, sex workers, POC, poly/open/nontraditional relationship architects, people with disabilities, Burners, self-proclaimed weirdos, and anyone struggling with or exploring identity.
I believe that experiencing loving, nurturing relationships is the best part of being alive. I also recognize that for many of us, creating and maintaining such relationships can be incredibly hard. I view psychotherapy as a means to explore whatever is currently blocking our path to healthy, fulfilling and supportive connections--both to others and to ourselves. Sometimes that means building skills we never learned in the first place. Other times that means examining challenging past experiences. Whatever the circumstances, I am here to support your journey toward growth, fulfillment, and ultimately, greater joy.
Not accepting new clients
Westley Rutter
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
I am very open to work with
LGBTQ
identified clients and am well versed in issues related to sexual identity, gender variance, transitions, coming out, school bullying, family conflict, non-monagamy/polyamory, BDSM/kink, HIV, and other issues that touch the community.
I view therapy as a collaborative relationship, seeking to form a partnership to explore your struggles, moving towards growth and healing. I am experienced in working with anxiety, depression, substance issues, grief/loss, relationship difficulties, trauma, oppression, chronic medical conditions, sexuality, eating disorders, and adoption issues. In addition to individual therapy, I work with couples, and relationships of all configurations.
Waitlist for new clients
Jacqui Ferraiolo
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
Not Accepting New Clients at this Time: Individual, Couples/Relationship, Teen Counseling.
LGBTQIA
+, Poly, Sex-Positive, & Kink friendly. Folks tend to come to me when they are feeling stuck around their anxiety or depression. They usually are holding questions around their sexuality/identity, life transitions, and processing grief or loss. They know that they have the wisdom to resolve these feelings inside, but they are feeling stuck on how to access them. Everything feels a little garbled, and I help them clear the way to access the answers to the questions they are holding.
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Jessica Youseffi
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
27 Endorsed
Verified
27 Endorsed
I'm a
queer
therapist and love supporting
LGBTQ
, poly clients, and people with marginalized identities.
Now Accepting New Clients — Do you feel stuck in the same loops, repeating old patterns, emotional struggles, and self-defeating behaviors? Through a mindfulness-based, somatic, and trauma-sensitive approach, I support you to develop more compassionate awareness to break these cycles, let go of limiting beliefs and be free to live the life you want. Therapy can help you feel more grounded and confident so that you can better navigate relationships, life transitions, and daily stressors. My style is warm, authentic and direct - I'm here to help you develop greater self-awareness and discover new ways of moving through the world.
Shannon Edwards
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA
Verified
Verified
I am a bi-racial,
queer
, and highly sensitive cis woman.
Often times in life we have experiences that cause us to disconnect from our true selves. This can lead to and come from fear, shame, and uncertainty that impacts our relationships to others and ourselves. Reconnecting to our innate wisdom and remembering who we are can be a challenging process and my goal is to work with you to journey back to yourself. Drawing on depth work, art therapy, mindfulness, dream work, and emotional and somatic processing, I will work at your pace to navigate what is most meaningful for you as we find ways for you to authentically reconnect to yourself and others.
David Chung
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
Inclusive / Sex + /
LGBTQIA
+ allied.
I care deeply about supporting clients on their evolving journey towards healing and returning to the truth of who they really are, and I will always honor your autonomy and unique life experiences as essential to your growth and unfolding. Coming from a first-gen immigrant family, I know that our lives can often be impacted by layers of familial/cultural/systemic pressures, intergenerational trauma, and childhood wounding, and I hold compassionate space to explore these aspects of experience through a holistic and trauma-informed lens. As an integrative therapist, I use a variety of approaches depending on your preferences.
Not accepting new clients
Melanie Ferrari
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
I'm a recovering academic (and tech-bro) with the vibe of an excited college professor at a tavern. I’m very authentic and direct with clients. My style is anchored in cognitive science, attachment theory, mindfulness, social justice, and somatic psychology. I value science equally with the domain of intuition and art, and I consider myself an especially huge nerd with evolutionary psychology. I'm
LGBTQIA
+ identified and aligned.
Jessee Lovegood
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, AMFT
Verified
5 Endorsed
Verified
5 Endorsed
Folks come to therapy for a variety of reasons that all boil down to change, whether they're struggling to handle it or make it. Many of my clients' lives don't align with societal norms, either intentionally coloring outside the lines or struggling to fit in. Folks may find themselves overwhelmed, dealing with big emotions, the effects of complex or single-event trauma, complex medical issues, or chronic pain. I am passionate about working with the
LGBTQ
+ - including
trans
kids and their families, disabled, and neurodiverse populations. I like to work with individuals, couples, polycules, and families of all shapes and sizes.
Jules Peithman
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA, AMFT
Verified
Verified
I work with clients of all intersections with a primary focus on those at the intersections of BIPOC and/or
LGBTQ
.
I believe we all have the medicine we need to heal within us; I trust your own innate healing ability. I see my role as a therapist as accompanying you in finding your own inner healing ability. I hold my clients with love and passion for what I understand as sacred inner work. I approach my work with a wildly open heart. I help clients get in touch with their intuition and knowing. Every therapeutic relationship is unique to each client. As an integral therapist, I tailor my approach to your unique needs and draw upon a myriad of theories and techniques to work with you. My approach is heart-centered and intuition lead.
Zara Drapkin
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MA, LCSW
Verified
5 Endorsed
Verified
5 Endorsed
My framework is
LGBTQIA
+ affirming, social justice-oriented, trauma-informed, and strengths-based.
Finding the right therapist can be daunting, and for some, it can be the most difficult step. I offer a free 15 minute phone consultation so that you can assess if we are the right fit. I work with teens and adults presenting with concerns such as depression, anxiety, trauma, grief/ loss, chronic health concerns, relationship issues, and life transitions. In our work together we will explore your strengths and root you in them. We will define your values and explore how to live your life in harmony with them. We will also create space for the areas in your life where you want change and navigate the path to get you there.
Mariya "Mary" Mykhaylova
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
4 Endorsed
Verified
4 Endorsed
Or you are a
queer
person finding your place in a heteronormative world.
The people who come to me are curious to get to know themselves in a deeper away. I work with people to help them live more authentically, embrace their true selves, set healthier boundaries in relationships, interrupt unhelpful patterns, loosen the grip of perfectionism, mindfully manage anxiety, and heal from trauma. Together, we can work toward both short-term and long-term change.
Becca Pele
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, AMFT
Verified
Verified
I enjoy working with adolescents, adults and couples; I am passionate about supporting
LGBTQIA
+ individuals, BIPOC, mixed-race folx, those facing the demands of modern life, and those seeking more ease or joy.
Hi and welcome! I combine traditional and holistic therapeutic approaches to support and facilitate client curiosity, exploration, and growth. My therapy practice is oriented as anti-oppression, anti-racist, community oriented, feminist, wherein I view therapy as social justice work. I am dedicated to maintaining a strength-based, compassionate, light-hearted space to support clients in strengthening their self-awareness, self-advocacy and connecting them with the wisdom that is already there. My goal is to meet my clients 'where' they are and maintain unconditional positive regard for clients, and their loved ones.
See more therapy options for ,
LGBTQ+ Therapists
Do LGBTQ-affirmative therapists receive special training?
Yes. Many therapists who practice LGBTQ-affirmative therapy have completed specialized training, either during their degree program or as continuing education, to learn the core principles of affirmative therapy and how to best support their LGBTQ clients; some have received certifications in LGBTQ-affirmative therapy. Prospective clients should inquire as to a clinician’s background and training to ensure a good fit.
Why might I want to see an LGBTQ-affirming or LGBTQ-friendly therapist?
Queer and gender-non-conforming individuals frequently experience bias and marginalization in day-to-day life. Working with a therapist who understands these unique challenges, as well as accepts and affirms their identity, can help LGBTQ clients feel safe and supported during therapy—allowing them to better navigate their relationships, mental health, and anything else that they wish to explore during therapy. It is important to note that many therapists can be effective in their work with LGBTQ+ individuals, even in the absence of specific training or background knowledge. The most important component in therapy is the alliance between therapist and client, and this alliance can exist between individuals with very different backgrounds.
How can I find an LGBTQ-friendly therapist?
You may wish to inquire about a therapist’s expertise with your specific challenges or concerns—depression, for example, or relationship strife—as well as their past experiences treating LGBTQ+ clients. Prospective clients may also ask whether a therapist has obtained additional training and/or certification in LGBTQ-affirmative techniques.
How can I inquire about a therapist’s experience with LGBTQ issues?
Prospective clients should feel empowered to directly ask therapists whether they have received training or been certified in LGBTQ-affirming therapy; competent therapists will be happy to explain their educational background and preferred approach(es) to help a client find the best match for them. Clients may also wish to ask how a therapist has treated clients with their particular challenges in the past and what they expect treatment to look like.
Are all the therapists listed in the LGBTQ directory themselves members of the LGBTQ community?
While therapists may choose to disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity in their profiles, the LGBTQ directory features not only those who have shared this information but also those who assert specialized training or experience in providing support to queer individuals, couples or families.