LGBTQ+ Therapists in Oakland, CA

My ideal clients are individuals age 16+ who want support navigating anxiety, depression, childhood trauma, identity, family, relationships (monogamy/non-monogamy/poly), sexuality/desire (kink friendly), racial/multicultural stress, and everyday life stressors. I supporting clients no matter if you are seasoned at engaging in therapy or looking to take this journey for the first time. My approach is client centered and structured to meet you where you are, as we work together to build the best journey for your needs. My specialty is serving Queer / Trans BIPOC individuals.

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.

Relief is here. Your need to be seen and heard for being authentically you is universal and valid - and those are exactly the needs you can expect to be met in therapy with me. You’ll feel understood and gain clarity about what's going on for you now and what to do next.

Hello and welcome. My name is Preston and I am a queer therapist of color. My first priority as a therapist is always to establish a safe and vibrant relationship with clients, believing deeply that authentic human connection is one of the greatest catalysts for healing and change. I also take a systems approach in the work I do with clients, seeking to understand each individual’s role within larger social and systemic constructs. I bring a social justice lens to working with clients, helping people to understand and heal from the effects of internalized oppression and the ways it impacts one's sense of self and relationships.

I believe we are all whole but sometimes life circumstances, the way we grew up, the way we are treated by society/systems based on our identities, etc. can cloud the way in which we see ourselves or which tools we have access to. I specialize in working with clients who have experienced complex trauma due to race, gender, sexual orientation, abuse, violence, historical events and poverty. My hope is to help create more tools, help unpack the trauma, identify YOUR strengths and your understanding of yourself and help you navigate the world in a way that feels true to YOU.

We all deserve to feel safe and connected. Sometimes, overwhelming things happen that prevent us from feeling safe and settled in the world. In therapy, we support the strengths that have helped you survive and grow your capacity to move towards the life you long for. Whatever you are experiencing, be that anxiety, depression, or the pain of trauma or oppression, together we will collaborate to tend to what hurts and to nurture the vitality that exists inside you.

Hi, I'm Ryan. I am a proud Mexican-American and a member of the LGBTQIA + community. I am passionate about providing affirmative therapy and a safe space for all of my clients. I enjoy working with people who want to work on improving their situations. I believe all people are unique and therapy is not a “one size fits all”. Because everyone brings in their own unique set of skills, based on their circumstances, I will meet you where you are.

Have you been feeling stuck? Having difficulties making changes, or knowing what to do? Are you navigating a sense that something is off? I can help. My clients say I'm easy to talk with because I'm present, compassionate, and am real with them. I listen actively and reflect honestly, engaging in creative, authentic, and occasionally humorous ways. I share tools to help you change the patterns in your life that make you feel stuck. In my strengths-based, trauma-informed, creative and client-centered approach, you will find your way back to yourself: your unique voice, movement, vision, and your way of loving and being loved.

As a queer , 1.5 generation South Asian American therapist, I specialize in providing body-centered psychodynamic therapy to Queer , Trans , Non-Binary, people of color and immigrants of the diasporas. With a relational and inquisitive approach in treatment, I can help you manage depression, anxiety, overwhelm, worry, stress and dis-ease. My hope is to help you heal trauma, manage dissociation, build insight around how your mind works and compassionately transform unhelpful internalized messages. I specialize in working with adults, children and teens.

What do Mindfulness and Ketamine have to do with YOU? They are two of the most powerful healing methods for transforming mental health challenges, and either/both may be the key to removing your barriers to reveal the best of who you already are: free, fulfilled, and utterly fabulous… Sometimes it’s hard to see ourselves as whole, and feel complete. In fact it’s pretty universal. However there are times in life when the struggles of life—work stress, relationships, family dynamics, personal identity, loss, life transitions, social and cultural issues, etc.—become so heavy that we forget who we are and who we can become.

The clients I work best with are ones who struggle with feeling like they have to hide parts of themselves in different contexts to be included, accepted, or loved. They feel like they have to code-switch, mask, or deny parts of themself. They might feel disconnected from their own values. They might have a strong sense of their values but need a place to rest from systems that aren’t designed for them. I work with them to build a therapy experience that is a place to rest, heal, and discover themselves. Together my clients and I build more places and experiences where they just get to be.

As LGBTQ people we often find ourselves wondering "where do I belong in this world?" and "why can't I just be myself?" It seems like we've tried everything but we don't feel like we belong or we are in a safe place to live & work. We often wonder... when is this going to get better? When can I just live my life fully how I am? Sometimes we feel sad and it can be a very lonely place. We can even forget just how special and unique we are because we are so different and surrounded by those who just don't get it. We really want someone who can connect to us and make our experiences feel validated, reminding us that we are beautiful.

While I work with a diversity of people, I specialize in working with LGBTQ individuals, couples and youth. As a Marriage and Family psychotherapist, I seek to help my clients find their way through the hardships that life can bring. I believe in the healing power of the therapeutic relationship as well as each individual having the power to heal themselves. I believe in a strength based, solution focused approach to therapy and work with my clients to not only overcome their current circumstances but to also develop tools and strategies that they can use moving forward in their lives.

I believe that we all deserve a safe space to process our experiences, and my primary goal is to provide you that space. I offer safe and affirming individual and couples therapy for adults, teens and couples of all identities, with a specialty in working with LGBTQ +, Trans , and Non Binary communities. I work with clients who struggle with self-worth, anxiety, codependency, relationships, trauma and sexual identity. I pull from my training in gestalt, mindfulness, emotion-focused, IFS and attachment theory to create an environment that allows you to develop a greater understanding of what’s holding you back from the life you want.

To be human is to have thoughts, feelings and behaviors that don't make sense to our rational self. That can leave us feeling trapped in cycles of experience we never chose and don't understand. What we call "symptoms" (anxiety, stress, insomnia, reactivity, depression, etc.) are really just teachers that we don't yet know how to listen to. I'll work with you to transform your symptoms into meaningful and lasting change. I work with folks from all walks of life, and specialize in working with gay men and the larger LGBTQ + community, to alleviate anxiety, work stress, relationship issues, questions of meaning, and life transitions.