Sex-Positive, Kink Allied Therapists in Petaluma, CA
See all therapists in PetalumaNot accepting new clients
Kris Spangler
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, MFT
Verified
8 Endorsed
Verified
8 Endorsed
I especially enjoy working with those who live "outside the box" -- genderqueer, activists, sexual explorers (
kink
, poly, sex professionals, etc.
Don't know which way to turn? I'm convinced that part of you DOES know. If you're depressed, anxious, frustrated, confused, or in emotional pain, I will sit with you in that place with love until you hear your own inner wisdom guide you. I will help you access that knowledge through focusing your attention on your emotional body, listening to your unique story, and in many other ways holding a mirror up to YOU. We'll look at unhelpful mental habits you've picked up to survive in this world, and figure out what would work better.
Karin Wandrei
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
7 Endorsed
Verified
7 Endorsed
I am
sex positive
, and harm reduction oriented.
I describe my approach as informal and professional. I believe that the heart of good individual therapy is the relationship between the therapist and client. The most common complaint I hear from my clients about other therapists is either that they are a blank screen or they are overly focused on one perspective. Not me. I work with you to develop a plan. I am actively engaged, helping you learn how to help yourself. I also look at how various identities you may have (gender, racial, etc) impact on you and the issues you want to work on. When working with couples, I use an evidence-based approach focused on the present.
Not accepting new clients
Elena Chieffo
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT, CST
Verified
13 Endorsed
Verified
13 Endorsed
Life experiences offer us opportunities for healing and self-discovery. I offer a dynamic, compassionate and supportive environment utilizing a strength-based approach. A vital part of my work is to support you in exploring your inner resources and innate wisdom while cultivating practices that will help you deepen into a greater sense of well-being. Exploring long-term objectives or short-term goals, my intention is to provide guidance and practical tools to help you gain greater insight and self-acceptance. I welcome individuals and couples of any gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and spiritual beliefs.
Diane Gleim
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT, CST, CST-S
Verified
16 Endorsed
Verified
16 Endorsed
I am
sex positive
and do not pathologize human sexuality.
Sexual issues can - and do - happen to anyone. Perhaps you struggle to experience the pleasure of sexuality and eroticism; perhaps there is an aspect of your sexuality that is confusing to you; perhaps you or your partner have a sexual dysfunction like painful intercourse or erectile dysfunction; perhaps you are in a low sex/no sex relationship; or perhaps you're reeling from learning of your partner's betrayal. In our sex-negative culture, these are difficult issues to talk about. I am here to help. After all, everyone has the right to a healthy and happy sex life.
Adrian Eric Scharfetter
Marriage & Family Therapist, PhD, LMFT, CST
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
I am an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist. I work with low sexual desire, infidelity, mismatched desires and needs, erectile dysfunction, delayed or impaired orgasms, ejaculation concerns, LGBTQIA health or curiosity, sexual trauma, embarrassment and anxiety in regard to sex and sexuality. Exploring types of sexual behaviors, relationship configurations and non heteronormative expressions. Singles and couples who may be exploring or approaching issues in alternative relationships and alternative family structures, including ethical non-monogamy, polyamory,
kink
, living single, co-parenting, and chosen family.
Alyssum Mensoff
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
3 Endorsed
Verified
3 Endorsed
I hold to the belief that all people have the potential to achieve healing and growth. As a practitioner, I take a supportive role as clients determine and strive towards their mental and emotional health goals. I believe my empathy and my non-judgmental, conversational style help form productive therapeutic relationships. In this safe place, difficult issues can be explored. I’m comfortable supporting people from varied age, sexual orientation and genders as well as diverse ethic and cultural backgrounds. I feel passionate about supporting people from groups that have been marginalized in Western society. My pronouns are She/Her
Shari Pfeffer Burns
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MSW, LCSW
Verified
Verified
When life feels overwhelming and your mood and relationships are suffering, I help you move to centered place where solutions emerge. Whether it's improving your confidence, finding the right relationship, or becoming un-stuck, I help you find clarity and movement in your life. I use Internal Family Systems (IFS), an innovative framework that holds the premise that inner conflicts are natural, but they can also overwhelm and flood our systems. It's at these turning points that transformation is possible and awakenings occur.
Not accepting new clients
Claudia Ann Viadro
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
Verified
I am a warm, compassionate and engaged therapist. We can work short or long term but healing trauma can take some time. I use Internal Family systems and EMDR to help heal deep core wounds and release burdens that have been carried in one's system, often for a lifetime. The work is experiential and can be truly transformative. I work with individuals, families and couples. I work well with couples committed to deep work who seek true intimacy.
Maya Lujan
Psychologist, PhD
Verified
Verified
Do you struggle with figuring out how to stay true to yourself while navigating life's demands? Do these stressors sometimes impact your relationships, your educational/occupational goals, or your overall well-being? I hear you. Navigating through this world can be challenging and overwhelming! With empathy, genuineness, and lack of judgement, I aim to help clients better understand their thoughts and emotions. You are the expert in your experience, and I am here to help support you in living a fulfilling and authentic life. Through collaboration and the therapeutic relationship, we can work together to meet your goals.
Rachael Newman
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, MFT
Verified
Verified
Would you like to feel better about yourself and your relationships? Are you trying to do the best you can, but feel stuck or overwhelmed in certain areas? Therapy with me may help you discover new ways to look at stuck places or difficult situations. Together we will develop a unique plan to help you feel better in your own skin, and to show up more fully in your life, your relationships and your work. I balance the seriousness of therapy with light-hearted humor and playful inquiry. My office is a safe space to explore your shadow, your light, and all the dimensions in between. You deserve to have access to your full self.
Renee Zavislak
Marriage & Family Therapist, MS, MA, LMFT
Verified
Verified
As an integrative therapist, I draw from different psychotherapy orientations. This allows me to tailor therapy to your needs and allows for a truly collaborative process in deciding where we go and how. Since successful therapy depends on a strong relationship between client and therapist, my first priority is nurturing that bond by creating a safe and supportive environment. I believe therapy is most effective when it is flexible, demystified, and client-centered, so you can expect me to be transparent about my ideas and approaches. My style is at times infused with humor and is always warm and direct.
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Whitney Schieve
Marriage & Family Therapist
Verified
8 Endorsed
Verified
8 Endorsed
Has your anxiety become too much? If so, I would like to help. Clients seek my help for issues related to anxiety, depression, relationship, and identity issues. They often feel overwhelmed and feel like their situation may never get better. But with the help of therapy, and our work together, they begin to see their life change. This does not happen by a miracle but through their inner knowledge of themself and willingness to try something new. I am currently accepting new clients on a time-limited basis. I will be offering a short-term solutions-focused approach to therapy at this time.
Sandy Peace
Psychologist, PsyD
Verified
Verified
If you are ready for change in your life therapy is a great catalyst! I am an integrative therapist utilizing a variety of modalities tailored to individuals', partners', and groups' needs: mindfulness, somatic, CBT, DBT, EMDR, brief psychodynamic, existential, humanistic, and relational. I work with a wide range of presenting concerns such as: identity development, life transitions, relationship enhancement, empowered communication, family issues, anxiety, depression, trauma, bipolar, personality disorders, addiction, sexuality, sexual orientation, gender identity, polyamory/open relationships.
Danielle Neff
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT, APCC
Verified
8 Endorsed
Verified
8 Endorsed
The dark moments we all face in our lives can seem insurmountable when faced alone, but you are not alone. You have found your way here seeking support and I am honored by your courage. I am passionate about helping others navigate their pain and uncover the means that lead to deeper connections and a sense of well being by tending to, honoring, and understanding the wounds of the soul carried within each of us. Together we will explore core issues, utilize tools to increase resiliency and learn of new ways of being. Even small changes in perspective can lead to us seeing ourselves and the world in new ways.
Sil Machado Ph.D.
Psychologist, MA, PhD
Verified
3 Endorsed
Verified
3 Endorsed
We all have the potential to lead a fulfilling life. Difficult challenges may keep us from reaching that potential though, and we can find ourselves stuck in repetitive cycles of suffering. I offer individual psychotherapy and neurofeedback with a focus on the alleviation of symptoms through inner transformation. With close attention to the unresolved emotional pain and nervous system dysregulation that drive symptoms, I help clients find resilience within the difficulties they face. I draw from time-tested and evidence-based approaches suited to each client's unique needs, and offer weekly sessions or longer trauma intensives.
Christine Tomasello | Beachside Counseling
Marriage & Family Therapist, MS, LMFT
Verified
Verified
DAYTIME & EVENING appointments available. I am a sensitivity expert who specializes in working with Highly Sensitive People, empaths, and other sensitive types. My work helps individuals move past painful emotions like shame, low self-esteem, and self-judgment to cultivate self-compassion, learn how to honor their needs in relationships, and discover the gifts that lie within their sensitivity. I also specialize in grief and loss, major life transitions, and therapy for fellow therapists, and am passionate about supporting people who are struggling in the tender intersection between sensitivity and grief.
Tara Leilani Metcalf-Gonzales
Marriage & Family Therapist, RDT, LMFT
Verified
Verified
I am an empathetic creative arts mental health counselor, with experience in high need areas working with children, adolescents, adults, and elders. I utilize a trauma-informed flexible model in individual, couple/relationship, and family sessions. Although I am completely comfortable with a "talk only" approach to therapy, I also value and gently offer options from exercises in theatre, dance. mindfulness practices, and diverse ability-informed movement. My primary experience has been working with adults and families with anxiety, depression, substance-use disorders, and challenges related to life transitions.
Shelly Lev-Er
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, AMFT
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
We all get stuck sometimes, or find ourselves in places that push our limits. Perhaps you are grieving a loss, dealing with depression or anxiety, or navigating a life transition. Maybe you're feeling challenged in a relationship or recognizing patterns that are getting in your way. I work with adults, couples, teens, and kids and also have specialty experience in grief, terminal illness, and end of life. Regardless of what is bringing you here, I would be honored to support you in finding your way to more joy and aliveness.
Fiona Walsh Dinan
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT, MA, MBA
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
Are you not where you wish to be in your life and with your well-being? Do you wish to connect more deeply with your inner knowing and guidance? It can be hard to know where to start on such work and the day-to-day of life can feel all-encompassing. The time is now to seek support and say yes to your own needs.
Petaluma, CA 94952
& Online
Terri Lee Roberson
Psychologist, PsyD
Verified
Verified
Therapy is an important tool that can help you to understand how you relate with others as well as how you understand yourself. I am a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in working with individuals & couples with psychological and interpersonal issues such as depression, anxiety, life transitions, relational problems, and trauma related disorders. I am a certified Emotionally Focused therapist and I help partners discover and shift difficult and destructive patterns. Please feel free to call me to schedule an appointment or phone consultation so that we may discuss whether my practice is right for you.
See more therapy options for
Sex-Positive, Kink Allied Therapists
Why might an individual want to see a sex-positive, kink-allied therapist?
A sex-positive or kinky individual may want to see a sex-positive, kink-allied therapist because the client may feel safer and more supported discussing their experiences and challenges. A therapist who identifies as kink-friendly will have experience with clients having diverse sexual preferences and will likely be nonjudgmental and supportive about issues brought to the table. It is important to note that sex-positive, kink-allied individuals may find equal success with therapists who do not have such specialized knowledge and background. The most important factor in the success of therapy is for the client and practitioner to form a strong, trusting bond.
Do therapists have special training to gain expertise in sex-positive, kink-allied treatment?
Generally, no. There are limited training programs and unofficial accreditations that therapists can pursue, but a therapist’s expertise will ultimately come from their previous experience with similar clients, their engagement with organizations that promote sex positivity or kink-allied lifestyles, and the importance they place on safety and cultural sensitivity.
How can individuals recognize a good sex-positive, kink-allied therapist?
An experienced therapist is able to help clients explore their sexual identity and expression and relieve any discomfort or stigma attached to discussing such matters and the client’s overall challenges. A therapist who is sex-positive and kink-allied is able to create an environment that honors a client’s experience and sexual preferences. To recognize a good therapist, clients can simply ask directly about topics and issues important to them and gauge their comfort level and connection with a clinician based on the responses.
Can clients benefit from having a therapist with a focus on sex positivity and alternative sexual lifestyles?
Some individuals may feel most comfortable knowing that the clinician they’re working with has a commitment to creating an atmosphere of sex positivity and has experience with relationship diversity and alternative relationship structures. Working with a sex-positive, kink-allied therapist may help clients respect their own challenges and improve identity-affirming treatment.