LGBTQ+ Therapists in Knoxville, TN
See all therapists in Knoxville
Aaron M Free
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MSSW, LMSW, CTP
Verified
Verified
As a certified trauma professional trained in IFS and EMDR, I specialize in supporting survivors of sexual violence, childhood abuse, trauma, and dissociation. I'm also passionate about working with other
LGBTQ
+ folks seeking support, and I can provide free gender-affirming psychological assessments. I believe that a safe and non-judgmental therapeutic environment is essential for healing, and my priority is to ensure that you feel comfortable exploring challenging topics at your own pace. While I typically take a collaborative approach, I can also be directive when needed to help you make progress toward your therapeutic goal
Rebecca Delaney
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Verified
I have experience helping individuals living with substance abuse, anxiety, depression,
LGBTQIA
+ specific issues, negative self-esteem, stress, and life transitions.
I am so glad you are here! I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who provides telehealth therapy across the state of TN. I strive to provide a safe and accepting enviornment for you to overcome barriers and reach your personal goals. I am passionate about working with young adults and those going through a wide range of life transitions.
Hannah Kristian Monarch
Licensed Professional Counselor, MA, LPC, MHSP
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
I work with a range of clients and issues, but specialize in dissociation and complex trauma in addition to work with teens, young adults, and the
LGBTQIA
+ community. My biggest strengths as a counselor are my empathy and open-mindedness. I meet clients where they are at, tailoring our work to your preferences and needs, whether you would benefit most from talk therapy, skill building, trauma processing, or a combination of these. This supports building individualized treatment plans and applying creative, validating techniques.
Jess V. Martino
Licensed Professional Counselor, TLPC, MHSP, MEd, NCC
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
Hey there, thanks for clicking my page! I'm Jess, I prefer they/them pronouns, and I'm passionate about providing affirming, competent and ethical care to the clients that I see. My clinical focus is anxiety, depression, trauma and grief, and the demographics of my clients are mainly adults in the
LGBTQIA
+ community. Clients that have the most success with me come into therapy with an open heart and open mind, and engage with me in a collaboration for their overall mental wellbeing. My goal is to build an environment where my clients are willing to try new things but are also not afraid to tell me if something is not working.
Sarah Hill
Psychologist, PhD
Verified
Verified
passion and expertise in working with people struggling with low self-esteem, folks dealing with alcohol and substance use issues, and those who identify as
LGBTQ
+, especially those who are beginning to transition.
Hi, I'm Sarah! I'm glad you're here. I'm a licensed clinical psychologist with 12+ years of training and experience in the field. I'm able to support folks dealing with a wide range of issues, including trauma, depression and other mood disorders, anxiety, substance use, and problems with relationships. I tailor treatment plans to your specific concerns, and I draw from humanistic, interpersonal, feminist and strengths-based approaches. I work to create an affirming and anti-racist space that feels welcoming and safe for all. My clients have described me as warm, funny, authentic and insightful. I work with adults and have a special
Olivia Martin
LPC Intern, BS
Verified
Verified
I have experience supporting families in crisis/youth intervention services, youth impacted by incarceration and the foster care system; college students, the
LGBTQIA
+ community, musicians; and partners/loved ones impacted by betrayal trauma and sex addiction.
You’ve reached a crux in your story. Perhaps you’ve found yourself stuck and unsure how to change. Maybe the life you thought you wanted hasn’t turned out the way you thought it would. Hi, I’m Olivia (She/Her). I’m so glad we’ve found each other. I am a Graduate Student Therapist working on a Master’s in Counseling with an emphasis on Clinical Mental Health. I work under a licensed supervisor while I continue my education before becoming fully licensed.
Michele Aguilar
Pre-Licensed Professional, MSW
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
I greatly enjoy working with the
LGBTQIA
+ community, young adults, and couples in my practice.
Are you feeling burnt out or having issues struggling with all of life’s obstacles? I get that. Let’s work through it together. I hope to help assist and support you in gaining the skills needed to successfully overcome the obstacles that you are facing as we are on this healing journey together.
Brittany Tipton
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Verified
Brittany values self-determination and offers a safe space for those belonging to
LGBTQ
, non-binary/binary populations as well as explicitly supports antiracism work via exploring and addressing inherent bias and trauma related to racism.
Brittany A. Tipton is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 18 years of experience and has expertise in areas of anxiety, grief, stress management, medical trauma and ADHD. Brittany has special interest in women's issues and the stress and trauma that can occur in medical, mental health and first responder professions. Brittany uses various therapeutic modalities including, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Multi-systemic Therapy (MST) and Acceptance and Integration Training (AAIT).
Carrie White
Licensed Professional Counselor, LPC
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
I have over 13 years of experience working with a variety of issues. I approach therapy in different ways with each individual based on their needs but often pull from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I strive to create a safe, non-judgmental space in which I provide support, encouragement, and guidance. I have experience with and enjoy working with the
LGBTQ
+ community including completing assessments and writing letters for gender affirming surgeries. I look forward to working with you and would be honored to be part of your journey.
W. Wyatt Lee Stephens
Pre-Licensed Professional, MS, NCC
Verified
Verified
I specialize in Autism, ADHD, and
LGBTQIA
+ populations and have personal experience in gender transition care and support.
I understand how frustrating it is to be forgetful, feel scattered, to be constantly exhausted, and feel unproductive. My clients struggle with processing issues, and struggle to live in a world that is not designed for those that are neuro-divergent, and I am able to help turn those feelings around!
Emu Aragon
Licensed Professional Counselor, MS, LPC, MHSP, NCC
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
While I work with a wide range of clients, I have been intentional about becoming a compassionate and competent safe space for individuals who often experience relational trauma and systemic oppression, such as
Queer
individuals (
LGBTQIA
+); People of Color (Black, Brown, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, and Multiracial); and Neurodivergent clients (ADHD/ASD).
Clients I see are typically wrestling with experiences that have impacted the way they view themselves, relationships, and the world. The impact of these experiences often takes the form of anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationship conflict, and more. My role is to help you navigate your road to healing in a way that honors your unique set of values, beliefs, and cultural identity. I strive to take the time to get to know you in a way that makes you feel seen, heard, and understood.
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Jackson (Jack) Garner
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MSW, LCSW
Verified
Verified
I identify as
queer
and gender diverse (AFAB, NBi, TransMasc), which allows me to have a unique understanding, both personal and professional, of your experience.
Do you identify as gender diverse/non-conforming? Are you questioning/discovering your gender or needing a referral letter for transition steps? Jack is a licensed therapist in the states of IN, KY, TN, & IL and a Life Coach with no geographic restrictions. Their practice provides individual counseling and coaching, specializing in gender and they are very well versed in writing referral letters for medical transition steps (Note: All letters are written per WPATH standards and provided under an Informed Consent Assessment Model, meaning just one session with NO additional fees - Letters offered in IN, KY, TN, & IL).
Lauren Green
Pre-Licensed Professional, MS, NCC, T-LPC
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
I will work with clients through most issues, and specific areas of interest include: religious trauma, sexual trauma, PTSD,
LGBTQ
+ issues, life transitions, and mood disorders.
I consider it one of my greatest privileges to partner with people as they navigate their stories. I know from personal experience that therapy can be invaluable when processing change, emotional turmoil, and questions about self. While I often utilize concepts from CBT, DBT, and other theories, I most often draw from Narrative Theory and take a Person-Centered approach in my work with clients. I am trained in TF-CBT and EMDR, and my professional history includes over four years working exclusively with survivors of sexual trauma.
Logan Mahan
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
If you're a guy—and especially a
gay
guy—dealing with addiction, trauma, identity issues, grief from fractured relationships, confusion around sex and intimacy, or anxiety and existential confusion about your faith & sexuality (phew!), I want to help you.
You can’t do this anymore. You’re stronger than most have ever had to be, but inside you swing between anger and helpless shame, if you let yourself feel anything at all. You keep doing that same thing over and over again—maybe drinking, drugs, sex, rage, self-harm—and you hate it...but on the other hand, hasn't it been more reliable than anything or anyone else? You ask into that inner darkness "why am I like this?" "what if they find out?" and "can I keep this up?" but all you get in reply is a desperation to leave it all behind, quickly countered by a familiar fear: maybe this is the best I deserve or am ever going to get.
Waitlist for new clients
Rebecca Deardorff
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Verified
I have worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, relationship issues, ADHD, OCD,
LGBTQ
issues, gender-affirming, and women's issues.
Have you struggled to find a therapist who respects your individuality while challenging you to grow? My name is Rebecca, and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with eight years of experience in Tennessee and North Carolina. I am passionate about supporting people through their lives ups and downs. My counseling style is focused on the client. I believe they are experts in their own life, and I am here to support them make the changes they want to make in their life. I enjoy working with and have experience with
LGBTQ
+ clients, and I am poly, sex, and kink-knowledgeable.
Lyons View Counseling
Licensed Professional Counselor, EdD, LPC, MHSP
Verified
Verified
Dr. Smelcer has over 15 years of clinical experience specializing in treating depression, anxiety, addiction disorders including behavioral addictions, trauma, grief, sexual identity concerns, premarital, life transitions, ADHD,
LGBTQ
and childhood disorders. Dr. Smelcer is passionate about helping clients gain insight and build from their strengths to make changes that improve their overall functioning.
Ben Marlow
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Verified
I'm a
LGBTQ
+ ally.
I understand that life doesn't always go as we planned. But unwanted changes don't define us. I see adaptation as one of our greatest abilities. I believe that we are all are entitled to unconditional positive regard and to be met where we are at in the quest to live our best life. I use a cognitive behavioral approach to increase insight and help you bring about your own positive changes.
Scott Hendrix
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MSSW, LCSW
Verified
Verified
I love diversity, focus on the
LGBTQ
community and many others. I have specific experience working with law enforcement/public safety professionals and in programs specifically designed for individuals from the healthcare, transportation/railroad, and aviation industries with mental health/substance use disorders. I treat most conditions, but typically treat individuals, couples, students, and adolescents living with trauma/PTSD, ADHD/ADD, anxiety, depression, personality disorders, religious trauma, sexual addictions, and anger management concerns. Visit www.truthlightcounseling.com to see if we're a good fit!
Not accepting new clients
Christopher Burns
MS
1 Endorsed
1 Endorsed
Chris aims to provide a client-centered, solution-focused approach when working with clients. His focus is to identify interventions and strategies to assist clients in meeting their own goals. He is
LGBTQ
+ affirmative and works with multiple diverse populations. Chris also is experienced in sports performance counseling working with athletes in multiple divisions with mental and athletic abilities.
Sheli Chambers
Pre-Licensed Professional
Verified
Verified
I have worked in a variety of settings with a variety of individuals ranging from adolescents to adults. I truly enjoy working with individuals in the military,
LGBTQ
+, as well as teens and college age students. My approach to counseling is eclectic and I enjoy helping individuals ground in their reality and become who they are designed to be. My goal in counseling is to help you explore your authentic self separate from society’s labels. We will work together to explore and understand your whole self through a holistic person-centered approach.
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.