LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapists in Marion County, TN
Welcome! The focus of my practice is adults and older adults, who might be experiencing relationship issues, difficulty healing from the past, struggling with navigating life transitions such as adjustment, illness, aging, or managing their thoughts and emotions.
Welcome! The focus of my practice is adults and older adults, who might be experiencing relationship issues, difficulty healing from the past, struggling with navigating life transitions such as adjustment, illness, aging, or managing their thoughts and emotions.
Healing is often uncomfortable. No one likes feeling exposed or overwhelmed, but together, we can pull those heavy emotions out from under that 'everything is fine' umbrella and look at them for what they really are.
I’m Sierra, and I believe therapy isn't just about managing symptoms; it’s about a collaborative partnership to help you grow, heal, and finally feel like yourself again. My approach is non-judgmental, direct, and deeply compassionate.
Whether you’re navigating the weight of depression, the constant hum of anxiety, or the complexities of grief and trauma, I meet you exactly where you are.
Healing is often uncomfortable. No one likes feeling exposed or overwhelmed, but together, we can pull those heavy emotions out from under that 'everything is fine' umbrella and look at them for what they really are.
I’m Sierra, and I believe therapy isn't just about managing symptoms; it’s about a collaborative partnership to help you grow, heal, and finally feel like yourself again. My approach is non-judgmental, direct, and deeply compassionate.
Whether you’re navigating the weight of depression, the constant hum of anxiety, or the complexities of grief and trauma, I meet you exactly where you are.
Hi, I'm Kendra. I am a licensed clinical social worker who has been working in the mental health field for 10 years. I am from the state of Indiana, and I have lived in Tennessee for 4 years now. I have worked in foster care, substance abuse, family preservation, virtual intensive outpatient, acute psychiatric facilities, and private practice. I use cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-focused brief therapy, motivational therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy informed skills. In the first session, we'll get to know each other, discuss goals, and start to get an understanding of each other.
Hi, I'm Kendra. I am a licensed clinical social worker who has been working in the mental health field for 10 years. I am from the state of Indiana, and I have lived in Tennessee for 4 years now. I have worked in foster care, substance abuse, family preservation, virtual intensive outpatient, acute psychiatric facilities, and private practice. I use cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-focused brief therapy, motivational therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy informed skills. In the first session, we'll get to know each other, discuss goals, and start to get an understanding of each other.
Online Therapists
I work mostly with anxiety, LGBTQIA+ issues, depression, emotion regulation difficulty, relationship issues, spirituality, and grief, including “identity grief” (grieving the life we thought we’d live).
Sessions include attachment-based interventions and somatic exercises from a trauma-informed lens within the models of Narrative Therapy and Internal Family Systems. I also incorporate aspects of Solution-Focused Therapy, Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy skills, and Coherence Therapy schemas to balance insight ("why?") and direction ("what do I do about it?").
I work mostly with anxiety, LGBTQIA+ issues, depression, emotion regulation difficulty, relationship issues, spirituality, and grief, including “identity grief” (grieving the life we thought we’d live).
Sessions include attachment-based interventions and somatic exercises from a trauma-informed lens within the models of Narrative Therapy and Internal Family Systems. I also incorporate aspects of Solution-Focused Therapy, Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy skills, and Coherence Therapy schemas to balance insight ("why?") and direction ("what do I do about it?").
As a Black, queer, therapist with deep experience help individuals, couples, and families navigate struggles and communicate, I would love to support clients who are couples or ENM partners, BIPOC individuals, and LGBTQ+ individuals facing issues around communication, transitions, trauma, ongoing challenges, and identity.
I provide an atmosphere of emotional safety where I explore clients' lived experiences and how they view the world to understand how to best support them. Using elements of various evidence-based practices and over a decade of experience, I help clients work through struggles while giving them concrete tools and information to help make life more manageable.
As a Black, queer, therapist with deep experience help individuals, couples, and families navigate struggles and communicate, I would love to support clients who are couples or ENM partners, BIPOC individuals, and LGBTQ+ individuals facing issues around communication, transitions, trauma, ongoing challenges, and identity.
I provide an atmosphere of emotional safety where I explore clients' lived experiences and how they view the world to understand how to best support them. Using elements of various evidence-based practices and over a decade of experience, I help clients work through struggles while giving them concrete tools and information to help make life more manageable.
I have a particular interest in working with men and with queer and LGBTQ+ clients, especially those unpacking religious or cultural conditioning and the shame or self-division that can result.
Many people come to therapy feeling constrained by expectations from family, culture, religion, relationships, or earlier versions of themselves. There’s often a quiet sense that something more authentic is trying to emerge, but anxiety, grief, shame, or familiar patterns make it hard to move forward.
I work with adults and teens in the Nashville area navigating life transitions, identity questions, and relationship challenges. My approach is grounded and relational, integrating psychological depth with space for spiritual exploration to support meaningful, lasting change.
I have a particular interest in working with men and with queer and LGBTQ+ clients, especially those unpacking religious or cultural conditioning and the shame or self-division that can result.
Many people come to therapy feeling constrained by expectations from family, culture, religion, relationships, or earlier versions of themselves. There’s often a quiet sense that something more authentic is trying to emerge, but anxiety, grief, shame, or familiar patterns make it hard to move forward.
I work with adults and teens in the Nashville area navigating life transitions, identity questions, and relationship challenges. My approach is grounded and relational, integrating psychological depth with space for spiritual exploration to support meaningful, lasting change.
Are you shaping your life story, or are other people, life events, thoughts, or behaviors writing it? Therapy can assist you in rewriting your story, allowing you to rediscover your true self and begin living intentionally. I can help you overcome negative thought patterns, unproductive behaviors, anxiety, depression, relationship conflicts, or past traumas that hold you back. I hold a PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy, and I primarily work with individuals. I offer in-person or Zoom-based sessions.
Are you shaping your life story, or are other people, life events, thoughts, or behaviors writing it? Therapy can assist you in rewriting your story, allowing you to rediscover your true self and begin living intentionally. I can help you overcome negative thought patterns, unproductive behaviors, anxiety, depression, relationship conflicts, or past traumas that hold you back. I hold a PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy, and I primarily work with individuals. I offer in-person or Zoom-based sessions.
Jessi Fortmann
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, AMFT, L3 IFS, ERYT500
4 Endorsed
Nashville, TN 37215
You were born whole and good.
My own healing journey led me to Internal Family Systems (IFS), giving me a way to know and love all the parts of myself. I wasn’t just unburdening the parts of me who were desperately coping, I was bringing in calm, connectedness, compassion, and choice I never realized was available to me.
You were born whole and good.
My own healing journey led me to Internal Family Systems (IFS), giving me a way to know and love all the parts of myself. I wasn’t just unburdening the parts of me who were desperately coping, I was bringing in calm, connectedness, compassion, and choice I never realized was available to me.
LGBTQIA+ affirming.
My specialty focuses on helping you uncover your inner strength, move past entrenched patterns, and build a steadier, more self-directed life. I value transparency, honest feedback, and collaboration. Together we examine influences from family, culture, and expectation while building resilience, strengthening intuition, and creating meaningful change.
LGBTQIA+ affirming.
My specialty focuses on helping you uncover your inner strength, move past entrenched patterns, and build a steadier, more self-directed life. I value transparency, honest feedback, and collaboration. Together we examine influences from family, culture, and expectation while building resilience, strengthening intuition, and creating meaningful change.
Do you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or like you're just lost in the wilderness? Do you know what it's like to carry anxiety or self doubt, while still trying to keep it all together and seem fine? Ever feel like your insides don't match your outsides? Have you felt misunderstood or lonely in relationships? Or feel tired of conflicts and want help communicating with your partner? Have you ever felt so sad that you don't know how you’re going to get through it or just don't find things as enjoyable? Or been so busy that you feel numb? Have you walked through transitions that feel confusing or hopeless? Or have you experienced loss?
Do you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or like you're just lost in the wilderness? Do you know what it's like to carry anxiety or self doubt, while still trying to keep it all together and seem fine? Ever feel like your insides don't match your outsides? Have you felt misunderstood or lonely in relationships? Or feel tired of conflicts and want help communicating with your partner? Have you ever felt so sad that you don't know how you’re going to get through it or just don't find things as enjoyable? Or been so busy that you feel numb? Have you walked through transitions that feel confusing or hopeless? Or have you experienced loss?
I work with clients 18+ and approach therapy from a neurodivergent and LGBTQIA+ affirming lens.
I believe that connecting with our bodies is a vital part of wellness and healing. I am certified in EMDR and have begun training in Somatic Experiencing. I borrow from other approaches including Internal Family Systems (Parts-Work) and Person-Centered Therapy.
I work with clients 18+ and approach therapy from a neurodivergent and LGBTQIA+ affirming lens.
I believe that connecting with our bodies is a vital part of wellness and healing. I am certified in EMDR and have begun training in Somatic Experiencing. I borrow from other approaches including Internal Family Systems (Parts-Work) and Person-Centered Therapy.
As a licensed clinical psychologist and faculty member for the International OCD Foundation, I'm proud to lead as the Founding Director of the Nashville OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center (NOATC). We provide individual, group, and family therapy for people all across the lifespan. Our specialties include the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, panic, and OC spectrum disorders such as body dysmorphic disorder. Our approach to therapy is grounded in research-based techniques and a belief that individuals are most open to change when they feel that their unique traits are respected.
As a licensed clinical psychologist and faculty member for the International OCD Foundation, I'm proud to lead as the Founding Director of the Nashville OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center (NOATC). We provide individual, group, and family therapy for people all across the lifespan. Our specialties include the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, panic, and OC spectrum disorders such as body dysmorphic disorder. Our approach to therapy is grounded in research-based techniques and a belief that individuals are most open to change when they feel that their unique traits are respected.
I have been in the practice of Social Work many years. I have a thirst for learning and I greet change with open arms. I completed my training as a nurse at age 55 and have incorporated my nursing skills with my years of Social Work training and experience. During this time I have learned that all people have their answers inside and my job is to help them recognize and build on those answers. Having experienced many situations in my own life I’ve learned to persist and sometimes back up and regroup. I have a lot of joy in my life and hope to help you find yours. I offer animal assisted therapy with Teddy, 5 yo Wheaten Terrier.
I have been in the practice of Social Work many years. I have a thirst for learning and I greet change with open arms. I completed my training as a nurse at age 55 and have incorporated my nursing skills with my years of Social Work training and experience. During this time I have learned that all people have their answers inside and my job is to help them recognize and build on those answers. Having experienced many situations in my own life I’ve learned to persist and sometimes back up and regroup. I have a lot of joy in my life and hope to help you find yours. I offer animal assisted therapy with Teddy, 5 yo Wheaten Terrier.
Hanna Marino
Marriage & Family Therapist, MS, LMFT, AAMFT
2 Endorsed
Cleveland, TN 37311
Waitlist for new clients
I work with LGBTQIA+, Relationships, Individuals, & Families through a variety of life hardships.
I am trained in Religious Trauma and Trauma-Focused CBT, which works well with PTSD and other trauma-related issues. I also have trainings in Prepare/Enrich which helps focus on premarital counseling and marital enrichment counseling.
I work with LGBTQIA+, Relationships, Individuals, & Families through a variety of life hardships.
I am trained in Religious Trauma and Trauma-Focused CBT, which works well with PTSD and other trauma-related issues. I also have trainings in Prepare/Enrich which helps focus on premarital counseling and marital enrichment counseling.
Welcome! I want to take a moment to acknowledge your bravery and for taking a step to prioritize your mental health. Change can be scary. Right now, might be a confusing time in your life. My aim is to give you a safe place to address depression, anxiety, grief, loss, and trauma. I want to provide a place where you can be yourself; where you are empowered to make changes that improve the quality of your life.
Welcome! I want to take a moment to acknowledge your bravery and for taking a step to prioritize your mental health. Change can be scary. Right now, might be a confusing time in your life. My aim is to give you a safe place to address depression, anxiety, grief, loss, and trauma. I want to provide a place where you can be yourself; where you are empowered to make changes that improve the quality of your life.
I work well with LGBTQIA persons, creatives, caregivers, professional women, trauma, and unseen disabilities.
If you feel you sometimes get in the way of your own happiness, or find yourself repeating relationship patterns that are ineffective, I may be a good fit for you. Whether the difficulty is past trauma or present circumstances, I enjoy working with individuals who long to create a healthier connection with themselves and others. Disconnectedness can result in anxiety, isolation, depression or addiction. I understand the panic and fear that surfaces when my clients have been hurt by themselves or by those they love the most. I create a safe space for them to process difficult experiences, while learning to live a more fulfilled life.
I work well with LGBTQIA persons, creatives, caregivers, professional women, trauma, and unseen disabilities.
If you feel you sometimes get in the way of your own happiness, or find yourself repeating relationship patterns that are ineffective, I may be a good fit for you. Whether the difficulty is past trauma or present circumstances, I enjoy working with individuals who long to create a healthier connection with themselves and others. Disconnectedness can result in anxiety, isolation, depression or addiction. I understand the panic and fear that surfaces when my clients have been hurt by themselves or by those they love the most. I create a safe space for them to process difficult experiences, while learning to live a more fulfilled life.
People start to heal the moment they feel heard. That is my goal in sitting with clients - to move towards healing by hearing their stories, strifes, and successes. I incorporate multiple modalities of treatment to give each client a unique experience that meets their specific needs. My hope is to join my clients in achieving meaningful and deep healing, identifying resources for continued growth, and developing secure attachments in their relationships. I am passionate about working with individuals and families of all ages who are processing through life transitions, identity, relationship issues, trauma, and grief and loss.
People start to heal the moment they feel heard. That is my goal in sitting with clients - to move towards healing by hearing their stories, strifes, and successes. I incorporate multiple modalities of treatment to give each client a unique experience that meets their specific needs. My hope is to join my clients in achieving meaningful and deep healing, identifying resources for continued growth, and developing secure attachments in their relationships. I am passionate about working with individuals and families of all ages who are processing through life transitions, identity, relationship issues, trauma, and grief and loss.
I am a queer Christian who enjoys supporting LGBTQ+ clients, including those navigating their Christian faith or facing religious trauma.
I enjoy learning about my clients’ interests and supporting their unique ways of being. I work with diverse adults, with a focus on LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent clients. Trained in EMDR and Brainspotting, I also use CBT, DBT, and trauma-informed care to tailor therapy. I offer a warm, grounded space to show up as you are and make sense of your experiences.
I am a queer Christian who enjoys supporting LGBTQ+ clients, including those navigating their Christian faith or facing religious trauma.
I enjoy learning about my clients’ interests and supporting their unique ways of being. I work with diverse adults, with a focus on LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent clients. Trained in EMDR and Brainspotting, I also use CBT, DBT, and trauma-informed care to tailor therapy. I offer a warm, grounded space to show up as you are and make sense of your experiences.
Life assures us struggle, hardships, grief, and loss, but these things don't have to be the end of our story. They can be our call to action. I want to help you develop the tools you need to create a rich, full, and healthy life of your own design. One where you not only meet your goals but enjoy the process. A diagnosis, a major life change, an experience of abuse or trauma, an identity outside the social norms we find ourselves in; these are not our limitations, they're just aspects of our starting point.
Life assures us struggle, hardships, grief, and loss, but these things don't have to be the end of our story. They can be our call to action. I want to help you develop the tools you need to create a rich, full, and healthy life of your own design. One where you not only meet your goals but enjoy the process. A diagnosis, a major life change, an experience of abuse or trauma, an identity outside the social norms we find ourselves in; these are not our limitations, they're just aspects of our starting point.
As a narrative therapist, I help my clients explore the personal, relational and societal stories (both useful and problematic) that shape and give meaning to their lives. My collaborative sessions highlight and emphasize clients' strengths and innate ability to "re-write" difficult chapters of their stories so that new pathways to empowered, inspired living can emerge.
As a narrative therapist, I help my clients explore the personal, relational and societal stories (both useful and problematic) that shape and give meaning to their lives. My collaborative sessions highlight and emphasize clients' strengths and innate ability to "re-write" difficult chapters of their stories so that new pathways to empowered, inspired living can emerge.
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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.