LGBTQ+ Therapy in Soquel, CA
LGBTQ+ Affirming Counseling That Meets You Where You Are
Do you experience strong feelings or reactions that seem to come out of nowhere?
Is it easy for you to become triggered, stressed out, or overwhelmed?
Are there certain patterns or cycles that you keep falling into even though you’d like to respond differently?
So many of my clients come to therapy with the feeling that they’re living in survival mode. Despite being high-functioning and appearing “together” on the outside, they’re often dysregulated and disconnected on the inside—yet they don’t know why. They just know that they have been living in a state of fight-or-flight for weeks, months, or, in some cases, years.
If this sounds familiar to you, then you probably wish your stress response was different. Instead of making you feel better, the patterns you’ve formed may have started to negatively affect your emotions, mental health, and relationships. Often, these patterns take the form of anxiety, depression, and relational issues that have roots going deeper than what you might see at the surface.
You don’t need to have all the answers in order to benefit from therapy—you just need to recognize that something feels off. By working together in the counseling space, we can explore your feelings, where they come from, and what you need to move from surviving mode to thriving mode.
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It’s Not You—It’s The Culture
It goes without saying that we live in a deeply heteronormative and often homophobic and transphobic culture. Even if we’re sure of who we are, there are many barriers in the way of living authentically and without the burden of stigma. Whether we’re out or questioning, it’s hard not to feel like everyone is trying to put us in a box, perpetuating the feeling of being misunderstood, including among our LGBTQ+ peers and allies.
That’s why it’s essential to integrate your identity within. As you increase a sense of connection and security within yourself, you can establish new relational dynamics and ways of engaging with the world around you.
Therapy offers the gateway to overcoming your fears by actively challenging the idea that you are alone in your struggles. You are not, and there is a whole community in and outside of the counseling space eager to embrace the whole you.
I Specialize In Trauma-Informed, LGBTQ+ Affirming Counseling For Adults
My counseling services are available to LGBTQ+ clients (18+) of all backgrounds and identities, including those seeking LGBTQ+ affirming couples therapy. Using an integrative, trauma-informed approach, I aim to create a therapy experience that bolsters your immediate skill set while making space for deep, lasting change.
Whether you’re questioning, newly exploring aspects of your LGBTQ+ identity, or navigating long-held pains and patterns, I individualize counseling in a way that meets you where you are while offering direction for moving forward.
What To Expect
I want to make it clear that there is absolutely nothing “wrong” with any aspect of your sexuality or gender identity, and if shame is a part of your struggle, our early work together will revolve around challenging harmful and unhealthy narratives.
From there, my therapy approach will blend solution-focused skills, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and grounding techniques to help you handle stress with calm and clarity. I’m also trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which can be particularly helpful for emotional and somatic symptoms related to trauma. You can read more about how EMDR works on my Trauma page.
LGBTQ+ affirming therapy is designed to be an all-encompassing experience that does not put you into a box. Whether you’re looking for skills to use in the here and now, an examination of how past experiences have shaped you, or just an actionable path toward a better, brighter future, I’d be honored to act as a guide along the way.
A whole, happy life is absolutely possible. I am committed to supporting you in feeling grounded in your relationships, career, and family dynamics while embracing your truest self.
FAQs About Therapy
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Everything said during our sessions is private and confidential. I deeply value your trust and know that this process won’t work if you feel that your privacy is at stake.
There are very specific circumstances under which I’d be required to disclose, which involve concerns around you harming yourself or someone else. I will be sure to go over this confidentiality policy with you as we begin therapy, and even then, I’d need your express, written consent to disclose in the future.
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There is no designated timeline for how long therapy takes, and the time spent in treatment varies from person to person based on a variety of factors.
That said, I know you aren’t looking to start a long, indefinite process, and I want to assure you that counseling doesn’t have to take forever. I will work with you to establish an actionable treatment timeline that works with your goals. It should also be noted that some of my approaches—including solution-focused therapy, DBT, and EMDR—tend to yield relatively quick results once I get a sense of how I can best tailor therapy to your needs.
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IIt’s true that therapy is an investment, but it’s an investment in a more authentic, more healed, and all-around better life. I will do what I can to make sure this process is as cost-effective as possible, including helping you submit superbills to your insurance provider for potential reimbursement.
If you’re still on the fence about making this investment, keep in mind that it can be helpful to look at therapy as a steppingstone to a happier, healthier future for not just your mental health but your quality of life, relationships, and overall success.
A Whole, Happy, Healed Life Awaits You
My practice specializes in empathetic, trauma-informed counseling for LGBTQ+ individuals and couples of all backgrounds and identities. Contact me for more information about how to get started in therapy.
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