LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapists in Albany, CA
I work with clients with various medical conditions, including neurological disorders, physically disabling and aging-related conditions, and other impairments. Clients include Caregivers and LGBT persons with disabling conditions. For over 25 years I have helped adults with emotional and logistical concerns related to chronic medical and aging-related conditions, short and long term care planning, relationship and communication problems, depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. I hold an MS degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and am a Nationally Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and a California licensed Marriage & Family Therapist. Please see my website www.allangrill.com for more information.
I work with clients with various medical conditions, including neurological disorders, physically disabling and aging-related conditions, and other impairments. Clients include Caregivers and LGBT persons with disabling conditions. For over 25 years I have helped adults with emotional and logistical concerns related to chronic medical and aging-related conditions, short and long term care planning, relationship and communication problems, depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. I hold an MS degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and am a Nationally Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and a California licensed Marriage & Family Therapist. Please see my website www.allangrill.com for more information.
Welcome! Note: email is the best way reach me. Finding a therapist is daunting. The relationship tends to be the most consistent factor in whether therapy is successful, so I encourage you to trust your intuition. I work with adults (not couples) and adolescents over 14 on a variety of issues, including achieving greater mood stability, identity issues, improved relationships and sexuality, and recovery from trauma. I have experience working effectively with people who identify as trans, genderqueer, and those with diverse lifestyles. I also offer ketamine-assisted psychotherapy in collaboration w/Journey Clinical.
Welcome! Note: email is the best way reach me. Finding a therapist is daunting. The relationship tends to be the most consistent factor in whether therapy is successful, so I encourage you to trust your intuition. I work with adults (not couples) and adolescents over 14 on a variety of issues, including achieving greater mood stability, identity issues, improved relationships and sexuality, and recovery from trauma. I have experience working effectively with people who identify as trans, genderqueer, and those with diverse lifestyles. I also offer ketamine-assisted psychotherapy in collaboration w/Journey Clinical.
Many of my clients are Latino/x and/or identify within the LGBTQ+ community.
Clients in my practice express various struggles such as feeling unhappy, lonely, unsatisfied, irritable, lost, stuck, overwhelmed, unmotivated, isolated, inauthentic, and hopeless. They are unsure about where they are in school, work, or life. They may use terms such as depressed, stressed, anxious, numb, angry, traumatized, grieving, and anxious/avoidant attachment. They seek to know themselves more or to feel more whole. They seek to unlearn unconscious and unhelpful habits. They wish to grow and nurture their relationships with others and themselves. They desire to feel more at peace, joy, and be able to tolerate the challenges.
Many of my clients are Latino/x and/or identify within the LGBTQ+ community.
Clients in my practice express various struggles such as feeling unhappy, lonely, unsatisfied, irritable, lost, stuck, overwhelmed, unmotivated, isolated, inauthentic, and hopeless. They are unsure about where they are in school, work, or life. They may use terms such as depressed, stressed, anxious, numb, angry, traumatized, grieving, and anxious/avoidant attachment. They seek to know themselves more or to feel more whole. They seek to unlearn unconscious and unhelpful habits. They wish to grow and nurture their relationships with others and themselves. They desire to feel more at peace, joy, and be able to tolerate the challenges.
PTSD, grief and loss, medical trauma, parenting, adoption, LGBTQ issues.
Do you feel trapped by your past and anxious about your future, unable to live in the present? This malaise of modern living is often a sign of past trauma. I can help you uncover and release the experiences that keep you from living a full and zestful life. My primary focus is women and parents, particularly those with a history of trauma. We’ll explore the feelings that arise in your body, and notice their links to your thoughts and behaviors. I’ll empower you to choose a more positive narrative, to look at your life through a different lens.
PTSD, grief and loss, medical trauma, parenting, adoption, LGBTQ issues.
Do you feel trapped by your past and anxious about your future, unable to live in the present? This malaise of modern living is often a sign of past trauma. I can help you uncover and release the experiences that keep you from living a full and zestful life. My primary focus is women and parents, particularly those with a history of trauma. We’ll explore the feelings that arise in your body, and notice their links to your thoughts and behaviors. I’ll empower you to choose a more positive narrative, to look at your life through a different lens.
Callie Millington
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, MS, LPCC, LMHC, LPC
Verified Verified
2 Endorsed
Albany, CA 94706
My experience includes working with the LGBTQ+ community and adults looking to build creative and alternative lifestyles.
I help couples and individuals find freedom from their most challenging patterns. I work with people experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, and relationship issues, and specialize in helping couples navigate the impacts of developmental trauma. I work from an interpersonal, attachment-based, and Family Systems lens, and incorporate trauma-informed modalities of somatic awareness, mindfulness, and IFS/parts work.
My experience includes working with the LGBTQ+ community and adults looking to build creative and alternative lifestyles.
I help couples and individuals find freedom from their most challenging patterns. I work with people experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, and relationship issues, and specialize in helping couples navigate the impacts of developmental trauma. I work from an interpersonal, attachment-based, and Family Systems lens, and incorporate trauma-informed modalities of somatic awareness, mindfulness, and IFS/parts work.
I work with college students, young professionals, adults, elders, and couples seeking to deepen meaningful contact with themselves and others, particularly including the LGBTQ+ community.
While it can be intimidating to think about beginning therapy, it’s my hope that my warm and collaborative style of engaging with you will offer some ease in initiating our work together. Having dedicated space for understanding and learning about you by speaking can feel relieving, and starts with a good amount of courage in your initial reaching out. In our work together, I will carefully listen to you while building a collaborative relationship based in warm curiosity, offering you my thoughts and connections related to the barriers that may be holding you back from moving towards your known and yet-to-be-known goals.
I work with college students, young professionals, adults, elders, and couples seeking to deepen meaningful contact with themselves and others, particularly including the LGBTQ+ community.
While it can be intimidating to think about beginning therapy, it’s my hope that my warm and collaborative style of engaging with you will offer some ease in initiating our work together. Having dedicated space for understanding and learning about you by speaking can feel relieving, and starts with a good amount of courage in your initial reaching out. In our work together, I will carefully listen to you while building a collaborative relationship based in warm curiosity, offering you my thoughts and connections related to the barriers that may be holding you back from moving towards your known and yet-to-be-known goals.
Lucy Collier
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, MFT
Verified Verified
Albany, CA 94706
Waitlist for new clients
I have many years of experience working with queer, trans, and nonbinary people, sex workers, radical activists, biracial couples, poly/kink relationships and alternative families.
I am a psychotherapist in private practice in the East Bay since 1996. I offer a non-judgmental therapeutic relationship where individuals, couples or families can find self acceptance, safety, access insight and intuition, and cultivate an attitude of kindness toward the self and others. Recovery from trauma, working on communication and relationships, overcoming addiction, spiritual self-development and healing, and coping with depression/stress from major life transitions are common themes. I have taught and supervised therapists in training at various local agencies. I also have a background in holistic and shamanic healing.
I have many years of experience working with queer, trans, and nonbinary people, sex workers, radical activists, biracial couples, poly/kink relationships and alternative families.
I am a psychotherapist in private practice in the East Bay since 1996. I offer a non-judgmental therapeutic relationship where individuals, couples or families can find self acceptance, safety, access insight and intuition, and cultivate an attitude of kindness toward the self and others. Recovery from trauma, working on communication and relationships, overcoming addiction, spiritual self-development and healing, and coping with depression/stress from major life transitions are common themes. I have taught and supervised therapists in training at various local agencies. I also have a background in holistic and shamanic healing.
Kristen M. VanKlootwyk
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA, AMFT, PCC
Verified Verified
6 Endorsed
Albany, CA 94710
Traditional and CNM partnerships, kink, queer and LBTQIA+ inclusive and sex positive.
2024 Specializing in couples and adult child and family work. If you are suffering in your relationship, or if you are experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression, therapy can provide immediate relief so that you can move beyond simply getting by. Being truly heard and offered evidence based tools to make change are available to you in therapy. Busy working professionals, new parents, the newly retired, of all genders and orientations are welcome in my practice. I can offer you a safe place to be witnessed, rest, restore and heal. Contact me for a free 20 minute session today.
Traditional and CNM partnerships, kink, queer and LBTQIA+ inclusive and sex positive.
2024 Specializing in couples and adult child and family work. If you are suffering in your relationship, or if you are experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression, therapy can provide immediate relief so that you can move beyond simply getting by. Being truly heard and offered evidence based tools to make change are available to you in therapy. Busy working professionals, new parents, the newly retired, of all genders and orientations are welcome in my practice. I can offer you a safe place to be witnessed, rest, restore and heal. Contact me for a free 20 minute session today.
I have completed advanced training in work with LGBT folks, immigrants, children, and survivors of trauma.
Therapy is a deeply personal experience and there are as many reasons to seek therapy as there are people who seek it. Perhaps you are struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, or shame. You may have suffered traumas or losses and are wondering how these shape your thoughts, feelings and relationships. Maybe you simply have a sense that aspects of your life are not coming together in the ways you desire. Therapy is a space to explore these curiosities, to develop insight into your self, and, ultimately, to find greater fulfillment in your work, relationships, and play.
I have completed advanced training in work with LGBT folks, immigrants, children, and survivors of trauma.
Therapy is a deeply personal experience and there are as many reasons to seek therapy as there are people who seek it. Perhaps you are struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, or shame. You may have suffered traumas or losses and are wondering how these shape your thoughts, feelings and relationships. Maybe you simply have a sense that aspects of your life are not coming together in the ways you desire. Therapy is a space to explore these curiosities, to develop insight into your self, and, ultimately, to find greater fulfillment in your work, relationships, and play.
Cindy Blackett
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, MFT
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
Albany, CA 94706 (Online Only)
I specialize in work with couples and individual adults dealing with relationship problems. Common issues for couples I see include communication difficulties, affairs, arguing or withdrawing, parenting conflict. I have experience working with a diverse range of people, including couples in mixed race/culture relationships, inter-faith relationships and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
I specialize in work with couples and individual adults dealing with relationship problems. Common issues for couples I see include communication difficulties, affairs, arguing or withdrawing, parenting conflict. I have experience working with a diverse range of people, including couples in mixed race/culture relationships, inter-faith relationships and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
I specialize in working with young children, caregivers, adults, and birthing people. The early relationship between a caregiver and child is central to developing a sense of safety and self esteem. My goal is to strengthen the attachment between the child and their important caregivers, to promote healthy development, and address any issues that may be impacting the child or caregiver well-being. Through this therapeutic approach, the focus is not only on the child's individual experiences but also on the dynamics and interactions within the family unit.
I specialize in working with young children, caregivers, adults, and birthing people. The early relationship between a caregiver and child is central to developing a sense of safety and self esteem. My goal is to strengthen the attachment between the child and their important caregivers, to promote healthy development, and address any issues that may be impacting the child or caregiver well-being. Through this therapeutic approach, the focus is not only on the child's individual experiences but also on the dynamics and interactions within the family unit.
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Marriage & Family Therapist, PhD, MA, NCC®
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
Albany, CA 94706
When we are anxious, unsettled, or stuck, and unsure what our next steps should be or whether it is even possible to feel better about our self, our life path, or our relationships, we can feel very alone. You may have tried therapy before, or self-help strategies, and perhaps found some short-term relief, but are wondering if longer-term solutions and genuine life satisfaction are real possibilities for you. You may be finding difficulty holding on to a sense of hope that your life can change for the better, yet there is some glimmer of desire that has led you here, to search for help. There is a part of you that wants to heal.
When we are anxious, unsettled, or stuck, and unsure what our next steps should be or whether it is even possible to feel better about our self, our life path, or our relationships, we can feel very alone. You may have tried therapy before, or self-help strategies, and perhaps found some short-term relief, but are wondering if longer-term solutions and genuine life satisfaction are real possibilities for you. You may be finding difficulty holding on to a sense of hope that your life can change for the better, yet there is some glimmer of desire that has led you here, to search for help. There is a part of you that wants to heal.
Many of us struggle to feel at home in our bodies and minds. Our inner voice can be harsh and unkind; sometimes, we can hardly hear it over the noise of anxious thoughts. Painful experiences may intrude upon our sense of safety, as well as the hopes we have for the future. Therapy offers you the time to slow down and the space to be heard. During our first session, I will follow your lead, actively listening with the aim of understanding what’s bringing you here. Throughout our work together, I endeavor to create a nonjudgmental space for all the different parts of you, including those parts you feel are closed off.
Many of us struggle to feel at home in our bodies and minds. Our inner voice can be harsh and unkind; sometimes, we can hardly hear it over the noise of anxious thoughts. Painful experiences may intrude upon our sense of safety, as well as the hopes we have for the future. Therapy offers you the time to slow down and the space to be heard. During our first session, I will follow your lead, actively listening with the aim of understanding what’s bringing you here. Throughout our work together, I endeavor to create a nonjudgmental space for all the different parts of you, including those parts you feel are closed off.
Simon Kiyoshi Hara
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate
Verified Verified
3 Endorsed
Albany, CA 94706 (Online Only)
Our thoughts and emotions are telling us something. At times the message is clear. At others the message feels garbled, or we are not ready to receive it. I would like to help. Often my clients seek support around confusing emotions and thoughts that accompany life transitions, and relationships. We build insight through understanding these thoughts and feelings. Themes might include: overwhelm, burnout, relational trauma, family dynamics, identity, self-esteem, vulnerability, boundaries, and interpersonal communication. All of this will be in service of helping your emotions to inform your journey, rather than stifle it.
Our thoughts and emotions are telling us something. At times the message is clear. At others the message feels garbled, or we are not ready to receive it. I would like to help. Often my clients seek support around confusing emotions and thoughts that accompany life transitions, and relationships. We build insight through understanding these thoughts and feelings. Themes might include: overwhelm, burnout, relational trauma, family dynamics, identity, self-esteem, vulnerability, boundaries, and interpersonal communication. All of this will be in service of helping your emotions to inform your journey, rather than stifle it.
"Are you worrying that you are stuck in old patterns of thinking and behaving regarding yourself and others that make you unhappy, depressed, anxious, or irritable? Are you trying to connect and communicate with a partner, friends, or co-workers, but find youself misunderstood, angry, or lonely? Are you longing to be happier yet unable to figure out how to change? I have helped hundreds of people with similar concerns to experience more joy and success in their lives. Together we can examine your concerns from new perspectives and overcome the obstacles preventing you from achieving your innermost goals.
"Are you worrying that you are stuck in old patterns of thinking and behaving regarding yourself and others that make you unhappy, depressed, anxious, or irritable? Are you trying to connect and communicate with a partner, friends, or co-workers, but find youself misunderstood, angry, or lonely? Are you longing to be happier yet unable to figure out how to change? I have helped hundreds of people with similar concerns to experience more joy and success in their lives. Together we can examine your concerns from new perspectives and overcome the obstacles preventing you from achieving your innermost goals.
James Francis Gallagher Jr.
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified Verified
Albany, CA 94706
We are all born whole, in lovingkind perfection. But life produces obstacles that sidetrack our becoming ourselves. Obstacles take any forms: trauma in the body, inauthentic identities, existential fears, beliefs indoctrinated but in conflict with one's essential values, or anxiety that something is wrong with oneself. The result can be alienation, grief, substance use issues, depression, anxiety, difficulty connecting, or incapacity to speak or create from the heart. Reconnecting with ones body, the natural world, and with an unconditional community are the foundations re-emerging into the Self you've always been.
We are all born whole, in lovingkind perfection. But life produces obstacles that sidetrack our becoming ourselves. Obstacles take any forms: trauma in the body, inauthentic identities, existential fears, beliefs indoctrinated but in conflict with one's essential values, or anxiety that something is wrong with oneself. The result can be alienation, grief, substance use issues, depression, anxiety, difficulty connecting, or incapacity to speak or create from the heart. Reconnecting with ones body, the natural world, and with an unconditional community are the foundations re-emerging into the Self you've always been.
Sonia Decker
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT, MA
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
Albany, CA 94706
Waitlist for new clients
Do you feel stressed and overwhelmed? Are you longing for more balance, connection, and meaning in your life? I would love to help you reclaim feelings of leadership in your life and move towards more healing, self-compassion, and joy. I have experience working with adults, families, and teens, especially those struggling with extreme ways of coping. I use Internal Family Systems (IFS), drama therapy, and a relational approach to support you to get to know all parts of yourself, release burdens you may be carrying, and find more ease, balance, connection, and aliveness within yourself and in your relationships with loved ones.
Do you feel stressed and overwhelmed? Are you longing for more balance, connection, and meaning in your life? I would love to help you reclaim feelings of leadership in your life and move towards more healing, self-compassion, and joy. I have experience working with adults, families, and teens, especially those struggling with extreme ways of coping. I use Internal Family Systems (IFS), drama therapy, and a relational approach to support you to get to know all parts of yourself, release burdens you may be carrying, and find more ease, balance, connection, and aliveness within yourself and in your relationships with loved ones.
Meleah Chamberlain Terheyden
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
Albany, CA 94706 (Online Only)
If you are going through a time in which you are feeling stuck or overwhelmed, it is courageous to find the strength to reach out and make an investment in yourself and your future with therapy. I believe in the resiliency of the human spirit, as we all have the potential answers to improving our lives but often need someone to offer us the reflective space to think differently in order to shift our experiences. That may mean exploring the past to understand or accept what has happened, but it is always in service of improving your present & future.
If you are going through a time in which you are feeling stuck or overwhelmed, it is courageous to find the strength to reach out and make an investment in yourself and your future with therapy. I believe in the resiliency of the human spirit, as we all have the potential answers to improving our lives but often need someone to offer us the reflective space to think differently in order to shift our experiences. That may mean exploring the past to understand or accept what has happened, but it is always in service of improving your present & future.
If you are seeking a deeper understanding of why you or your child struggles with focusing or learning, then I can help clarify what is getting in the way of reaching one's full potential. You may wonder if there is a name for the difficulty (e.g., is it dyslexia? ADHD?) or you may be unsure if having such a name would be helpful. More importantly, you are wanting a better sense of the strengths and weaknesses that you or you child have and what strategies and interventions would be most helpful.
If you are seeking a deeper understanding of why you or your child struggles with focusing or learning, then I can help clarify what is getting in the way of reaching one's full potential. You may wonder if there is a name for the difficulty (e.g., is it dyslexia? ADHD?) or you may be unsure if having such a name would be helpful. More importantly, you are wanting a better sense of the strengths and weaknesses that you or you child have and what strategies and interventions would be most helpful.
I tend to work with people that feel stuck. Stuck in the same thoughts, behavior, and situations they can’t quite figure out how to move beyond. Stuck in their relationships, unsure how to communicate, or commonly fighting over “the same thing.” Instead of asking “What’s wrong with me?” and “How can I fix myself?” We can focus on questions like, “How can I know myself better?” and “I wonder why I respond that way?” to build self-compassion and curiosity.
I tend to work with people that feel stuck. Stuck in the same thoughts, behavior, and situations they can’t quite figure out how to move beyond. Stuck in their relationships, unsure how to communicate, or commonly fighting over “the same thing.” Instead of asking “What’s wrong with me?” and “How can I fix myself?” We can focus on questions like, “How can I know myself better?” and “I wonder why I respond that way?” to build self-compassion and curiosity.
See more therapy options for Albany
Nearby LGBTQ+ Therapists Searches for Albany
- Berkeley
- El Cerrito
- El Sobrante
- Emeryville
- Kensington
- Oakland
- Orinda
- Piedmont
- Pinole
- Richmond
- San Pablo
- Tiburon
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.