I am gay, can I request a gay therapist?

Absolutely!  Many therapists are very supportive of the gay and lesbian community and can be quite effective at helping those in our community.  That being said, there is a great deal of discrimination against the gay and lesbian community, and it’s not at all unreasonable to feel more comfortable revealing our deepest selves to a therapist who is also part of our community.  You have no way of knowing what your therapist is thinking when you are talking to him or her.  Sure, you can sometimes get a gut feeling about them, but you already have enough barriers on the road to getting where you want to be, and you don’t need any additional obstacles to success.  If it becomes necessary to share intimate details, and you feel comfortable with doing that with someone who is straight, then it really makes no difference whether your therapist is a member of the community themselves.  If you think you might hold back or feel uncomfortable with someone who is straight, then you definitely should consider looking for a therapist who is gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer.

If you live in California and are looking for a LGBTQ therapist, please give us a call at Long Beach Therapy: 562-310-9741.