How to find a LGBTQ therapist in my area?

I get a lot of calls from people in the LGBTQ community who were hesitant to come into therapy until they found out that I am also part of the LGBTQ community.   The reason for this tends to be that there are still people out there (even therapists) with biases and when we go to see a therapist, we have to be completely open and vulnerable with them and if we aren’t sure how they feel about us as a person, it is harder to open up.

I truly believe that a LGBTQ friendly therapist can be very effective with members of our community.  That being said, sometimes people just want to find someone within their community who they don’t have to second guess.

Here are some tips to finding an LGBTQ therapist near you or an LGBTQ friendly therapist near you:

1. Ask them.  It is totally okay to ask your therapist if they are a part of the LBGTQ community or they are an LGBTQ ally.  If they seem uncomfortable with the question, then that is a clue that perhaps they are not the therapist for you.
2. Look on their website or around their office for gay friendly wording or signs.  Do they have a rainbow triangle somewhere, do they write in LGBTQ affirming ways, do they have LGBTQ themed magazines in their office?
3. When you do a google search, search things like “LGBTQ therapist in Long Beach” (or whatever city you are from), “LGBTQ friendly therapist in Long Beach”, “Gay friendly therapist”, “gay friendly couples’ therapist”,  and so on.
4. A therapist can see anyone in the state where they are licensed, so if you live in California, google therapists in cities that are known to be gay friendly (Long Beach, San Francisco, etc).  Due to COVID, most therapists are providing phone and online therapy options and my guess is that they will continue to do so, even after they are back to in-office appointments.  So that would change your google search to “LGBTQ therapist in California” or “Gay friendly therapist in California”.
5. Expand your search lingo.  Younger therapists are going to refer to themselves as a LGBTQ therapist or LGBTQ friendly therapist.  Older therapists might refer to themselves as a gay therapist or gay friendly therapist (even if they are lesbian, bi, transgender, etc.) because when they were first coming out themselves, “gay” was a generic term for our entire community.
6. TRUST YOUR GUT!!  If you like the therapist after coming out to them on the phone and talking with them, try them out.  You aren’t committing to a forever relationship; you are committing to 1 session.  If you don’t like them, find a different therapist.

If you live in California and looking for a LGBTQ therapist, please give us a call.  562.310-9741.