Gay/Queer/LGBTQ+

The LGBTQ+ community has made substantial progress in recent years by gaining civil rights in many areas and improving the quality of our lives, but you may still be experiencing difficulty in the face of persistent bias against your distinctive way of living and loving. And so many of us are still haunted by the emotional scars caused by cultural and familial homophobia. While it is not always obvious how the insidious effects of prejudice can contribute to psychological problems, the trauma of growing up as an LGBTQ+ person in a heteronormative world can be a primary factor in causing or exacerbating many personal challenges, including depression, anxiety, self-destructive behaviors, and interpersonal stress.  

I can provide you with a safe and caring space to give voice to and heal all aspects of your life experience, including both the peaks and the valleys. Together we can celebrate your capacity for love while also processing the heartbreak of families and communities which have been limited in their support, or sometimes more overtly judgmental and rejecting. Coming to terms with how we’ve been hurt as LGBTQ+ folks can also support healing in many other areas of life. 

I think it is a testament to LGBTQ+ creativity that we are discovering many different configurations for our romantic and affectional bonds. Whether you are in a monogamous, open, or polyamorous relationship, I am deeply respectful of your personal choices, and will work with you sensitively and subtly to make your particular constellation happy and fulfilling for all involved. You may need help learning how to speak more clearly with the people closest to you. Or perhaps you would like to rekindle erotic desire and intimacy, or are negotiating the opening of your primary relationship. Some of you may be in the process of having or raising kids, and could benefit from a supportive family therapy that fully celebrates diversity of gender and sexuality. To each encounter, I bring decades of personal and professional immersion in the LGBTQ+ community.

Some members of our community struggle with the effects of overuse of party drugs in conjunction with sexually driven experiences that they are no longer able to control. What used to be a fun night out or a hot sexual encounter can transform into painful dependence on crystal meth, loss of friends and contact with family, missing work, or health issues. My work with gay men struggling with meth is extensive, both in my private practice as well as residential and outpatient settings. I am passionate about this topic and provide trainings to other professionals as well as lay people looking to learn more.