Affirmative, not just 'safe'
Affirming for who you are. Specific about what you're working on.
LGBTQ+ affirmative individual and couples therapy — including non-monogamy, polyamory, and kink-aware work. No translating. No teaching. Just the therapy. Online across California.
Good fit if
- You want a therapist who already knows the context — coming out, gender, identity, relationship structure
- You're navigating family of origin, religious deconstruction, or stigma-related stress
- You're in a queer or non-traditional relationship and want therapy that treats it as the norm, not the deviation
- You're non-monogamous, polyamorous, in a relationship anarchy structure, or kink-involved and want a therapist who won't pathologize
- You're exploring gender and want supportive, non-directive therapy — we don't push outcomes
Not a fit if
- You're seeking 'conversion' or change-directed therapy — we don't provide that and never will
- You need specialized gender-affirming care letters (top surgery, HRT) — we may not be the right fit; we'll refer
Not sure which column you're in? Book a free consult. If we're not the right fit, we'll help you find someone who is.
What the work looks like
How we actually work together.
This isn't a different modality — it's a different starting point. We use the same evidence-based frameworks as any therapy (CBT, Gottman, EFT, EMDR, IFS), but you won't spend the first six sessions teaching your therapist what polyamory means, why misgendering from family still hurts even when you're years out, or how to hold the tension of loving a faith tradition that doesn't love you back. (For more on what 'affirming' actually means in practice — and why it's different from just being 'safe' — see our piece on What 'Affirming' Actually Means in LGBTQ+ Therapy.)
For couples and relationship structures of any size: we treat the structure you're practicing as the working structure. No pressure to reorganize into monogamy, no pressure to 'pick one' partner. The work is communication, attachment, and clarity — whatever the container is.
Our clinicians hold LGBT-Affirmative Therapy certification (AAMFT), and we're committed to keeping current on best practices for LGBTQ+ clinical care — which changes as the field evolves.
Modalities we draw from
Wondering if this is the work you need?
Free 15-minute call. We'll figure out together if we're the right starting point.
Book a Free ConsultWho on our team does this work
3 therapists who specialize here.
Christina Mathieson
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) #115093
Human sexuality, couples work, ADHD and neurodiversity-affirming therapy, and affirming care for individuals navigating relationships, identity, and life transitions.
Michelle Cortez
Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) #146795
Supervised by Christina Mathieson, LMFT #115093
Couples work grounded in attachment theory and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT); anxiety and OCD using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP); cultural identity, relationship challenges, and the weight of carrying trauma quietly. Relational and culturally responsive at heart.
Jalyse Stewart
Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) #153712
Supervised by Christina Mathieson, LMFT #115093
Trauma-informed therapy for women healing from childhood sexual abuse, complex trauma, and what a lifetime of carrying other people's weight does to the nervous system. I also work with neurodivergent clients and trauma that intersects with grief, anxiety, or chronic overcompensation.
FAQ
Common questions about lgbtq+ affirmative therapy.
Do I need a specific LGBTQ+ therapist, or does any of your team work with queer clients?
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All our therapists work affirmingly with LGBTQ+ clients. Christina (LMFT) holds the LGBT-Affirmative Therapy certification from AAMFT and is our most extensive trainer in this work; the team as a whole is aligned.
Can you write gender-affirming care letters?
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We can sometimes provide letters for LGBTQ+ clients in established therapy, but we're not specialists in gender-affirming care letter-writing. For clients specifically seeking letters for HRT or surgery, we may refer to a provider who specializes in that.
Do you work with non-monogamous and polyamorous relationships?
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Yes, substantively. We're non-monogamy-affirming and work with poly, open, relationship-anarchy, and kink structures. We'll ask how your structure works so we can work within it rather than against it.
My partner and I are queer but our issues aren't about being queer — will you still fit?
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Yes, absolutely. Queer couples deal with the same relationship dynamics as any couple. Working with an affirmative therapist just means the context is already held — we can spend session time on the actual work instead of explaining your life.
References & further reading
- APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Sexual Minority Persons — American Psychological Association
- APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People — American Psychological Association
- AAMFT — LGBTQ-Affirmative Therapy resources — AAMFT
Last clinically reviewed: April 24, 2026 by Christina Mathieson, LMFT #115093.
Free monthly workshop
It's Not Just the Fight: How Trauma Shows Up in Your Relationship
Thursday, April 30, 2026 · 6:00 PM PT · Zoom · Free
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Learn moreReady to talk it through?
Free 15-minute call. We'll figure out if lgbtq+ affirmative therapy is the right work for where you are, and match you with the right person on our team.
Book a Free Consult