Therapists in Santa Barbara, CA
Sam Urena
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA, AMFT
Verified Verified
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
I specialize in LGBTQ+ issues and in recovery from religious trauma.
Therapy can be a weekly reminder to slow down and listen. If we’re in a great deal of pain, it can be a place to tend to our wounds. If we’re in a place of confusion, it can be a place to remember who we are and who we are not — or discover ourselves for what feels like the first time. Therapy, over time, can teach us how to live and how to live well.
I specialize in LGBTQ+ issues and in recovery from religious trauma.
Therapy can be a weekly reminder to slow down and listen. If we’re in a great deal of pain, it can be a place to tend to our wounds. If we’re in a place of confusion, it can be a place to remember who we are and who we are not — or discover ourselves for what feels like the first time. Therapy, over time, can teach us how to live and how to live well.
Kai Krupa
Associate Professional Clinical Counselor, MA, APCC
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
As a queer and trans identified therapist, my passion is to provide gender affirming, sex-positive, trauma informed and inclusive mental healthcare from a social justice framework.
I have in-person availability and will return your message! Let's collaborate together on how we can best meet your goals to live authentically and thrive. I support individual adults, adolescents, relationships, chosen and birth families. My work is rooted in the belief that therapy is a collaborative and transformative process. I am dedicated to helping clients navigate the complexities of their struggles. It’s my hope that through our work, you will find new pathways of resilience, freedom, growth, pleasure, balance, liberation and healing.
As a queer and trans identified therapist, my passion is to provide gender affirming, sex-positive, trauma informed and inclusive mental healthcare from a social justice framework.
I have in-person availability and will return your message! Let's collaborate together on how we can best meet your goals to live authentically and thrive. I support individual adults, adolescents, relationships, chosen and birth families. My work is rooted in the belief that therapy is a collaborative and transformative process. I am dedicated to helping clients navigate the complexities of their struggles. It’s my hope that through our work, you will find new pathways of resilience, freedom, growth, pleasure, balance, liberation and healing.
John Cabonce
Associate Professional Clinical Counselor, APCC, ASW, PPS
Verified Verified
3 Endorsed
Santa Barbara, CA 93121
I specialize in working with LGBTQ+, trauma survivors, teens, adults, and couples.
Welcome new clients! Do traumatic memories impact different areas of your life? You tried so hard to cope with them, and yet they still affect you, your relationships, and your hopes for the future. The trauma limits your capacity to move on to the next chapter and hold you back from creating your preferred life story. The trauma does not get the final say on how you live your life. What if I tell you that you are able to reclaim that life you have always wanted, as you get in touch with your strengths and values in a safe space to create your solutions and build hope. You are the author of your story! Let me help you write it.
I specialize in working with LGBTQ+, trauma survivors, teens, adults, and couples.
Welcome new clients! Do traumatic memories impact different areas of your life? You tried so hard to cope with them, and yet they still affect you, your relationships, and your hopes for the future. The trauma limits your capacity to move on to the next chapter and hold you back from creating your preferred life story. The trauma does not get the final say on how you live your life. What if I tell you that you are able to reclaim that life you have always wanted, as you get in touch with your strengths and values in a safe space to create your solutions and build hope. You are the author of your story! Let me help you write it.
Rebekah D Lovejoy
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, PhD, AMFT
Verified Verified
3 Endorsed
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Finding a therapist who can understand and hold space for you can be daunting. My hope is to be a compassionate support, to make space for creative engagement, healing, affirming. I work with couples, adults and teens. I have experience with trauma, gender expansive affirming care, highly intelligent teens struggling with individuation, neurodivergence. I use somatic tools, and a humanistic approach. I am experienced with sexuality concerns. I celebrate all bodies. I am BIPOC safe, culturally diverse, sex positive, kink, queer, and non-monogamy informed and allied. Whoever you are, what ever arrives in session is safe and seen.
Finding a therapist who can understand and hold space for you can be daunting. My hope is to be a compassionate support, to make space for creative engagement, healing, affirming. I work with couples, adults and teens. I have experience with trauma, gender expansive affirming care, highly intelligent teens struggling with individuation, neurodivergence. I use somatic tools, and a humanistic approach. I am experienced with sexuality concerns. I celebrate all bodies. I am BIPOC safe, culturally diverse, sex positive, kink, queer, and non-monogamy informed and allied. Whoever you are, what ever arrives in session is safe and seen.
Justin Oberste
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified Verified
Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (Online Only)
New career. New home. The end of a relationship. The beginning of re-discovery. Living authentically. Living in power. Whatever your need, wherever your journey, welcome to your safe space. I'm an associate psychotherapist specializing in LGBTQ+ Affirmative Psychology and Religious Trauma Therapy. Currently, I'm completing studies in Sex Therapy. Here, you have found a caring confidant who offers unconditional positive regard. Allow me to assist you in the areas of general psychology, individual therapy and couples & sex therapy.
New career. New home. The end of a relationship. The beginning of re-discovery. Living authentically. Living in power. Whatever your need, wherever your journey, welcome to your safe space. I'm an associate psychotherapist specializing in LGBTQ+ Affirmative Psychology and Religious Trauma Therapy. Currently, I'm completing studies in Sex Therapy. Here, you have found a caring confidant who offers unconditional positive regard. Allow me to assist you in the areas of general psychology, individual therapy and couples & sex therapy.
Jill T Rubin
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MSW, LCSW
Verified Verified
Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (Online Only)
I work with adults and adolescents and particularly enjoy working with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender clients.
I specialize in healing relationships with self and other, whether they are painful, confusing, or just plain unsatisfying. If you're "going through the motions," you've lost yourself, your anxious mind is driving you crazy, or if you can't decide whether to stay in that relationship or leave. I'll help you learn to manage those difficult emotions and confusing situations so that you can move through those life transitions and issues with a greater sense of confidence and ease.
I work with adults and adolescents and particularly enjoy working with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender clients.
I specialize in healing relationships with self and other, whether they are painful, confusing, or just plain unsatisfying. If you're "going through the motions," you've lost yourself, your anxious mind is driving you crazy, or if you can't decide whether to stay in that relationship or leave. I'll help you learn to manage those difficult emotions and confusing situations so that you can move through those life transitions and issues with a greater sense of confidence and ease.
Amanda Halloway
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, AMFT
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Hi, I’m Amanda! I provide person-centered, trauma-informed, LGBTQ-affirmative, and feminist therapy to clients of all genders and ages. I have a particular passion for working with youth who are experiencing difficulties related to trauma, mood issues, sexual orientation, gender identity, and life transitions. My experience includes work in school-based therapy as well as residential treatment for unhoused clients with co-occurring substance use and severe mental health disorders. In my current practice, my approach is informed by my background in organizing for anti-racism, disability rights and the LGBTQ community.
Hi, I’m Amanda! I provide person-centered, trauma-informed, LGBTQ-affirmative, and feminist therapy to clients of all genders and ages. I have a particular passion for working with youth who are experiencing difficulties related to trauma, mood issues, sexual orientation, gender identity, and life transitions. My experience includes work in school-based therapy as well as residential treatment for unhoused clients with co-occurring substance use and severe mental health disorders. In my current practice, my approach is informed by my background in organizing for anti-racism, disability rights and the LGBTQ community.
Rebeks L. Clark Mane
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified Verified
Santa Barbara, CA 93103 (Online Only)
I'm a swear-y transmasc therapist with lived experience who specializes in neurodivergence (Autism, ADHD), LGBTQIA+ (that includes ALL the letters), academia, and chronic illness/disability.
Many of my clients are newly identifying their neurodivergence (either through formal or self-diagnosis) and recognizing all the ways they have been swimming upstream their whole lives. My clients may also be discovering that their gender or sexuality is more complicated than they thought, perhaps that they aren't "just queer" but also nonbinary, asexual, or polyamorous. My clients seek therapy because they struggling with their current phase of life, such as settling into life after medical transition, navigating autistic burnout & chronic illnesses, or finding trauma they thought they were past resurfacing in disruptive ways.
I'm a swear-y transmasc therapist with lived experience who specializes in neurodivergence (Autism, ADHD), LGBTQIA+ (that includes ALL the letters), academia, and chronic illness/disability.
Many of my clients are newly identifying their neurodivergence (either through formal or self-diagnosis) and recognizing all the ways they have been swimming upstream their whole lives. My clients may also be discovering that their gender or sexuality is more complicated than they thought, perhaps that they aren't "just queer" but also nonbinary, asexual, or polyamorous. My clients seek therapy because they struggling with their current phase of life, such as settling into life after medical transition, navigating autistic burnout & chronic illnesses, or finding trauma they thought they were past resurfacing in disruptive ways.
Brittany Griggs
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified Verified
Santa Barbara, CA 93111 (Online Only)
Hello kind soul, I'm Brittany! Do you feel like you're on the "struggle bus?" Does life feel heavy, causing you to feel stagnant, or do you find that you're constantly questioning yourself? Are you noticing patterns within your life that may be rooted in trauma that you may or may not have addressed? Are you a member of the BIPOC or LGBTQ+ community searching for a therapist that you actually connect with and makes you feel seen? I have a true passion for unearthing the power within others that inspires them to live authentically as their best selves.
Hello kind soul, I'm Brittany! Do you feel like you're on the "struggle bus?" Does life feel heavy, causing you to feel stagnant, or do you find that you're constantly questioning yourself? Are you noticing patterns within your life that may be rooted in trauma that you may or may not have addressed? Are you a member of the BIPOC or LGBTQ+ community searching for a therapist that you actually connect with and makes you feel seen? I have a true passion for unearthing the power within others that inspires them to live authentically as their best selves.
Talia Tzouris
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA, AMFT
Verified Verified
3 Endorsed
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
I identify as a queer and am a gender-affirming therapist who sees adults, couples, and families.
You are intuitive, sensitive and intelligent. You feel like you wear a mask sometimes to avoid rejection, that there is something wrong with you, or that you just aren't "good enough" to be accepted by others and to get the things you want in life. Maybe you've been trying to live up to others expectations, or societal expectations, of how you "should" be and it's exhausting! It's showing as depression, anxiety, loneliness and avoidance. You don't have to keep trying to just be better and figure it out it all out on your own. I'm here to offer support and empower you on your journey towards self love, connection, and peace.
I identify as a queer and am a gender-affirming therapist who sees adults, couples, and families.
You are intuitive, sensitive and intelligent. You feel like you wear a mask sometimes to avoid rejection, that there is something wrong with you, or that you just aren't "good enough" to be accepted by others and to get the things you want in life. Maybe you've been trying to live up to others expectations, or societal expectations, of how you "should" be and it's exhausting! It's showing as depression, anxiety, loneliness and avoidance. You don't have to keep trying to just be better and figure it out it all out on your own. I'm here to offer support and empower you on your journey towards self love, connection, and peace.
Meredith Linden
Associate Professional Clinical Counselor, MA, APCC, AMFT
Verified Verified
5 Endorsed
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
I specialize in working alongside clients from the LGBTQIA+ communities to navigate systemic and personal conflict, stigma, and oppression.
At times we encounter situations that may affect our ability to manage daily tasks. We can also have experiences that have created symptoms over time. I understand healing is not a straight line and though you may have goals, things can get in the way of reaching them. Clients I see experience PTSD, life transition issues, anxiety and overwhelm, and depression. I offer a safe, receptive and inclusive space for clients to explore the innate wisdom of body, mind, and soul and work through the experiences that feel the most challenging.
I specialize in working alongside clients from the LGBTQIA+ communities to navigate systemic and personal conflict, stigma, and oppression.
At times we encounter situations that may affect our ability to manage daily tasks. We can also have experiences that have created symptoms over time. I understand healing is not a straight line and though you may have goals, things can get in the way of reaching them. Clients I see experience PTSD, life transition issues, anxiety and overwhelm, and depression. I offer a safe, receptive and inclusive space for clients to explore the innate wisdom of body, mind, and soul and work through the experiences that feel the most challenging.
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Nayelhi (Nelly) Ramirez
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, AMFT
Verified Verified
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
Hello, hello! My name is Nayelhi Ramirez (she/they/ella) and I’m an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist in California. I provide therapy via telehealth and in person (in Goleta, CA) with a specialization in Latinx and LGBTQIA2S+ Mental Health. As a queer Latinx, I strive to make therapy accessible by advocating for YOUR health and insight. This includes support with relationships, communication, building emotional intelligence, promoting body neutrality, wrangling anxiety, and growing up meaningfully in a world impacted by systemic and cultural influences.
Hello, hello! My name is Nayelhi Ramirez (she/they/ella) and I’m an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist in California. I provide therapy via telehealth and in person (in Goleta, CA) with a specialization in Latinx and LGBTQIA2S+ Mental Health. As a queer Latinx, I strive to make therapy accessible by advocating for YOUR health and insight. This includes support with relationships, communication, building emotional intelligence, promoting body neutrality, wrangling anxiety, and growing up meaningfully in a world impacted by systemic and cultural influences.
CopeHouse Collective
Marriage & Family Therapist
Verified Verified
Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (Online Only)
We work with individuals and couples on issues of sex & intimacy, security, attachment, trauma, non-monogamy, kink, the LGBTQ+ community, body image, disordered eating, and more.
We are a group psychotherapy practice offering Telehealth therapy for California residents. Our team is made up of Licensed and Registered Associate Therapists with a variety of different specialties, training, strengths, styles, and identities.
We work with individuals and couples on issues of sex & intimacy, security, attachment, trauma, non-monogamy, kink, the LGBTQ+ community, body image, disordered eating, and more.
We are a group psychotherapy practice offering Telehealth therapy for California residents. Our team is made up of Licensed and Registered Associate Therapists with a variety of different specialties, training, strengths, styles, and identities.
Bren J Fraser
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified Verified
3 Endorsed
Santa Barbara, CA 93109
LGBTQ: I have extensive experience working with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender clients and their families.
I am passionate about working with children, adolescents, families and young adults. I believe that one of the most powerful aspects of the therapy process is the relationship between the therapist and client, the therapeutic relationship. our work together needs to be collaborative so that you feel both supported and safe. To achieve this I will adjust my style in order to best fit your needs and help you reach your counseling goals. I invite and encourage you to ask questions about your session. I honor your inquisitiveness about your own process.
LGBTQ: I have extensive experience working with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender clients and their families.
I am passionate about working with children, adolescents, families and young adults. I believe that one of the most powerful aspects of the therapy process is the relationship between the therapist and client, the therapeutic relationship. our work together needs to be collaborative so that you feel both supported and safe. To achieve this I will adjust my style in order to best fit your needs and help you reach your counseling goals. I invite and encourage you to ask questions about your session. I honor your inquisitiveness about your own process.
Lauren Cullen
Marriage & Family Therapist, MS, LMFT
Verified Verified
Santa Barbara, CA 93105 (Online Only)
I am also very knowledgeable and passionate about working with the LGBTQ+ population and young adults.
I invite anyone who is struggling or looking for betterment to join me in a healing journey to reconnect and get back to the best version of themselves. Regardless of the issues at hand, all are welcome to seek out and be supported in a safe space. My foundational therapeutic principles are based upon vulnerability, warmth, kindness, and authenticity, which focuses on support, validation, and empathy. From there I work collaboratively with clients to explore the issues at hand and create goals and new skill sets to work towards successful healing and fulfillment.
I am also very knowledgeable and passionate about working with the LGBTQ+ population and young adults.
I invite anyone who is struggling or looking for betterment to join me in a healing journey to reconnect and get back to the best version of themselves. Regardless of the issues at hand, all are welcome to seek out and be supported in a safe space. My foundational therapeutic principles are based upon vulnerability, warmth, kindness, and authenticity, which focuses on support, validation, and empathy. From there I work collaboratively with clients to explore the issues at hand and create goals and new skill sets to work towards successful healing and fulfillment.
Haley Fuller
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA, AMFT
Verified Verified
4 Endorsed
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
My approach is psychodynamic but flexible; exploring the relationship to the self in both past and present experiences. I believe acceptance, choice, flexibility and compassion are the key agents of change. I view life through the bittersweet lens of existentialism and am aligned with Buddhist principles. I am EMDR trained and fascinated by the human brain and somatic storage of trauma. I enjoy working with adolescents and individuals with a range of needs. I am LGBTQIA+ informed and delighted to support any and all life experiences. I appreciate the depths of the human experience and also love a good laugh when it's available.
My approach is psychodynamic but flexible; exploring the relationship to the self in both past and present experiences. I believe acceptance, choice, flexibility and compassion are the key agents of change. I view life through the bittersweet lens of existentialism and am aligned with Buddhist principles. I am EMDR trained and fascinated by the human brain and somatic storage of trauma. I enjoy working with adolescents and individuals with a range of needs. I am LGBTQIA+ informed and delighted to support any and all life experiences. I appreciate the depths of the human experience and also love a good laugh when it's available.
Sascha Goldhor
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified Verified
6 Endorsed
Santa Barbara, CA 93105 (Online Only)
My practice is body positive, sex positive, LGBTQIA+ affirmative, in solidarity with BIPOC, and is informed by Jungian and depth psychology + Gestalt therapy.
One of my main aims is to support you to trust your Self. In our sessions together, you'll learn how to attune to the unconscious, both to alleviate your suffering and to guide your Self towards wholeness. We'll focus on your emergent somatic experience and incorporate imaginal practices. Throughout, we gain insights into your relationship patterns and nurture your creative function. My style is collaborative + curious. I hold this profound, rewarding process with care and integrity. Many clients express how our sessions have led to lasting change in their lives.
My practice is body positive, sex positive, LGBTQIA+ affirmative, in solidarity with BIPOC, and is informed by Jungian and depth psychology + Gestalt therapy.
One of my main aims is to support you to trust your Self. In our sessions together, you'll learn how to attune to the unconscious, both to alleviate your suffering and to guide your Self towards wholeness. We'll focus on your emergent somatic experience and incorporate imaginal practices. Throughout, we gain insights into your relationship patterns and nurture your creative function. My style is collaborative + curious. I hold this profound, rewarding process with care and integrity. Many clients express how our sessions have led to lasting change in their lives.
Shennie Smith
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified Verified
3 Endorsed
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
I have extensive experience working with with issues ranging from general anxiety to addiction, to exploring and identifying sexuality and gender and the LGBTQ+ community.
Welcome to my profile, I am glad you're here! I would be honored to provide a safe place for you to work towards healing and transformation. Your experience in therapy will be tailored to your needs, as we all experience life differently. As we work together to discover a deeper understanding of you and your patterns, you will be seen, heard, understood and supported. My approach is client-centered and strengths-based, fostering an environment where you can be open, honest and vulnerable. This can influence your relationship with self and others, creating change and growth in a positive direction.
I have extensive experience working with with issues ranging from general anxiety to addiction, to exploring and identifying sexuality and gender and the LGBTQ+ community.
Welcome to my profile, I am glad you're here! I would be honored to provide a safe place for you to work towards healing and transformation. Your experience in therapy will be tailored to your needs, as we all experience life differently. As we work together to discover a deeper understanding of you and your patterns, you will be seen, heard, understood and supported. My approach is client-centered and strengths-based, fostering an environment where you can be open, honest and vulnerable. This can influence your relationship with self and others, creating change and growth in a positive direction.
Dahkotahv Beckham
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA, AMFT
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
As an openly transgender therapist, I know it can be difficult to find the right person to confide in. Wanting to be loved and accepted doesn’t make you needy, or extra, or selfish, or weak. It makes you human. To me, you are not just some random psychology textbook or theory. In our work together, my focus is to build goals and a relationship where you feel comfortable exploring what you think, feel, want, and need. My style as a therapist is warm, relaxed, and conversational. I use playfulness, imagery, art, metaphors, curiosity, creativity, self-compassion, and humor when appropriate to support the therapeutic process.
As an openly transgender therapist, I know it can be difficult to find the right person to confide in. Wanting to be loved and accepted doesn’t make you needy, or extra, or selfish, or weak. It makes you human. To me, you are not just some random psychology textbook or theory. In our work together, my focus is to build goals and a relationship where you feel comfortable exploring what you think, feel, want, and need. My style as a therapist is warm, relaxed, and conversational. I use playfulness, imagery, art, metaphors, curiosity, creativity, self-compassion, and humor when appropriate to support the therapeutic process.
Dr. Marie Grancourt
Psychologist, PsyD, MSIO
Verified Verified
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
New Clients Welcome! I offer a Free 15-minute consultation. I'm glad you are taking these first steps in seeking help and investing in your mental health. I can assist you with decreasing and managing any psychologically distressing symptoms and increasing and improving your overall mental health and well-being. I specialize in anxiety, depression, sex therapy, psychedelic-assisted therapy, sexual trauma, and all types of trauma. I also specialize in working with bipolar disorder, OCD, LGBTQ+ issues, PTSD and more. I hold a Doctorate degree (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology and am a licensed Psychologist.
New Clients Welcome! I offer a Free 15-minute consultation. I'm glad you are taking these first steps in seeking help and investing in your mental health. I can assist you with decreasing and managing any psychologically distressing symptoms and increasing and improving your overall mental health and well-being. I specialize in anxiety, depression, sex therapy, psychedelic-assisted therapy, sexual trauma, and all types of trauma. I also specialize in working with bipolar disorder, OCD, LGBTQ+ issues, PTSD and more. I hold a Doctorate degree (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology and am a licensed Psychologist.
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Nearby LGBTQ+ Therapists Searches for Santa Barbara
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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.