LGBT therapists in El Cajon, CA

I'm Dr. Jack Sample, a licensed clinical psychologist in Los Angeles offering psychodynamic therapy at my office in Hollywood. My practice is informed by training and education in psychology, cultural anthropology, and nonfiction storytelling. I believe therapy is an opportunity to address the roots of suffering and support enduring change. My approach aims to cultivate capacities for thinking, feeling, and creativity to foster a greater sense of agency and aliveness.

I believe therapy works best when you feel safe, understood, and genuinely supported. My approach is warm, collaborative, and nonjudgmental, and I strive to create a space where you can be yourself. People often describe me as easy to talk to, and I believe that compassion—and even a little humor when appropriate—can make the healing process feel more comfortable. We'll work together to build on your strengths and help you create meaningful, lasting change.

I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience from the University of Portland and my Master’s degree from Santa Clara University. My clinical experience spans school-based services, residential care, ABA, community mental health, and high-acuity crisis work. I have worked with children, teenagers, adults, and older adults from diverse backgrounds. I particularly enjoy working with teenagers as they discover who they are and who they want to become. My areas of focus include anxiety, depression, relationships, life transitions, couples therapy, and men’s mental health. My experience also allows me to remain calm and responsive when situations become difficult.

Hello and welcome to therapy. You are one step closer on your journey to achieving your goals, passions, and intentions. You and I will develop a therapeutic relationship as you work through trauma, anxiety, depression, and other areas that you would like growth in. You will utilize the strengths that you already have, and keep expanding on those. It is my job to create a safe, open, and person-centered environment. I look forward to working with you on your healing journey! Keep going and growing.

Growing up near a national park, I am consistently reminded of and influenced by the importance of nature on our physical, mental, and emotional health in my mental health practice. As an LMFT, I've worked with a variety of populations, most of whom experienced major trauma or complex trauma, and aid them in reconnecting to their sense of self and safety. I received my MS from California Lutheran University with a specialization in trauma and BA from CSU Chico. I have been licensed for 4 years and have provided therapy for the last 8 years including an associate and traineeship.

I have over 7 years of experience working with depression and anxiety disorders, trauma, couples, and other severe mental health concerns. My goal is to create a comfortable, safe space where you can begin your therapeutic journey with confidence and without judgment. Together, we can openly explore what you want in—and out of—life. If you don't know what that looks like yet, that's okay. We can figure it out together. Your goals may also change along the way, and therapy should have the flexibility to change with you.

Have you been overwhelmed with trying to navigate through the ways you show up in your relationships with others, making you question your own self-identity? The goal is to help you navigate through these feelings/emotions with self-curiosity and compassion. I want to help hold space for my clients to explore these new tools through self-discovery.

Some seasons of life ask more of you than you ever expected, and somewhere along the way you stopped feeling like yourself. I work with teens, parents, and adults who are moving through anxiety, depression, grief, relationship strain, and the heavy stretches that come with big life transitions. I care deeply about supporting LGBTQIA+ and transgender clients, and families who want to understand and show up for one another a little better. So much of this work is simply remembering that you do not have to carry any of it alone.