LGBT therapists in Oakland, CA

My name is Joey Ritkes (he/him). I have been working as a mental health therapist for over five years. My practice has primarily been specialized in working with LGBTQ+ youth. However, I have worked with couples, families, emerging adults, and adults from all backgrounds. I am a client-centered therapist who enjoys working collaboratively with my clients to meet their goals.

As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I see the world through the lens of relationships. I treat adults dealing with anxiety, depression, relationships, perinatal mental health, childhood trauma, and religious wounds. I believe the work of therapy is in undoing aloneness. I became a therapist because I believe it’s in relationships we are injured and paradoxically, it must be through relationships that we heal.

I'm a licensed psychotherapist with 34 years of experience. I do my best to meet you "where you are" and to offer compassionate presence as you progress through your personal process of self-discovery, self-identification, and evolution.

I'm honored to be part of your journey of transformation. I approach sessions in collaboration, as you learn to free yourself from judgment, criticism, and pain; to change negative perceptions that do not serve; and to experience more ease and peace in life.

Welcome and thank you for taking the time to learn more about me. As a licensed therapist practicing in both California and New York, I believe deeply in the inherent resilience and transformative potential within every individual. I earned my Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University. Throughout my clinical practice, I have supported clients across all life stages in navigating complex emotional challenges, including trauma, anxiety, and depression, while empowering them to cultivate healthy, fulfilling interpersonal relationships.

My clients tell me I am extremely non judgemental, empathic and very safe to talk to. I also work directly WITH you to set your desired goals and what you want from your therapy. One of my joys is to help my clients learn how to be their individual authentic selves complete with confidence, clarity and calm.

If a past relationship left you doubting yourself — especially one marked by psychological or emotional abuse — you're not alone, and it's not a sign something's wrong with you. Even if life looks fine on the outside, you may feel confused, depleted, or unsure of your own reality. You don't need it all figured out to start, just a readiness to do the work. Together, we'll make sense of what happened, untangle the cycles that kept repeating, and rebuild a grounded sense of self — so you can trust your own voice again. Using a trauma-informed, integrative approach, I help you move from self-doubt to self-trust.

You don't have to filter yourself here—not your thoughts, your story, or the parts you're still making sense of. If you're tired of second-guessing yourself and ready to rebuild something solid, you deserve a space where you can show up fully, without judgment, and start trusting your own voice again.