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LGBT therapists in Pleasanton, CA


Top LGBT-friendly therapists and psychiatrists in Pleasanton, CA
Finding LGBTQIA+-affirming mental health support in Pleasanton is accessible through Headway's network of 2,663 licensed providers nationally. Our open-minded, warm providers offer flexible sessions and work with your insurance to reduce out-of-pocket costs. Free consultations available to help you find the right fit.
I have close to two decades of experience treating adults, children, and families in the Bay Area. My focus is on providing integrative psychotherapy (IP). IP is an approach that is generally flexible with an inclusive attitude toward the different psychotherapeutic models depending on the client's needs.
Anxiety and perfectionism have turned your mind into a battleground. Your inner critic nitpicks every interaction, leaving you exhausted by thoughts of “Damnit, why can’t I just be better!” Painful memories get louder, no matter how hard you try to ignore them. Daily invalidations of your Latina, queer, or immigrant identity sting, and you feel isolated as you keep your suffering to yourself. You’ve tried everything: doom scrolling, drinking, and self-help books, but nothing has worked. You're left feeling hopeless and weighed down.
You've always been capable.
The systems around you weren't built for you.
I'm Rachelle Goldenberg, LCSW — a licensed clinical social worker, neuroaffirming therapist, and a late-diagnosed AuDHD adult. That last part matters, because I know firsthand what it's like to spend most of your life feeling like you're failing at something everyone else finds easy.
Over 26 years in this field, I've learned that how I practice isn't determined by training alone. It's shaped by understanding that exhaustion, avoidance, emotional intensity, or difficulty focusing often isn't a character flaw—it's information about what your nervous system, body, and environment actually need.
At Swift Mind Care, I focus my work to serve neurodivergent adults navigating ADHD, autism, sensory processing differences, and the quiet grief of a late diagnosis. If you've spent years wondering why the world felt so much harder for you than it seemed to for others, you're in the right place.
For the past 20 years, I've worked across private practices, youth development centers, schools, and mental health clinics. My passion is to work with adults navigating major life transitions. Whether you are a college student or approaching retirement, my hope is to walk alongside you during this time of change and uncertainty; to help create the conditions for you to reconnect with your authentic self and remember what lights you up. We can explore ways to recognize and acknowledge your anxiety that moves beyond words. Incorporating expressive arts, guided imagery, and embodied exercises to help you strengthen your awareness with your emotions and rewrite old narratives.
I have 15 years of experience as a therapist. You are all so unique. I love hearing each person's story. It enables me to be more specific in sessions. I like to work collaboratively. I want to know what you need at this point in your life. I welcome feedback. I attended U.S.C. as an undergrad and I attended California State University Los Angeles for my Masters degree in Psychology. I think everyone deserves to be happy. If I can be of assistance to you, that is my goal.
I'm a psychiatric nurse practitioner based in California, and I built my practice around being a true advocate for the people I work with. I trained in both medication management and therapy, and I find that care is most effective when those two things work together. Whether you are managing a mood disorder, navigating anxiety or depression, or figuring out the right psychiatric medications, I take time to understand you as a whole person, not just a list of symptoms. My goal is for every client to feel genuinely heard, supported, and in control of their own mental health journey.
Hello! I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with over nine years of experience helping individuals and families navigate life’s emotional challenges and difficult issues. Therapy can feel intimidating at first, but you don’t have to navigate the journey alone. I am here to support and guide you through a process that can be rewarding and beneficial towards growth, healing, and developing a deeper understanding of yourself.
I believe therapy works best when you feel genuinely heard, and that is something I take seriously. My professional experience working in healthcare, addiction, and homelessness has deepened my understanding of the complex social, cultural and systemic factors that impact mental health and well-being. I am an advocate for human rights and stand with those who have faced oppression, discrimination, and social injustice in a world that works against you.
I’m Thomas Moore, LPCC, a licensed professional clinical counselor providing therapy for individuals navigating anxiety, trauma, emotional overwhelm, identity development, and complex relational patterns. Many of the people I work with feel stuck in repeating cycles such as overthinking, people pleasing, emotional shutdown, intense reactions, or difficulty maintaining stable relationships even when they logically understand what they should do. My goal is to help you translate insight into real change.
My approach is structured and compassionate. I integrate evidence based methods including cognitive restructuring, emotional regulation training, interpersonal effectiveness skills, and trauma informed therapy. Sessions focus on understanding why your brain reacts the way it does and building practical tools you can actually use outside the therapy room. This is not only about talking through problems but learning how to respond differently when they show up in real life.
I work well with clients who want more than passive support and are ready to build skills, increase self awareness, and interrupt patterns that no longer serve them.
What clients should know before starting
Therapy with me is collaborative and active and you will learn strategies rather than only venting. We will work on understanding both the emotional and neurological side of your reactions. Sessions focus on present day functioning while also addressing past experiences that still affect you. I may gently challenge patterns when it supports growth while maintaining a supportive and respectful space. Progress often comes from small repeated changes rather than sudden breakthroughs.
If you are looking for therapy that combines validation with practical change, we will likely work well together.
Hello, my name is Max, and I am an LCSW practicing in California.
For many people, the hardest part of the therapy process is getting started. Asking someone to go to all the work of finding not just a therapist, but the right therapist for them, all while in the middle of a mental health crisis? It can be a daunting task. My practice centers around making that process as painless as possible, so that we can get right to the core of what made you decide to seek therapy in the first place, and get to work on working on you.
Areas of focus and interest include women’s issues, self empowerment, positive manifestation, dream work and mind/body healing utilizing somatic guided imagery.
About our LGBTQIA+ affirming therapists in Pleasanton, CA



- 100%LGBTQIA+
- 98%Anxiety
- 94%Depression
- 89%Stress management
- 87%Trauma

- 98%Aetna
- 76%Carelon Behavioral Health
- 75%Cigna
- 73%Anthem Blue Cross California
- 63%Blue Shield of California

- 97%English
- 15%Spanish
- 1%Farsi
- 1%Mandarin
- 1%Assamese

- 90%Online only
- 10%In-person or online

- 74%Woman
- 23%Man
- 3%Non-binary

- 46%Licensed Marriage/Family Therapist
- 29%Licensed Clinical Social Worker
- 9%Nurse Practitioner
- 8%Clinical Psychologist
- 7%Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor

- 100%Individual therapy
- 40%Family therapy
- 28%Couples therapy
- 18%Child or adolescent therapy
Frequently asked questions


Find the right LGBTQ-friendly therapy provider for you
Headway makes it easier to connect with affirming therapists who understand your identity — from finding the right therapist, to understanding costs, to scheduling with ease.
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