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LGBT therapists in Santa Monica, CA


Top LGBT-friendly therapists and psychiatrists in Santa Monica, CA
Santa Monica's vibrant LGBTQIA+ community deserves mental health care that truly understands their experiences. Headway offers flexible, judgment-free sessions with providers experienced in supporting gender identity, sexual orientation, and community-specific challenges. With 70+ insurance plans accepted, quality affirming care is more accessible than ever.
Hello! Thank you for considering me as a potential therapist. I have worked in social services related occupations for over thirty years. I am humbled daily and appreciate working with people wherever stage they are in their life.
I’m a bilingual Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who provides therapy in both Spanish and English, from colloquial to professional levels. My work has included supporting individuals facing HIV/AIDS-related challenges, domestic violence, substance use, loneliness, suicidal thoughts, dual diagnosis, sexuality-related concerns, aging-related issues, and the broader impact these experiences can have on families and support systems. Across community, academic, and clinical settings in Mexico and the U.S., I’ve built a strong foundation in helping people navigate both personal suffering and societal distress.
I have been a psychologist for 44 years and worn many hats: schools, private practice, clinics and agencies. Experience counts for a lot! I am dedicated to my patients reducing their suffering.
Jerrica is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over 20 years of experience supporting individuals and families through life’s challenges. She has worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings and has extensive experience helping clients with anxiety, trauma, mood disorders, ADHD, crisis support, and substance use concerns.
Jerrica’s approach is compassionate, supportive, and client-centered. She strives to create a safe space where clients feel heard, understood, and empowered to grow. Using evidence-based tools tailored to each person’s needs, she helps clients build insight, strengthen coping skills, and move toward healing.
Jerrica feels honored to walk alongside her clients as they work toward positive change, greater balance, and a more hopeful future.
Hi, I’m Jessica Castro, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I’m a mother of two and have been married for 15 years, which gives me a deep, personal understanding of the joys and challenges that come with relationships and family life. With over 10 years of experience in the mental health field, I specialize in working with individuals who are seeking clarity, healing, and stronger connections. My clients often share that therapy with me helps them feel heard, empowered, and better equipped to handle life’s stressors. I’m committed to creating a safe, supportive space where meaningful change can happen.
Always happy to help!
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who works with individuals, couples, and families. My professional experience includes inpatient hospitalization, community-based mental health, and private practice settings, allowing me to support clients with a wide range of emotional, relational, and life challenges. I specialize in grief and loss, relationship concerns, caregiving stress, chronic and terminal illness, workplace burnout, and major life transitions. I also have specialized experience supporting individuals and families affected by Huntington’s Disease and strive to provide an inclusive, culturally responsive space where clients feel respected and supported.
My approach to psychotherapy is always client centered with an emphasis on the clients focus and areas they wish to address. I have worked in counseling and psychotherapy for 38 years in hospitals, clinics, emergency rooms and private practice and have created, developed and been clinical director for many Intensive Outpatient Programs for Mental Health & Dual Diagnosis.
Getting people past anxiety disorders is a passion of mine andI specialize in anxiety and sports performance anxiety and all forms of addictions. I work with teenagers and young adults dealing with academic, sports and achievement areas.
I work with parents and adults on healthy launching and individuation of their children. With the ever emerging world of technology and media I work with individuals on Video Gaming Addiction, Internet Addiction and Pornography Addiction and poor regulation of screen time which leads to depressed mood, anxiety and poor productivity especially in younger people.
Hello, my name is Ryan. I treat adults using psychodynamic psychotherapy. This is ideal for clients who are willing to be introspective about their problems and are okay with being confronted in a direct way. This type of therapy can be hard but provides the basis for deep and meaningful work.
I’m a dual board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with over 18 years of experience in healthcare. My background in both physical and mental health has shaped the way I practice: I believe in caring for the whole person, not just a diagnosis or a list of symptoms. I work with adults experiencing concerns such as anxiety, depression, mood changes, stress, mental health concerns related to perimenopause and menopause, and difficulty navigating life transitions. I take an open-minded, compassionate approach and want my clients to feel heard, understood, and comfortable being themselves. I am committed to providing thoughtful mental health care that recognizes the important connection between physical health, emotional well-being, lifestyle, and environment.
Johnny Zhong is a compassionate, client-centered therapist specializing in trauma, EMDR, and certified in psychosomatic therapy. He focuses on anxiety, depression, and body image issues, working with children, teenagers, and some adults. His approach is tailored to each client’s unique needs. In addition to his clinical work, Johnny is also training to become a music therapist, expanding his therapeutic repertoire by integrating music into his treatment methods.
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.
About our LGBTQIA+ affirming therapists located within 20 miles of Santa Monica, CA



- 100%LGBTQIA+
- 100%Anxiety
- 96%Relationship issues
- 94%Depression
- 91%Stress management

- 98%Aetna
- 60%Carelon Behavioral Health
- 51%Anthem Blue Cross California
- 40%Cigna
- 40%Providence Health Plan

- 96%English
- 15%Spanish
- 4%Armenian
- 4%Portuguese
- 2%Farsi

- 100%In-person or online

- 55%Woman
- 43%Man
- 2%Non-binary

- 58%Licensed Marriage/Family Therapist
- 21%Licensed Clinical Social Worker
- 9%Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
- 6%Clinical Psychologist
- 6%Nurse Practitioner

- 100%Individual therapy
- 42%Family therapy
- 26%Couples therapy
- 17%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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