LGBT therapists in Watkinsville, GA

My name is Kyle, I go by my middle name. I am licensed in Georgia with 12 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with, but not limited to, stress and anxiety, coping with addictions, lgbtq+ related issues, & coping with grief and loss.

Jami Rieffel, LMFT

Founder & Therapist, CoAuthored Therapy

I believe therapy is most powerful when it feels like a story we write together. I bring a collaborative, narrative-based approach to working with individuals, couples, and families. My goal is to create a space where clients feel both supported and empowered to re-author the stories that shape their lives.

I earned my Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from National University, where I focused on systems theory and narrative practice. Over the years, I’ve worked with diverse populations supporting clients through challenges such as relationship transitions, trauma recovery, and identity exploration.

Have you been feeling stuck? Struggling to get out of bed each morning? If depression, anxiety, trauma, or challenges from ADHD/neurodiversity are making it difficult for you to get through the day, therapy can be a great tool to help you find a solution to navigating these experiences. I have over five years of experience working in various mental health settings where I have developed specific skills and strategies to help you live a more meaningful and satisfying life.

Welcome! If this is your first stop in deciding whether therapy is right for you, congratulations. I know it can be incredibly difficult to take the first step towards finding a therapist who is the right fit for you. As a therapist, my primary goal is for you to feel seen, heard, and understood. I view therapy as a cooperative space between us. You are the expert of your life, and my job is to ask the right questions to bring clarity, direction, and self-compassion. Sometimes, this looks like sitting in silence together. Other times, it looks like a gentle nudge to push you towards the potential we both know you have.

I earned my Master's in Counseling and PsyD at Fuller Theological Seminary. I have had the privilege of working in hospitals, universities, private practice, and community mental health settings, and these experiences have given me a broad perspective on the unique difficulties facing individuals. My clinical training includes a specialty in spirituality and religious experiences (i.e., religious trauma and deconstruction). I work with individuals 18+ and help individuals who are navigating life transitions and/or relationship difficulties.

Greeting!

I am a seasoned professional continuing to study and learn the most impactful ways to lessen human suffering and promote self love in all. Beginning my practice decades ago as a combat trauma therapist, I have found myself dealing with the traumas of early life and relationships with most my adolescent and adult clients. I believe counseling can offer many “tools”, to cope, however, I prefer to help people heal so that coping becomes an infrequent need.

Finding a therapist who truly gets your life can feel like a long search. One who sees more than a diagnosis, who doesn't need you to explain yourself before you can get to work. If you're part of the LGBTQ+ community, that search often comes with an extra layer: the quiet work of figuring out whether this therapist is actually safe, or whether you'll spend your sessions educating them. With me, you won't have to do that work.

I'm a licensed therapist with more than 22 years of experience in mental health and addiction treatment. I've worked in community mental health centers, psychiatric hospitals, correctional settings, and private practice. I've sat with people in some of the hardest moments of their lives and know how to meet them there without flinching.

My primary focus is LGBTQ+ individuals and couples. That includes navigating identity, coming out at any stage of life, relationship dynamics unique to queer and same-sex partnerships, internalized stigma, minority stress, and everything that comes with living authentically in a world that doesn't always make that easy. I also work with anxiety, depression, trauma and PTSD, substance use and dual diagnosis, men's issues, and stress and burnout.

I have a passion for working with individuals and couples in the LGBTQ+ community. I enjoy providing individuals with support and guidance as they learn to understand and accept their gender and/or sexual identity. Additionally, I enjoy working with couples as they explore consensual non-monogamy and how to effectively navigate an open relationship.

I work with individuals, couples, and families facing relationship strain, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, life transitions, and family conflict. I’m especially passionate about helping you better understand yourself and your patterns in relationships so you can create meaningful, lasting change in your everyday life.

I am a dedicated therapist with 18 years of experience helping individuals navigate their healing journeys. My practice specializes in the treatment of trauma, mood disorders, grief, relational concerns, and phase-of-life issues.