John Boetger

There's something specific about finding a therapist who actually gets it — who doesn't need you to explain why your identity matters, who doesn't treat affirming care as a specialty add-on, and who can also hold space for the hard things without losing the human part of the conversation.

I'm an LGBTQIA+-affirming LCSW who specializes in gender identity, gender dysphoria, transgender support, men's mental health, anxiety, trauma, and relationship challenges. As a male therapist, I'm particularly attuned to the barriers men face in seeking help — and the particular freedom that comes when they do.

I've been in this field for over 10 years, bring humor when it fits, and keep things direct and real. Healing is serious work. It doesn't have to be humorless.

My approach centers on ACT — helping you clarify your values and develop a different relationship with difficult thoughts and feelings, rather than fighting them. Trauma-Focused CBT addresses specific trauma responses that keep showing up in daily life. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy keeps us oriented toward what you actually want, not just what you're trying to move away from.

My LGBTQIA+-affirming lens isn't a separate add-on — it's woven into how I understand identity, family dynamics, and the ways systems and relationships shape who we are and how we cope. I meet you where you are and adjust as we go.

The first session is mostly about getting to know each other. I'll ask what's brought you here, what you've been dealing with, and what you'd want to feel different. No script, no pressure to have it all organized.

By the end, we'll have a clearer sense of what to work on and how. Most people leave feeling like they can actually exhale — like they finally found somewhere they can say the real thing.