Melissa Gomez-Erickson

The majority of my clients come to me with the same "counseling horror story": having core components of their identities treated as problems that need to be "fixed." So instead of getting help, they end up internalizing the message "I'm too broken to get help."

I decided to become a counselor after working in education for over a decade, because I learned a really important lesson: people want to be seen, heard, and understood. Folks from the LGBTQIA+, Kink/BDSM, CNM, and neurodivergent communities in particular often have a harder time finding healthcare providers willing to truly listen.

I provide individual, relationship, and group counseling to adults and teens from all walks of life. My job is not to "fix" my clients-it's to provide a safe space to explore their concerns and help them learn to "do better."

Whether you're queer, kinky, non-monogamous, neurodivergent, or if you just feel out of place in this world, you're not broken. You're struggling, and I'm here to help.

Therapy doesn't have to feel "clinical" to be effective. I collaborate with my clients to identify their unique needs and then use a combination of techniques to meet their goals.

Therapy with me can involve things like:

-processing trauma

-identifying negative beliefs and unhealthy habits

-developing new, healthier beliefs and habits

-building self-care practices

-exploring identity concerns

-rebuilding damaged relationships

No matter what we're working on, I use your language, your perspective, and my knowledge to build a safe space for you to learn and grow. I lean into things like video games, tv shows, and books to frame concepts through a lens that is understandable and relatable.

Meeting with a new therapist for the first time is really scary. I prefer to spend our first session having a conversation, not an interview. It's our first opportunity to get to know each other. We'll talk about the typical "therapy" things, like what you're coming to therapy for, what you've tried already, what has or hasn't worked for you, and what to expect from therapy. But that's only part of getting to know each other. We'll also discuss other topics that matter-your interests, what's important to you, and things you care about