LGBT therapists in La Mesa, CA

I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in Long Beach, California, and I work with individual adults navigating life transitions, everyday stress, and everything in between. My background in older adult services means I bring a deep understanding of how health, identity, and relationships shift over time — and I love meeting clients where they actually are, not where they "should" be. I see clients via telehealth, which makes it easy to fit therapy into a busy schedule.

I have been a therapist for a little over for 4years, and have 20 plus years of experience in providing services in the mental health field. I received my MA from Brandman University and utilize CBT, Motivational Interviewing, and other modalities to help reduce symptoms and foster change in unhealthy behaviors.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 25 years of experience providing mental health services in behavioral health, crisis intervention, community mental health, and medical settings. I work with children, adolescents, adults, and families navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, life transitions, family conflict, and other emotional challenges.

My approach to therapy is collaborative, compassionate, and trauma-informed. I believe healing happens when clients feel safe, understood, and empowered. I work alongside clients to build on their strengths, develop practical coping skills, and create meaningful, lasting change in a supportive and nonjudgmental environment.

Throughout my career, I have provided therapy and clinical support in outpatient, community-based, hospital, college mental health, and correctional settings. In my private practice, I provide bilingual psychotherapy to individuals and families experiencing trauma, stress, relationship challenges, parenting concerns, and behavioral health issues. I also have extensive experience supporting foster, adoptive, and biological families caring for children impacted by trauma and attachment-related difficulties.

My professional background includes crisis stabilization, risk assessment, treatment planning, wraparound services, and multidisciplinary care coordination for youth and families with complex needs. I am also a part-time lecturer in the School of Social Work at San Diego State University, where I teach and mentor future social workers.

I am passionate about culturally responsive care, equity in mental health services, and helping clients feel empowered throughout their healing journey. I provide services in both English and Spanish and welcome clients from all backgrounds.

There is so much growing that we do in our teens & young adulthood (and our adulthood too!), whether we want to or not. I know how overwhelming it can be, especially with so many factors at play (culture, trauma, world events, etc). As your therapist, I’m here to support you through all this.

I am someone who:

• Works with BIPOC, children of immigrants, LGBTQ+, & neurodivergent teens, young adults, adults, & those who are grieving
• Is trauma informed, & community/justice oriented
• Knows how the systems at play affect us daily & at a deeper unconscious level
• Creates a safe space for you to explore the parts of your life that may feel too difficult to hold on your own

If you want any of the following, then I am the therapist for you:

• Work through your relationships, life events, &/or grief using talk therapy & body-centered approaches
• Process life events, ideas, feelings with thought provoking questions
• Support in navigating relationships & your inner world in any capacity

Hi there, I'm Jaime - a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with experience supporting all ages in crisis settings involving anxiety, depression, and trauma.

I use a trauma informed approach that blends CBT, mindfulness, and other evidence-based practices and strive to create a safe, supportive space where you feel heard and understood while building tools to navigate life’s challenges. My approach is warm, collaborative, and tailored to your unique needs and goals.

Teryn Leaper has a Masters in Counseling

Psychology from Mount Saint Mary's University.

She is currently board certified with the BBS in

California and BHEC in Texas.

Teryn has been spent the last decade in Los

Angeles and has been living in Texas for the last

year. Outside of work Teryn likes to read, write

short stories and poems and knit.

As a therapist I'm here for you. It seems brave to me make a decision to come to therapy. My part is to listen and without judgment or personal agenda and to be effective in your needs and wants. Of course, I also need to be aware of the legals and ethicals of therapy. I attended Sarah Lawrence College and Harvard University for my BA, and Phillips Graduate Institute for my MA.

I have had the opportunity to work with several populaitons including: couples, homeless population, addiction, human trafficking, foster care, medical social work, attachment work with infants and toddlers. I truly and wholeheartedly walk along side clients in their journey during every session.

I HAVE 40 YEARS EXPERIENCE WORKING IN MENTAL HEALTH. I HAVE TRAVELED THE WORLD STUDYING CULTURES AND RELIGIONS AND HAVE A LIFETIME OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCES THAT GIVES ME A CLEAR INSIGHT INTO WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH. I WILL BE THERE FOR YOU 24/7 AND I ACTUALLY CARE. I AM INTERESTED IN YOU AS A WHOLE PERSON AND NOT JUST A CURRENT PROBLEM, MY GOAL IS TO GET YOU FEELING BETTER QUICKLY AND ENRICHING YOUR LIFE FOR A FUTURE FILLED WITH POTENTIAL AND JOY.

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.

Melissa is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (CA LCSW #130126) who is passionate about helping individuals find better alignment with their values to create a life worth living. Melissa has experience working with trauma (she is trained in EMDR), substance use, anxiety, depression and life transitions. Melissa has worked in the outpatient, intensive outpatient and residential settings since becoming a social worker in 2020. Melissa employs an individualized, eclectic approach including interventions from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy to meet the needs of each client. Melissa is passionate about social justice and uses a systems approach that views individual clients in the context of interconnected systems like family, community and society.