LGBT therapists in Santa Cruz, CA

I believe everyone needs help from time to time.

I specialize in evening and weekend appointments. Later appointments are available, please request your needs.

I am a friendly goal-oriented therapist who believes strongly in positive self-reinforcement. I have a Master's degree from La Tech University with a background in private practice for over 20 years. I am Licensed in Louisiana and Texas as a professional counselor. I am also Licensed as a marriage and family therapist in Louisiana.

Making the decision to start therapy is a profound investment of your time, energy, and vulnerability. If you are looking for a blank-slate clinician who simply nods and listens, we might not be the best fit. I offer a highly engaged, malleable, and unflinching partnership.

My approach is rooted in the belief that while the work of untangling our lives is deeply structural, the room itself doesn't always have to feel heavy. I bring a grounded warmth to my practice—which means knowing how to sit quietly in the gravity of a difficult truth, but also knowing when to break the tension, exhale, and find the light in the sheer complexity of being human. I won’t just sit in silence while you do all the heavy lifting; I am an active collaborator who adapts to exactly where you are.

Hi, I’m Julie. I have been a therapist for almost 20 years. I have experience with individuals and families who are living with mental health issues, and I also have extensive experience helping those with substance use problems. If you’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move forward, therapy can offer a supportive place to feel understood, begin to recover, and reconnect with yourself.

Hey you, I'm Angie, an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and supervisor, with more than 15 years experience in the sexuality field, supporting sexuality communities, and teaching others to break the sex and gender boxes we were given. In addition to my professional roles, my own journey towards breaking those boxes uniquely prepared me to sit with you, wherever you are, on this journey.

Have you struggled to find a therapist who you can be completely transparent with in regards to your sexuality or gender? Hidden your identities, desires, and challenges, for fear of judgment, shame or rejection? Sexuality is a challenging topic, one that most therapists don't receive much training around. As a result, even therapists can be afraid to broach sensitive topics, which makes it even harder for you when your mental health, relationship challenges, and overall well-being is so interrelated to your sexual health.

This can include healing sexual trauma or harm, exploring early childhood development and shame, permission giving to different identities, expressions and desires, and creating pathways to your fullest most expansive self.

Topics I'm passionate about include closing orgasm gap, healing sexual trauma, queer love, healing homophobia, gender expansive exploration, non-monogamy and open relating, kink/ BDSM/ fetish exploration, distress of sex workers (whorephobia and stigma) and those who've experienced trafficking, and finding pleasure after religious/ cult repression. I share many of these identities, and always seek to learn how your unique experience informs the distress.

We work together to create a safe container for your diverse and erotic self, learning how to integrate those selves into your relationships and your life. Pleasure is key to mental health and well-being.

Jackie specializes in supporting teens and young adults as they navigate life's challenges, such as anxiety, life transitions, and relationship dynamics.

I have found my own personal healing to be intimately connected to nature, and it is here that I believe that we can all begin to rediscover our intrinsic humanity and let go of those things that distract us from our higher selves. In my spare time, I work as an outdoor educator and manage my own private practice and guide Outdoor Retreats

I believe it is helpful and important to translate what is discussed in session and in telehealth meetings into lived experience and real change.

I have a Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work, and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), working in private practice as a Psychotherapist. I live in Los Angeles, and work in-person or hybrid, with adults, teens, couples and the aging population. I specialize in anxiety, life transitions, relationship issues, work stress/dissatisfaction, career goals, sleep disorders, substance use, trauma (ptsd/complex/acute), obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD/OCPD), attention deficit disorders (ADD/ADHD). In addition I deal with grief, isolation, and breaking creative blocks.

Hi my name is Ana, I'm a dedicated mental health professional specializing in comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment, strategic treatment planning, and collaborative care. Life can feel overwhelming at times, especially when you are navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationship challenges, or major life transitions. You may be feeling emotionally exhausted, disconnected, stuck in unhealthy patterns, or simply wanting a safe space to process what you’ve been carrying. My goal is to provide a supportive and nonjudgmental environment where you feel heard, understood, and empowered to create meaningful change. Together, we can work toward helping you build resilience, improve emotional well-being, strengthen relationships, and reconnect with yourself.

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.

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 Tene Rodgers, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over 20 years of experience in mental health and social services. I made the decision to become fully licensed five years ago because I wanted to go deeper in the work I've always cared about, and I haven't looked back since. I'm a Black woman, and that lived perspective shapes how I show up in the room. I offer culturally affirming care to adults, teens, and families, with a particular focus on trauma, grief, women's issues, relationship dynamics, and substance use.

If you have been carrying stress, anxiety, or the weight of life's challenges for a long time, you may have wondered whether things can actually change. I believe they can.

I am a licensed clinical social worker in California with over 30 years of clinical experience working with adults, families, and communities. I am bilingual in English and Spanish, and I welcome clients from all cultural backgrounds. My work spans a wide range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, grief, life transitions, trauma, and substance use recovery.

Hello there. Thanks for checking out my profile.

I don't know what brings you to this tiny nook of the internet, on this particular day, but I am grateful and very curious to hear.

As a therapist, I've worked with adolescents and adults for over a decade; sharing in their challenges, connecting in laughter and kindness.

It would be my joy to learn your story and meet you with warmth, humor, and sincerity.

Feeling overwhelmed, stuck or needing to focus? I enjoy partnering with my clients on their journeys to improved wellness. In our time together, we will celebrate your strengths and develop goals to maximize your wellness, together. While we can't change our past, we can work together to process our story’s strengths and struggles. We can talk through your current challenges and quiet the noise around you. We can explore the barriers that may get in the way of enjoying life to the fullest. We can identify ways to find joy again. I look forward to meeting with you to plan how to achieve your goals.

I’m grateful to have a career that allows me to be authentically myself and spend my days talking deeply about things that matter. I love working with motivated, bright people who know they have a lot to offer, but feel a bit blocked. I find great joy in helping people unblock to find ease and authenticity in their own lives.