LGBTQ+ Therapy in Washington, DC

Being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer can shape the way we experience relationships, identity, intimacy, family, and belonging. While many LGBTQ+ people live fulfilling and connected lives, others carry the effects of rejection, concealment, bullying, discrimination, family conflict, or the experience of growing up feeling fundamentally different from those around them.

These experiences often leave deeper emotional traces than people realize. Even years after coming out or building a satisfying life, old fears of rejection, shame, abandonment, or not being fully accepted can continue to influence relationships, self-esteem, and emotional well-being. Some people find themselves repeatedly drawn into painful relationships, struggling with intimacy, feeling chronically lonely, or carrying a persistent sense that they must earn love or approval.

As a gay psychotherapist, I understand many of the unique challenges LGBTQ+ individuals face. I strive to provide an affirming, thoughtful, and emotionally engaged therapeutic relationship where all aspects of your experience can be explored openly and without judgment.

My approach is psychodynamic and psychoanalytic. While supportive therapy and coping strategies can provide relief, many LGBTQ+ individuals seek therapy because they want to understand why certain struggles continue to repeat despite years of insight, effort, or previous treatment. This is particularly true when difficulties stem from attachment wounds and early relational experiences.

When attachment trauma is present, the problem is often not simply a matter of thoughts or behaviors. The ways we expect others to respond to us, the fears we carry into relationships, and the beliefs we hold about our own worth frequently develop through lived emotional experiences over many years. Lasting change often requires more than learning new coping skills. It involves understanding and transforming the deeper relational patterns that continue to shape how we experience ourselves and others.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy focuses on these patterns. Together, we explore how past experiences influence current relationships, how unconscious expectations shape emotional life, and how longstanding ways of relating may emerge within the therapeutic relationship itself. Through this process, many people develop a greater capacity for intimacy, self-acceptance, emotional resilience, and authentic connection.

I work with LGBTQ+ adults facing a wide range of concerns, including:

  • Relationship difficulties

  • Attachment trauma

  • Anxiety and depression

  • Shame and self-criticism

  • Identity development

  • Dating and intimacy concerns

  • Family conflict and estrangement

  • Loneliness and isolation

  • Grief and loss

  • Questions related to sexuality, gender, and self-understanding

I believe that meaningful change occurs within the context of a strong therapeutic relationship. My goal is to provide a warm, caring, and reflective space where you can speak freely, feel deeply understood, and work toward a fuller and more authentic experience of yourself and your relationships.