LGBTQ Therapist
Online LGBTQ therapists near me serving Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, & Connecticut
Because Feeling Safe With Your Therapist Matters
Searching for an LGBTQ therapist near me usually means more than finding someone close by. It means finding a therapist who understands your lived experience, respects your identity, and creates a space where you don’t have to explain, educate, or protect yourself.
What Does an LGBTQ Therapist Do?
An LGBTQ therapist provides affirming mental health care that understands the emotional, relational, and systemic experiences unique to LGBTQ+ individuals, without judgment or assumptions.
What that looks like in practice:
An LGBTQ therapist doesn’t treat your identity as something to “work through.” Instead, they understand how factors like minority stress, discrimination, family rejection, internalized shame, or past relational trauma can impact mental health and relationships.
At Relational Realm, LGBTQ-affirming therapy often supports clients with:
Identity exploration and self-acceptance
Anxiety, depression, and chronic stress
Relationship and attachment challenges
Family conflict or estrangement
Trauma, including religious, medical, or relational trauma
Rather than offering surface-level reassurance or advice, our therapists focus on the emotional and relational patterns that shape how you connect—with yourself and with others.
How to Find an LGBT Friendly Therapist
Look for licensed therapists who clearly state they offer LGBTQ-affirming care, describe their approach in detail, and demonstrate understanding of LGBTQ+ experiences—not just tolerance.
What to look for when searching “LGBTQ therapist near me”:
When browsing websites or directories, pay attention to how therapists talk about their work. Signs of an LGBT friendly therapist include:
Explicit language like LGBTQ affirming or LGBTQ friendly
Mention of trauma-informed or attachment-based approaches
Experience working with LGBTQ+ individuals and couples
Inclusive language across the website and intake forms
Willingness to discuss identity, relationships, and safety openly
Directories such as Psychology Today or GoodTherapy can be helpful starting points, but the therapist’s own words—and how you feel during an initial conversation—are often more telling than a label alone.
How to Tell If a Therapist Is LGBTQ Friendly
An LGBTQ friendly therapist demonstrates affirmation through language, curiosity, respect, and clinical understanding—not just by saying they’re inclusive.
Key signs during your first interaction:
An affirming therapist will:
Use inclusive language without needing correction
Avoid assumptions about gender, sexuality, or relationship structure
Invite you to share your experience without pressure
Respond thoughtfully to questions about identity or discrimination
Respect your boundaries around what you want to discuss
You deserve:
Your Healing Is Personal
We treat each client as a unique relational system. Whether it’s individual therapy, couples therapy, or group work, our approach prioritizes your relational dynamics:
EMDR for trauma processing – Heal past wounds impacting current relationships
Attachment-informed therapy – Understand and transform relational patterns
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) – Strengthen bonds and improve communication
Individual and couples therapy – For clients aged 14 to mid-40s, including LGBTQ+ and sexual trauma survivors
We’re Accepting New Clients
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Shira Adams, Therapist, LPC, NCC
Individuals, LGBTQ+, & EMDR in Pennsylvania
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Madison Wilde, Therapist, LAMFT
Individuals & Couples in Pennsylvania
How it Works
At Relational Realm, we help you reclaim emotional safety, connection, and joy in your relational world. Take the First Step:
1
Get in touch.
Book a free 20 minute consultation to get matched with the right therapist based on what brought you here.
2
Begin your journey.
We help you identify your goals for therapy and develop a personalized plan to help you heal and transform.
3
Rediscover yourself.
We believe therapy should be a path to transformation, not a lifelong sentence. We’ll support you as you grow, heal and transform.