LGBTQIA Therapy
Find Balance & Build Resilience
Life’s challenges, transitions, and societal pressures can impact your well-being, especially within the LGBTQIA+ community. Navigating identity, acceptance, and personal growth can sometimes feel overwhelming. Our LGBTQIA+ Counseling provides a safe, affirming space where you can explore your experiences, build resilience, and develop strategies to navigate life’s challenges. With compassionate guidance, you can foster self-acceptance, strengthen your support systems, and create a life that aligns with your true self.
Why Consider Therapy?
Being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community can bring unique joys and challenges in both personal growth and relationships. Navigating identity, societal pressures, and emotional well-being can sometimes feel overwhelming. LGBTQIA+ therapy provides a safe, affirming space to explore these experiences, address concerns, and develop healthy coping strategies. Whether you’re seeking guidance on identity, relationships, or mental health, therapy helps you strengthen self-acceptance, improve communication, and navigate life’s challenges with confidence. With compassionate support, you can cultivate resilience, find balance, and foster a deeper sense of well-being.
Benefits of LGBTQIA+ Therapy:
- Enhance Self-Acceptance – Gain a deeper understanding of your identity and feel empowered to embrace who you truly are.
- Improve Communication – Learn to express your thoughts, feelings, and needs in a way that fosters connection and reduces misunderstandings, both with yourself and others.
- Navigate Life’s Challenges – Build the tools to handle societal pressures, relationship dynamics, and personal struggles with confidence and resilience.
- Foster Emotional Well-being – Explore and address past hurts, cultivate self-love, and create a balanced, healthier emotional life.
- Strengthen Support Systems – Develop stronger connections with friends, family, and the community, creating a network of affirmation and understanding.
A Safe, Affirming Space for the LGBTQIA+ Community
At Dr. Bernecker’s practice, individuals and couples in the LGBTQIA+ community will find a welcoming and supportive environment to navigate life’s challenges. Whether you’re exploring identity, facing relationship dynamics, or seeking personal growth, our counseling services are tailored to your unique experiences.
- Trust & Confidentiality – A judgment-free space where you can express yourself openly, knowing your journey is respected and protected.
- Personalized Support – Dr. Bernecker provides compassionate, individualized counseling to help you navigate challenges, strengthen relationships, and foster self-acceptance.
- Affirming & Inclusive Care – Your identity, values, and experiences are honored, creating a space where you can explore, heal, and grow with confidence.
Areas We Can Explore Together
What to Expect in LGBTQIA Therapy
Taking the step toward LGBTQIA+ therapy is a positive way to explore your identity, address challenges, and foster personal growth. Here’s what you can expect during the process:
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Initial Consultation: We begin with one or two sessions to understand your unique experiences, challenges, and goals for counseling. This helps us create a foundation for meaningful progress and a personalized approach.
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Personalized Stress Management Plan: Together, we identify areas for growth—whether it’s navigating identity, improving self-acceptance, managing societal pressures, or building healthy relationships. We’ll develop a tailored plan to address your needs and empower you to move forward with confidence.
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Regular Sessions: You’ll engage in 45-minute sessions (or more frequently if needed) where we work through challenges, explore your emotions, and develop strategies to build resilience and well-being.
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Ongoing Check-Ins & Adjustments: As your journey evolves, so will our approach. We’ll regularly assess your progress, address new challenges, and refine strategies to ensure sustained growth, self-empowerment, and a deeper sense of authenticity.
Take the Next Step
Frequently Asked Questions
What are your hours?
Mon. 11:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.
Wed. 9:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.
Thurs. 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.
How long are your sessions?
The initial consultation/evaluation is 90 minutes. Therapy sessions are 45 minutes and scheduled at a weekly frequency. Parent collaterals are 45 minutes and scheduled at a monthly frequency or more depending on your needs. Consultation sessions with clinicians are also 45 minutes and are scheduled as frequently as appropriate to suit your needs. Depending on your situation or at various times during your treatment, we may determine to increase that frequency to twice a week or more.
What are your fees, cancellation, and rescheduling policy?
As a licensed psychologist, my fee for an initial evaluation/consultation is $500 for 90 mintues. You may also schedule a free 20-minute consultation using the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Ongoing psychotherapy, play therapy, parenting therapy, and consultation is $250 for 45-minutes.
I require a 7-day notice for cancelling or rescheduling appointmets.
Please Note: Under the No Surprises Act, you have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services.
Do you accept insurance?
No. But after working with many insurance companies for nearly 20 years, I understand how complex navigating insurance can be. It’s important for you to understand your benefits. I work with patients who want to use their Health Savings Account (HSA) or their out-of-network benefits. Through my secure patient portal, you will have access to all your invoices at any time. Each invoice includes all the information you need to submit any out of network claims. My patients have told me that this access was easy, convenient, and much appreciated.
What types of payment do you accept?
I accept cash, checks, credit cards, and HSA credit cards.
What do I do if I have an emergency?
Call 911 to go to your nearest emergency room.
If you live in Marin county, you can call the Mobile Crisis Response Team Mon-Sat 1pm-9pm 415-473-6392 or Psychiatric Emergency Services 415-473-6666.
Other resources include:
- Crisis line 800-273-8255,
- S.F. Suicide Prevention: (415) 781-0500
- Warmline: PhoneSupportfor Peers (7 days a week 1pm-9pm) 415-459-6330
How do I know when it’s time to seek help?
A good time to consider seeking professional help is when the strategies you’ve tried are not having much of an effect. If you or your child’s issues significantly interfere with school, work, family, or social life, and if you or your child has experienced symptoms on most days for a month or more, and you or your child is open, curious, and committed, then it is a good time to seek help.
How can therapy help?
Adults, teens and kids often experience great relief when they express themselves fully and connect well with a trusted therapist. Success may vary depending on the particular issue addressed, how well you or your child is open, honest, and uses the process and feedback, and the extent to which what is learned is practiced outside the sessions. Some of the benefits from therapy include: attaining greater awareness, insight, and deeper understanding for yourself or your child that leads to improved relationships, self esteem, confidence, learning new ways to solve problems at work, school, or in your family, improving communication and listening skills, changing maladaptive behavior patterns
Do you work with kids or adults?
I see both! I see bright, high achieving children and teens who are anxious, grieving, or have low self-esteem. Children and teens do not always know what is happening and have a hard time verbalizing what is going on. I also see adults for individual therapy, parenting therapy, and clinical consultation. Many bright, high achieving adults who worry, have family issues or patterns that continue to challenge them, are coping with a difficult loss, or are experiencing a new or unexpected change find it helpful working with me.