KinShip Counseling Collective
LGBTQIA Mental Health
Healing as Liberation
Therapy as Resistance
San Francisco & Bay Area
Online in California & Oregon
Healing as Liberation & Therapy as Resistance
Your existence is not up for debate. Your identity is not something to be analyzed, explained, or justified. In a world that has tried to silence, erase, and oppress LGBTQIA2S+ people, your healing is an act of defiance, your joy is a revolution, and your mental health is a radical form of self-preservation.
At Kinship Counseling Collective, we understand that Queer and Trans mental health exists within a larger societal and historical context. Many of us have had to learn to navigate a world that was never designed for us—one that too often pathologizes, rejects, or commodifies our identities instead of honoring our full humanity.
This therapy is not about "fixing" anything about you—because you were never broken. It’s about unburdening yourself from the harm, shame, and survival strategies you’ve had to carry just to exist. It’s about creating space for your joy, your complexity, your softness, and your healing.
You deserve to thrive. Let’s start there.
“Our existence is a protest. Our joy is a revolution.”
— Unknown
The Unique Mental Health Needs of LGBTQIA2S+ Individuals
Queer and Trans people don’t just experience individual struggles—we exist within systems that have shaped how we see ourselves, how we are treated, and what we have had to do to survive. The world often demands our visibility while simultaneously trying to erase us. We hold histories of family rejection, medical trauma, systemic discrimination, and deep, collective grief.
You may be carrying:
Generational and community trauma from centuries of systemic violence, oppression, and erasure.
Internalized shame or self-doubt, rooted in a world that has told you that who you are is “too much” or “not enough.”
The exhaustion of navigating cisheteronormative spaces that don’t see, affirm, or include you.
The loneliness of being the only one, the fear of being unsafe in your own body, workplace, or home.
Grief for what you’ve lost—relationships, safety, dreams that never got to exist.
The pressure to constantly educate others about your identity or to “prove” your validity.
These struggles are real. And so is your right to heal, to rest, to unburden yourself.
Why Working with a Queer & Trans-Affirming Therapist Matters
Too many LGBTQIA2S+ folks have had harmful experiences with mental health professionals who invalidated their experiences, fixated on their identities as a "problem," or ignored the larger systems at play. Traditional therapy has too often been a site of harm, not healing—where clinicians lack the understanding or lived experience to hold space without centering their own biases or discomfort.
Working with a Queer therapist means:
You don’t have to translate your existence. You are fully seen and understood.
Your identity is not the "problem" to be worked on. The focus is on healing, not pathologizing who you are.
You can unpack the impact of systemic oppression, family dynamics, and internalized shame in a safe space.
You are met with care, knowledge, and deep cultural competency—without fear of judgment or erasure.
Your joy, pleasure, and thriving are centered, not just your trauma.
Therapy should not be another place where you have to shrink, explain, or educate. It should be a space where you can just be.
"There is nothing wrong with you. There is something wrong with a society that tells you there is."
– Sonya Renee Taylor
Decolonized, Affirming, and Trauma-Informed Care
At Kinship Counseling Collective, we take a decolonized and anti-oppressive approach to mental health. We reject the idea that Queer and Trans people must fit into rigid, Western mental health models that do not account for the realities of our lives, histories, and ways of healing.
This means:
Your healing is not just about reducing symptoms—it is about reclaiming yourself.
We incorporate Queer and Trans cultural wisdom, community healing, and holistic practices.
You do not have to conform to a world that refuses to honor your wholeness.
Your emotions, struggles, and survival strategies are valid.
Your softness is sacred. Your rage is sacred. Your rest is sacred.
We practice in California and Oregon, offering virtual therapy to meet you wherever you are—mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Your Existence Is Revolutionary. Your Healing Is Your Own.
You are not too much. You do not have to prove your worth. You do not have to justify your pain or your joy. Therapy is your space to unburden, to breathe, to reclaim all the parts of yourself that the world has tried to take.
This is your space. Your healing. Your liberation.
💬 Schedule a Free Consultation and let’s begin this journey together. You don’t have to carry it all alone. 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈
FAQs
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Many Queer and Trans individuals have experienced harm, dismissal, or erasure in traditional therapy spaces. Affirming therapy means you are met with understanding, respect, and deep cultural competency—not questioning, judgment, or the burden of educating your therapist. Your identity is honored as a vital part of your healing, not something to “work through” or justify.
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We take a decolonized, trauma-informed, and anti-oppressive approach, understanding that Queer and Trans mental health is shaped by systemic oppression, generational trauma, and survival strategies. Therapy isn’t just about coping—it’s about reclaiming your joy, unburdening from harm, and centering your liberation.
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Therapy can help with:
Navigating identity, gender, and coming out experiences
Processing family rejection or religious trauma
Healing from internalized shame and self-doubt
Coping with discrimination, dysphoria, and microaggressions
Releasing the need to constantly educate, perform, or prove your worth
Building self-compassion, self-trust, and community connection
Your experiences are valid, and you deserve a space to heal without fear or apology.
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Not at all. Your identity is honored, but it does not have to be the focus of therapy unless you want it to be. Therapy is your space to explore whatever is most present for you—relationships, work stress, mental health, healing from trauma, or simply existing in a world that demands so much.
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Yes! We provide online therapy for residents of California and Oregon, so you can receive support from wherever feels safest and most comfortable for you.
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We offer a free 15-minute consultation where you can ask questions, share your needs, and see if our approach is the right fit for you.
Accessible Online Therapy
Recognizing the importance of accessibility, we offer online therapy sessions for residents of California and Oregon. This allows you to receive support from the comfort of your own space, ensuring convenience and continuity of care.
Meet Our Team
Ready to Begin?
Healing starts with connection. Whether you're seeking therapy, clinical supervision, or simply a space where you can feel seen and supported, we’re here to walk alongside you. You don’t have to do this alone. Reach out today, and let’s take the next step together.
