LGBTQIA+ Affirmative Therapy is at the heart of my work. As a gay cisgender man, I know how vital it is to feel seen, celebrated, and supported in living true to yourself. Affirmative therapy is not just about acceptance—it is an intentional stance of honoring identity, addressing the unique challenges our community faces, and creating space for authentic growth and healing.

In our work together, I provide a safe and collaborative space where every part of you is welcomed—your strengths, struggles, and even the pieces you may keep hidden. Common goals often include healing internalized shame, softening perfectionism, breaking free from unhealthy patterns, navigating dating and intimacy (including consensual non-monogamy), working through rejection or family rupture, and addressing depression, anxiety, OCD, or attachment wounds. The deeper aim is not just symptom relief, but building a life grounded in joy, confidence, belonging, and meaningful connection.

My therapeutic style is holistic and integrative. Lasting change happens when the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—is engaged. To support that, I draw from:

• Affirmative Therapy for LGBTQIA+ clients

• Family & Relationship Systems to understand patterns across generations

• Mindfulness & Somatic Practices to ground healing in the present moment

• Attachment & Relational Models to deepen intimacy and trust

• Trauma-Informed Approaches for resilience and recovery

• Narrative & Solution-Focused Therapies to create new stories and possibilities

Each session is a collaboration, grounded in curiosity and respect. Whether you’re seeking more fulfillment as an individual or greater intimacy as a couple, therapy with me is about uncovering your truth, fostering lasting growth, and building the life you envision.

See my full integrative approach (for colleagues and students)

My path to becoming a therapist began in adolescence, during a time when I was navigating both my sexual identity and complex family dynamics. Working with a therapist during those formative years offered me a profound sense of support and clarity. The safety and validation I experienced in that space inspired me to dedicate my own career to creating similar opportunities for others.

Since then, I have been privileged to study under many remarkable teachers, therapists, and mentors, each contributing to my growth as both a clinician and a person. From them, I learned not just diverse theories and methods, but also an ethos: healing is rooted in a deep and enduring commitment to self-love. Regardless of the model or technique, this principle has consistently emerged as central to the process of change.

In my own work, I encourage clients to embrace self-love as a guiding force. For me, this does not mean self-indulgence or denial of life’s challenges, but rather cultivating an inner posture of compassion, acceptance, and courage. It is from this place that clients are best able to access resilience, heal relational wounds, and move toward a life of authenticity and connection.

I am fully committed to supporting gay men and couples. As a caucasian, gay, cis-gender man, I have engaged my own inner work to uncover and better understand both my privilege and otherness. My own personal therapy has helped me in this regard, but so too has advocacy and activism. I passionately fought for marriage equality, FAIR Education Act, as well as the repeals of DOMA, Prop 8, and DADT. Additionally, I have served as board member of the Southbay chapter of PFLAG, provided support groups to adolescents dealing with gender and sexual identity issues at both the Los Angeles LGBT Center and the Southbay LGBTQ Center, served as guest speaker on Daddy Squared podcast, and have published articles on the experiences of same-sex parents for gayswithkids.com.

Gay culture can be vibrant, creative, and deeply connecting — yet many clients also experience challenges that aren’t always easy to talk about, such as anxiety in dating, intimacy struggles in relationships, conflict around non-monogamy, or disappointment in friendships and “chosen family.”

As a marriage and family therapist, I take a relational and systemic approach — recognizing that our struggles don’t exist in isolation but are connected to culture, community, family legacies, and identity development. I work with issues such as trust and jealousy, depression and anxiety, substance use, family-of-origin wounds, sexual identity conflicts, and the double marginalization faced by LGBTQIA+ BIPOC clients. For couples, therapy often includes navigating consensual non-monogamy, attachment differences, or sexual/relational compartmentalization in ways that honor both authenticity and fairness.

Therapy with me emphasizes both honesty and compassion. We’ll explore the parts of gay culture and personal history that weigh you down — whether shame, loneliness, hookup culture, or unspoken hurts — while also building on the strengths, resilience, and creativity that help you thrive. My goal is to help you strengthen connection with yourself, with partners, and with your chosen community, so you can move toward relationships and a life that feel both authentic and sustainable.

Prior to becoming a therapist, I was a classically trained singer and musician. I studied piano at Judson College and Elgin Community College; vocal performance at Lawrence Conservatory of Music as well as the San Francisco Opera House. Additionally, I earned a Bachelor of Arts in theater and performance studies from the University of California, Berkeley and performed in several stage productions in venues like the Lyric Opera and Chicago Opera Theater. I continue to enjoy the performing arts as patron and occasional performer.