Relational Therapy in California
Vanessa Setteducato, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #119184
THF Therapy
You should get to bring your whole self to therapy. It shouldn't be a place where you only talk about the parts of you that your therapist understands, while glossing over the important parts like relationships, sex, sexuality, gender, love, and your authentic self.
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Homophobia, transphobia, and heterosexism have made it difficult to trust when and where you can be yourself. As an LGBTQ+ affirming therapist, I welcome gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, pansexual, poly, and gender non-conforming clients to discuss the parts of themselves they find the most rich, the most harmed, and the most in need of witnessing.
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I'm also a kink-positive therapist who supports your sexual empowerment rather than shaming or pathologizing how you explore or express yourself.
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Working through the trauma of being shamed, dismissed, or discriminated against because of your sexuality or gender identity is only part of the work. I also want to celebrate with you on the path of discovering and expressing your full authentic self. There's joy to be had in these experiences, and there's trauma to identify and process so that more joy and safety can become available.
Therapy for Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer, Poly, &
Gender Non-Conforming Adults
Queer- and Gender-Affirming Therapy.
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You're exploring your gender identity or taking next steps in your transition. You need a therapist who doesn't see this process as one to repair or relieve you from. Instead you're looking for someone to affirm, process, and ultimately celebrate with you.
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I'm a cis-woman (she/her) who doesn't claim to have personal experience with the emotional and physical threats that trans individuals in America have to face daily. And I'm a therapist who has supported people at all stages of their transition and understands that harmful societal and systemic experiences impact your mental health and that you are not to blame for them.
Gender Questioning and Non-Conforming
You've been inundated with messages and behaviors from others trying to discourage you from embracing your authentic self. Family, friends, communities at large don't seem to understand . In fact they express frustration, as though they're threatened by the idea of losing the gender binary and everything they've understood about the expectations that come with it.
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You're not responsible for their frustration or fear, and yet they hold you accountable for it. They make it hard to feel safe, seen, and accepted as you are, and this puts a strain on relationships with others and sometimes yourself.
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Maybe you've developed depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts*, and other emotional challenges in the face of transphobia. Maybe you don't even feel safe enough to question your gender because of the resistance or aggression you anticipate on the other side of your own truth.
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We can't change other people, though we can activate and advocate in political and social spheres. In therapy, I want to provide you with a safe space to explore yourself; to ask the questions that might be scary, and to feel empowered in your ability to handle the answers.
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Everyone deserves a space to be seen, heard, validated, supported, and celebrated. I'm here to support those who struggle to find safety in everyday spaces but want to understand themselves more deeply, including their sexuality and gender identity.
*If you're experiencing thoughts of harming or killing yourself, call 911, visit your nearest emergency room, or text, call, or chat 24/7 with a counselor at:
US: 877-565-8860
Can: 877-330-6366
Oprime 2 para hablar con unx operadxr en español
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Text START to 678-678
Call 1-866-488-7386
Chat thetrevorproject.org/get-help
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The LGBT Center offers support groups and community events in Los Angeles that you may find healing:
Ready to do the work?
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Browse the FAQ for answers to your preliminary questions.
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Then contact me to set up a free initial consultation call.
Get Started with Therapy
Online therapy in California from the comfort of your own home.​