https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/lgbtq-therapy-blog daily 0.75 2024-06-28 https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/lgbtq-therapy-blog/finding-your-pride-how-lgbtq-therapy-can-empower-you monthly 0.5 2025-05-15 https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/lgbtq-therapy-blog/checklist-for-an-lgbtq-safe-space monthly 0.5 2025-05-15 https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/lgbtq-therapy-blog/coming-out-of-the-closet monthly 0.5 2025-05-15 https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/lgbtq-therapy-blog/how-can-eft-help-with-adhd monthly 0.5 2025-05-15 https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/lgbtq-therapy-blog/suicide-and-the-lgbtq-community monthly 0.5 2025-05-15 https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/lgbtq-therapy-blog/chosen-family monthly 0.5 2024-06-27 https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/lgbtq-therapy-blog/dating-during-covid monthly 0.5 2025-05-15 https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/lgbtq-therapy-blog/labels-and-stereotypes monthly 0.5 2025-05-15 https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/lgbtq-therapy-blog/lets-talk-about-gender monthly 0.5 2025-05-15 https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/lgbtq-therapy-blog/where-do-i-belong-in-the-lgbtq-community monthly 0.5 2025-05-15 https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/lgbtq-therapy-blog/category/Relationships monthly 0.5 https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/lgbtq-therapy-blog/category/Mental+Health monthly 0.5 https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/lgbtq-therapy-blog/category/Gender monthly 0.5 https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/lgbtq-therapy-blog/category/Dating monthly 0.5 https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/welcome-to-lgbtq-therapy daily 1.0 2026-03-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f99c1af94dde55130adfff6/617792f3-312b-4ebc-b7c6-dd305ac95905/Untitled+design+%284%29.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f99c1af94dde55130adfff6/4681c224-cd54-4339-ba99-f69eda04b765/Untitled+design+%285%29.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f99c1af94dde55130adfff6/1604120014942-3DALI80PAWIVM5RAI8M1/Jeremiah+Matters+LGBTherapy+Matters+gay+bisexual+lesbian+LGBT+therapy Welcome to LGBTQ+ Therapy - LGBTQ+ Therapy for Individuals When meeting with you for Individual Therapy, I want you to understand that you know your story better than anyone else, but I also know that when we live a life full of lying to ourselves and denying who we are, we also tend to lie about and deny our true emotions—often displaying a façade to the outside world—and this can be harmful not only to ourselves, but to everyone around us. This is why I work with individual clients who are navigating the Coming Out Journey by using Emotionally Focused Therapy, for emotions are what drive our relationships and everything that we do. As an openly gay therapist, I remember what it’s like to hide in the closet, and I also know how liberating it has been to come out. If you want to learn how to accept yourself and start living your life more authentically, check out my “LGBTherapy for Individuals” page by clicking below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f99c1af94dde55130adfff6/1604120093106-EYW7LT3P43JXPIZWQ2BJ/Jeremiah+Matters+LGBTherapy+Matters+gay+bisexual+lesbian+LGBT+therapy Welcome to LGBTQ+ Therapy - LGBTQ+ Therapy for Couples Navigating the Coming Out Journey with your partner can be just as difficult as doing it alone. Whereas individuals can go years without ever coming out to their friends and families, couples often have a yearning to be known by their loved ones, but they disagree on how to do it due to cultural, religious, and personality differences. When meeting with you and your partner for Couples Therapy, I also use Emotionally Focused Therapy, but rather than turning towards oneself, I will have you turn towards your partner to help you become more vulnerable with your core emotions so that you both can learn how to be more authentic and understand each other’s attachment needs. As an openly gay therapist in a relationship, I know what it’s like to experience uncomfortable, conflicting emotions, and learning how to vulnerably express them to my partner in a meaningful, respectful way has done wonders for us. If you want to learn about how to end unhealthy cycles with your partner so that you can live more authentic lives with each other and those around you, check out my “LGBTherapy for Couples” page by clicking below. https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/connect-lgbtq-therapy daily 0.75 2025-12-18 https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/about-lgbtq-therapy daily 0.75 2025-12-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f99c1af94dde55130adfff6/1641417066519-EU0PMK2YX8R2KGCF53OQ/head+shot About - My Journey My name is Jeremiah Matters (He/Him) and I am an openly gay Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) serving the LGBTQIA+ Community. I grew up in Washington State and then moved to California in 2011 to pursue my Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Biblical Studies, Psychology, and Intercultural Studies from Hope International University, graduating in 2015. However, graduating was no easy task, because back then I was not only in the closet, but I was in complete denial of being gay, which led to years of struggling with depression and anxiety. That being said, I personally know how difficult it is to navigate the Coming Out Journey. Having sailed through those dark waters for so long myself, once I came to a point in my life where I could begin to start living my life more authentically, I knew I wanted to help others like me, so I continued my education further in graduate school and received my Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology: Marriage and Family Therapy from Azusa Pacific University in 2020. Since then, I have worked at a couple private practice offices in California, and in 2023 I moved to Nevada to complete my clinical hours. I became licensed in 2024, and since then I started my own private practice and continue to see clients living in California and Nevada (Telehealth only) today. Education I could not be more thankful for the years of learning how to be a therapist from my education at Azusa Pacific University. My time there had a huge impact on my career, and one of the greatest things I learned was that while the interventions in therapy are valuable, the therapeutic relationship between therapist and client is the most important aspect of therapy that contributes to the overall efficacy of treatment. A good therapeutic relationship is one that centers around empathy and unconditional positive regard for the client. But what does that mean exactly? I define empathy as a deep, mutual, emotional understanding that lets the client know that whatever they share is understood on a personal level. Whether or not the experiences are the same, the stories we tell in therapy relay core emotions that we are unsure can be understood by others, yet a therapist who practices with empathy can tune in to those emotions and feel them with the client as they share their pain. That is where I come in and offer unconditional positive regard, which lets you know that no matter what you have done or felt, I am here for you, with not judgment nor shame, but rather grace, acceptance, and love. Clinical Experience During my last year of graduate school I had the honor to do my internship at the Hope Counseling Center, a community counseling center in Anaheim, CA where I got to work with clients of diverse ages and ethnic groups. During that year I learned a great deal of what it means to be a therapist in Orange County and I had the privilege to practice under an amazing supervisor who taught me much of what I know today. After leaving my internship, I continued my clinical experience at a private practice in Newport Beach where my former supervisor taught me the importance of developing a niche, which is when I decided to pursue working with the LGBTQ+ Community, as well as doing Sex Therapy with couples and individuals. If you want to learn more about Sex Therapy, check out my Sex Therapy Matters website. Otherwise, continue reading below to learn about how I work with clients through an Attachment Theory approach to therapy. Attachment & EFT To summarize Attachment Theory, how we were raised—how we were shown love, or lack thereof—affects who we are, how we love, and how we view ourselves, trust others, and relate to and have relationships with others today. While Attachment Theory began with an understanding of how babies attach to their mothers, it grew into a much more diverse area of research that began to include adult attachment as well, which led me to learning more about Emotionally Focused Therapy—or EFT for short. Although I am not yet an EFT Certified Therapist, I completed the EFT Externship by the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT) in 2020, which is the first step to becoming certified, as well as the EFIT Essentials training in 2025. In short, EFT helps clients understand how to be more vulnerable with their core emotions so that they can live more authentically with themselves and others. To learn more, check out how Individual Therapy and/ or Couples Therapy can help you. https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/lgbtq-therapy-for-individuals daily 0.75 2025-05-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f99c1af94dde55130adfff6/1604360664938-XPXBS0IWGOYUPMN8Q4RO/Jeremiah+Matters+LGBTherapy+Matters+gay+bisexual+lesbian+LGBT+therapy LGBTQ+ Therapy for Individuals - How It Works When meeting with you for Individual Therapy, I want you to understand that you know your story better than anyone else, but I also know that when we live a life full of lying to ourselves and denying who we are, we also tend to lie about and deny our true emotions—often displaying a façade to the outside world—and this can be harmful not only to ourselves, but to everyone around us. This is why I work with individual clients using Emotionally Focused Therapy, for emotions are what drive our relationships and everything that we do. Common issues addressed: How to begin the Coming Out Journey How to Navigate the Coming Out Journey as a lifelong process How to accept oneself How to be more vulnerable with others How to be more comfortable with emotions How to develop a healthier attachment style How to live more authentically Call or text me (Jeremiah) at (949) 524-9362 today! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f99c1af94dde55130adfff6/1604123364442-FOE1RTQRYVALXO3IGU46/Jeremiah+Matters+LGBTherapy+Matters+gay+bisexual+lesbian+LGBT+therapy LGBTQ+ Therapy for Individuals - EFIT Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy—or EFIT for short—is all about helping individuals learn how to be more vulnerable with their core emotions so that they can live more authentically with themselves and others. However, this is easier said than done because individuals who come in for therapy often struggle with differentiating between their primary and secondary emotions, and this tends to arise from being raised in an environment where it was not safe to express their attachment needs, so they were suppressed in order to protect themselves. Unfortunately, this is what leads to developing an unhealthy attachment style, which causes it to be difficult to live an authentic life. That being said, EFIT helps individuals learn how to express their attachment needs by teaching them how to move past their secondary emotions and uncover their primary emotions. If you want to learn how to develop a healthier attachment style so that you can begin living a more authentic life, please call or text me (Jeremiah) at (949) 524-9362 today. https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/lgbtq-therapy-for-couples daily 0.75 2025-05-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f99c1af94dde55130adfff6/1604123975231-V5JL7VKK35AOBIVVS25I/Jeremiah+Matters+LGBTherapy+Matters+gay+bisexual+lesbian+LGBT+therapy LGBTQ+ Therapy for Couples - How it Works Navigating the Coming Out journey with your partner can be just as difficult as doing it alone. Whereas individuals can go years without ever coming out to their friends and families, couples often have a yearning to be known by their loved ones, but they disagree on how to do it due to cultural, religious, and personality differences. When meeting with you and your partner for Couples Therapy, I also use Emotionally Focused Therapy, but rather than turning towards oneself, I will have you turn towards your partner to help you become more vulnerable with your core emotions so that you both can learn how to be more authentic and understand each other’s attachment needs. Common issues addressed: How to start the Coming Out Journey together How to be more vulnerable with each other How to express emotions to each other How to break unhealthy cycles How to live more authentically with each other How to deal with each other’s families How to start your own family Call or text me (Jeremiah) at (949) 524-9362 today! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f99c1af94dde55130adfff6/1604355292397-ZQQH74AUUCTH20YUPD3W/Jeremiah+Matters+LGBTherapy+Matters+gay+bisexual+lesbian+LGBT+therapy LGBTQ+ Therapy for Couples - EFCT Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy—or EFCT for short—is all about helping couples learn how to be more vulnerable with their core emotions so that they can live more authentically with each other. However, this is easier said than done because couples who come in for therapy often struggle with differentiating between their primary and secondary emotions, and this is what leads to developing unhealthy attachment cycles in the relationship. That being said, EFCT helps couples learn how to express their attachment needs to each other in healthier ways by teaching them how to move past their secondary emotions and uncover their primary emotions. If you want to learn how to break unhealthy cycles with your partner and begin understanding each other in new ways, please call or text me (Jeremiah) at (949) 524-9362 today. https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/lgbtq-community-resources daily 0.75 2026-03-28 https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/faq-lgbtq-therapy daily 0.75 2025-06-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f99c1af94dde55130adfff6/1604121796508-7UPKA20LSLJA9IBD156Y/Jeremiah+Matters+LGBTherapy+Matters+gay+bisexual+lesbian+LGBT+therapy FAQ - FAQ Can I come to session if I’m sick? I am currently only seeing clients online for telehealth (video) therapy, so it’s entirely up to you to determine whether you are feeling well enough to attend session. If you are not feeling well enough, please let me know as soon as possible by texting me. For further questions, please see my Contact page. What is your stance on Conversion Therapy? I do not support Conversion Therapy, also known as Reparative Therapy. Other than Conversion Therapy for minors being illegal in California and Nevada (and many other states), it is also an incredibly harmful practice. One does not choose their sexual orientation, rather it is something they are born with. The American Psychological Association (APA) states that Conversion Therapy is "an array of psychosocially harmful techniques, including public shaming or inducing adverse physiological reactions." If you are looking for this type of therapy (for you or someone else), I encourage you to read more about the dangers of Conversion Therapy by reading this article on the Human Rights Campaign website. Furthermore, if you are a survivor of conversion therapy in need of healing, empowerment, or community, check out the Conversion Therapy Survivor Network. I see that you specialize in LGB relationships. What about the rest of the LGBTQ+ Community? Although my key focus is on LGB relationships, I am an affirming therapist for all of the LGBTQ+ Community (Transgender, Non-binary, Polyamorous relationships, etc.). That being said, due to being a gay cisgender man, I recognize that my views are limited and I am in a constant state of learning more about the Community. If you have any questions about my skills and experience, please visit my About Me or Contact page and give me a call to see if I would be a good fit for you. What does “hetero-normativity” mean? This is a term that refers to the basic assumption that being heterosexual (straight) is the normal, standard sexual orientation, and that anyone who identifies as LGBTQ+ is outside that norm. A typical example of this is that when a boy is growing up, his parents will more likely than not ask him questions about girls such as, “When are you bringing home a girl?” without ever asking the boy about his sexuality because it was already assumed. I have already come out to my friends and family, but I still have issues in my life related to my sexuality. Do you see clients who have already come out? Short answer: Yes. Long answer: The “Coming Out Journey” is a lifelong process. People like you and me in the LGBTQ+ Community don’t have the luxury to stop coming out because we live in a hetero-normative society, which means that every new person we meet—a new neighbor, doctor, nurse, boss, coworker, etc.—will most likely assume we are another cisgender, straight person, unless we state otherwise. The therapy I offer isn’t only for people who are just beginning to Navigate the Coming Our Journey, but also for those who are continuing to navigate it for the rest of their lives. https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/suicide-and-survivors daily 0.75 2024-12-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f99c1af94dde55130adfff6/1612519377113-8QTY4D36W2QWLZATQM0U/adrian-swancar-JXXdS4gbCTI-unsplash.jpg Suicide and Survivors - If you are thinking of suicide… You might be feeling alone, scared, angry, anxious, hopeless, or all of the above; sometimes at different times, and sometimes all at once. You might feel like every day you are drowning, and just when you think you can get your head above water, another wave of depression crashes over you. However, I also know this: You may feel like you want to die, but I know that you just want to end the pain that you are experiencing. You may feel like there is no other solution, but I can assure you that you will find a way out of these dark waters and find peace for your suffering. I know these things are true because I have been there myself. For years before accepting myself as gay and coming out, all I wanted was a way out; a way to escape my inner turmoil and put an end to the pain once and for all. If you are having thoughts such as these, reach out and let’s talk about it. You are not alone. On the other hand, maybe you have already accepted yourself and come out, but you are now finding that your friends, family, or church are not accepting of you, and the pain of rejection seems unbearable. It is very normal to experience feelings such as these for those who are trying to navigate the Coming Out journey, but don’t give up hope; let me help guide you so you don’t have to figure it out alone. Call or text me (Jeremiah) at (949) 524-9362 today. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f99c1af94dde55130adfff6/1612519713135-M26FGYJYGGMQBI600U8Z/ben-white-e92L8PwcHD4-unsplash.jpg Suicide and Survivors - If you have lost a loved one to suicide… You might be feeling guilty, confused, or feeling like it’s your fault. You might be telling yourself, “If I just paid attention to the signs.“ Or maybe, “If I had only reached out more.” Although these are common things to think after losing a loved one to suicide, I want to assure you that it is not your fault. Some common questions we ask ourselves when having lost a loved one to suicide might be, “How could they have done this to me?” Or possibly, “Did they love me?” It is normal to feel abandoned and hurt when grieving the loss of a loved one to suicide, and the pain cuts even deeper when we have questions we cannot seem to find the answer to. Having lost a loved one to suicide myself, I am all too familiar with the thoughts, feelings, and emotions that come with such grief. Going through the grieving process looks differently for everyone, but emotions like denial, anger, and depression are normal to feel while going through it. You may feel alone right now, but you don’t have to go through it alone anymore. Reach out to me today by calling or texting me (Jeremiah) at (949) 524-9362. https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/lgbtq-dictionary daily 0.75 2026-03-18 https://www.lgbtherapymatters.com/404-page daily 0.75 2025-05-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f99c1af94dde55130adfff6/61ef9ac0-93ac-49dd-a8a5-39965e208811/ERROR.png