Therapy for LGBTQIA+ Couples in California
Are you and or your partner(s) part of the LGBTQIA+ community? Do you struggle with communication, commitment, or closeness? Has “the spark” in your relationship faded?
Whether your relationship is in crisis or you are simply looking to boost your bond, I can help.
Meet Triva A. Ponder, L.M.F.T
I specialize in couples counseling for the LGBTQIA+ community, and I would love to work with you. I work with individuals and couples here in Beverly Hills as well as online for people all across California. I founded Inner Freedom because everyone a safe, affirming space to explore the relationship, enhance feelings of trust and closeness, and develop a stronger system of communication.
I work with couples to restore an energized sense of connectedness that feels satisfying and yummy using a unique combination of inner awareness exercises and communication techniques.I provide guidance for adding moments of play and fun as you begin tomake new memories. And I offer tools and strategies for you to use outside of our sessions so that, eventually, you won’t need me anymore!
All sessions are completely confidential and designed to help meet your goals as quickly and effectively as possible.
You deserve a chance to get back to that tender sweetness, and I want to help make it happen.
Common Questions About Couples Counseling
How do we know if we need couples counseling?
Since you are here reading this page, my guess is that something isn’t right.
The deep bond between soul mates has turned into stalemate. Maybe your hopes and dreams for a future together feel at stake. What once felt loving and supportive has become a source of stress and pain. Or, perhaps you are simply looking to take your relationship to the next level.
No matter what prompted you to seek help, know that you are in the right place.
Couples counseling (also called couples therapy) can help you and your partner overcome life’s challenges as you learn to support one another and work better as a team.
How will couples counseling help us?
Couples counseling is all about helping to rebuild and enhance the relationship. It’s not about “fixing” or “changing” one person. It’s not about putting anyone at fault or making anyone feel ashamed. You, your partner(s), and your therapist work together as a team to make the relationship stronger, happier, and healthier.
But how?
Couples counseling intervenes on three crucial elements of a romantic relationship:
First, couples counseling can help you begin to communicate better with one another. You can learn to have difficult, honest conversations about the relationship. You can develop comfort in expressing your needs and discover better ways of responding to your partner’s needs. Couples counselors are specially trained to notice and address unhealthy, problematic, and ineffective patterns of communication, things that you and your partner(s) may not be aware of.
Second, couples counseling helps you overcome difficulties with intimacy and closeness. Although many couples struggle with physical intimacy and issues in the bedroom, most couples have trouble with emotional intimacy. While couples counseling is designed to address both, a lack of emotional intimacy often acts as a barrier to other forms of closeness. You and your partner(s) can learn to connect in deeper ways, understand the other’s experience, and feel attuned to each other.
And third, couples counseling provides a space to work through issues related to commitment and trust. Commitment doesn’t mean formal commitment (e.g., marriage) per se, but rather is about addressing issues with fidelity, reliability, and support. Research shows that, on average, 1 in 7 couples will experience an incidence of cheating or infidelity. Couples counseling can help you work through feelings of betrayal and loss of trust as you begin to rebuild and move forward together.
If you and your partner(s) are struggling and are looking for an LGBTQIA+ friendly therapist, I am here for you.
How is LGBTQIA+ couples counseling different from regular couples counseling?
Every relationship comes with challenges.
No matter where you come from or how you identify, you and your partner have had to deal with many common relational issues, such as:
Poor communication, conflictor arguing
Feeling misunderstood or mistreated by one another
Making major life decisions (e.g., career path, where to live, having children)
Issues with sex and intimacy
Financial stress and worry
Difficulty with childrearing and fertility
Couples counselors are trained to help you and your partner overcome these sorts of struggles. However, not all counselors specialize in working with couples with diverse sexual and gender identities. Few therapists recognize (or are trained to help with)the unique stressors faced the LGBTQIA+ community, such as:
Mistreatment, marginalization, and abuse
Dealing with rejection from family and friends
Coming to terms with one’s identity
Coping with stigmatized illnesses (e.g., HIV)
Body or sex shaming
Conformity pressures (e.g., heteronormativity)
And more
The intersectionality of these issues can create a perfect storm for queer, gay, lesbian, bi, trans, and poly relationships. For example, feeling misunderstood by your partner may pile on to experiences of misunderstood by other loved ones. Similarly, dealing with issues related to emotional and physical commitment can be more difficult when navigating polyamorous partnerships.
You and your partner deserve a safe space to feel heard and supported. LGBTQIA+ couples counseling is designed to be informed, affirmative, and understanding of your identities.
Find Your Inner Freedom.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, I would love to hear from you! Please reach out to me at 310-993-TALK (8255) for a complimentary 15-minute consultation.If you reach my voicemail, I am either in session or out of the office. Please leave a message, and I will return your call within one business day.