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Open Space Therapy Collective

@openspacetherapycollective

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Your hub for Queer & Trans mental health care
🏳️‍🌈✊🏿🏳️‍⚧️LGBTQ+ Therapy
Los Angeles & California
Podcast @mytherapistisout
Book a free intro call ⤵️

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🌈 It’s here — our Pride Doesn’t End in June fundraiser is officially live!

🎯 Our goal: $10,000 to fund Queerly Connected – our free, in-person event bringing together LGBTQ+ wellness practitioners, therapists, and community space makers for a day of connection, workshops, and care.

🩵 This event is 100% FREE and your donation is what makes that possible!

📸 Swipe through to see what community looks like at Queerly Connected, because this is exactly what your donation supports.

🔗 Donate now link in bio & in stories. Every dollar gets us closer, and we’ll be tracking our progress together.

#queermentalhealth #queertherapy #queerhealing #LGBTQtherapists #pride fundraiser QueerlyConnected taken in Sunset Triangle plaza by @openspacetherapycollective

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17 hours ago

The applications are OPEN and we are so ready. 🏳️‍🌈✨

Queerly Connected is back — Sunday, August 23rd, Noon to 4pm — and we're calling in our people.

We're looking for 40 LGBTQ+ organizations, wellness practitioners, and community builders to table and vend with us this summer. If your work is queer, community-centered, and built with love — we want you in the mix.
Good vibes. Great people. One afternoon dedicated entirely to queer connection.

Grab your spot before they're gone. Tabling and vendor applications are now open. Link in bio. 🔗

#QueerlyConnected #QueerCommunity #LGBTQ #VendorApplication #QueerWellness CommunityBuilders LosAngeles QueerLA Pride SilverLake taken in Sunset Triangle plaza by @openspacetherapycollective

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🏳️‍🌈 Open Space Therapy Collective is your hub for queer and trans mental health care.

We're a queer and trans mental health practice built for people who are done settling for therapy that doesn't get them. Therapy in-person in Los Angeles and online throughout California. A bi-weekly podcast. Quarterly community events. Care that is resourced, relational, and deeply rooted in who you actually are.

📍 LA-based. California-wide. 🎙️ Podcast: My Therapist Is Out! 📅 Community every quarter.

Link in bio to book. 💜

#OpenSpaceTherapyCollective #QueerTherapy #TransMentalHealth #LGBTQMentalHealth #QueerMentalHealth TherapyForQueerPeople LATherapist CaliforniaTherapist QueerHealing LGBTQTherapy QueerWellness TransAffirmingTherapy OnlineTherapyCA MentalHealthLA taken in Los Angeles, California by @openspacetherapycollective

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2 months ago

#7 BODY & SELF: Anger, numbness, humor. 🏳️‍🌈 What’s actually underneath?

PART III: WHAT YOU CARRY

Being “the funny one” or “the chill one” or “the driven one.” Sometimes those are real. And sometimes they’re armor. 🛡️ Queer survival often teaches us to intellectualize, perform, or deflect before we feel.

This week, get curious about the trait you lead with most. Is it you, or is it a feeling that found a costume? ✍️💜

Write Yourself Raw is a 12-week journaling challenge built around personal insight. Each week drops one prompt. Short, direct, and designed to land. The prompts are organized into four parts: Who You Are, How You Connect, What You Carry, and Where You’re Going.

Share with a friend to join the summer journaling challenge! 🌈

In video: Renae Johnson LPCC, ATR-BC

#WriteYourselfRaw #OSTCJournalingChallenge #Week7 #EmotionalIntelligence MentalHealthLA taken in Silver Lake by @openspacetherapycollective

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🌈 Being the “good queer” can often mean that we don’t get our needs met. What happens when you are ready to tell someone how you feel or ask for something, but you’re feeling triggered by past experiences? Even if you are with someone you know to be safe and loving?

🧠 Bilateral brain stimulation is a fancy way of saying:
“get your whole brain involved”

When we use both sides of our brain to do something physical (like catching a ball), it helps our sympathetic nervous system NOT kick into gear.

We can stay present in the moment instead of getting sucked into distressing thoughts/memories/feelings and going into fight/ flight/freeze mode.

Bilateral brain stimulation is a staple in EMDR treatment - it allows us to talk about our triggering events but keeps us present in the present moment where we are safe.

This allows our brain to reprocess the trauma in ways that help us feel less triggered by it.

Want more tips? Give us a follow or book you call with Kristen Crowe LPCC, BC-DMT, CST (they/them) at the link in bio

#queermentalhealth #lgbtqtherapist #selfcare #healingjourney #lgbtqtherapist by @openspacetherapycollective

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a day ago

🌈 What does it take to move from surviving to truly living?

In Episode 81 of @mytherapistisout, host Renae Johnson, LPCC, ATR-BC (they/them), founder of Open Space Therapy Collective, sits down with writer, artist, and HIV advocate Alex Garner (he/him) for an honest conversation about identity, resilience, and the power of queer community.

Drawing from 30 years of living with HIV and decades of advocacy, Alex reflects on coming of age during the AIDS epidemic, confronting shame, embracing authenticity, and finding joy as an act of resistance. Together, they explore how storytelling, mental health, and collective care can challenge stigma and strengthen LGBTQ+ communities.

🎧 Listen now and join the conversation. taken in Silver Lake by @openspacetherapycollective

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✨ Knowing the language of mental health is helpful—but therapy speak is not the same as therapy. 💬

Learning terms like boundaries, triggers, attachment styles, and emotional regulation can help you better understand yourexperiences. But healing isn’t about memorizing the right words—it’s about practicing new ways of relating to yourself and others.

🤝 The heart of therapy is the therapeutic relationship. A meaningful connection with your therapist should feel safe, supportive, and free of judgment. That doesn’t mean every session is comfortable. Growth often includes discomfort, difficult conversations, and moments of vulnerability. What matters is having enough trust to navigate those moments together.

❤️🌈 Curious about what therapy could look like for you? Click the link in our bio to schedule your FREE 15-minute phone consultationand explore how therapy can support your mental health and personal growth.

🎥 In this video: Therapist Gio Nigro, LCSW (they/them)

#MentalHealthAwareness #HealingJourney #EmotionalWellness #TraumaHealing #AnxietySupport taken in Silver Lake by @openspacetherapycollective

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🎙️New Episode Drop: Sex, Shame, and Survival: A Conversation with Alex Garner!

🌈What does it mean to survive, thrive, and reclaim joy after 30 years of living with HIV? In Episode 81 of @mytherapistisout, Renae Johnson, LPCC, ATR-BC (they/them) sits down with Alex Garner (he/him) for a powerful conversation about queer health, sexuality, HIVstigma, advocacy, and the resilience of LGBTQ+ communities.

Together, they explore mental health, queer identity, activism, and why joy can be one of the strongest forms of resistance.

If you’re passionate about queer wellness, global health, andauthentic storytelling, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

#SexShameAndSurvival #HIVAwareness #MentalHealth #Sexuality #CommunityCare taken in Silver Lake by @openspacetherapycollective

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🌈 Boundaries are more than just a form of self-care—they’re a powerful way to build self-trust, confidence, and emotional well-being.

Every time you honor your limits , say “no” when you mean no , or choose your own needs over people-pleasing , you’re reinforcing an important message:

👉🏽 “I can trust myself.”

For many LGBTQ+ individuals , setting boundaries can feel complicated when acceptance, belonging, or safety have felt conditional. But healing happens when your actions align with your values, needs, and authentic self.

The relationship you have with yourself grows stronger every time you keep your word to yourself. Self-trust isn’t built overnight—it’s created through small, consistent choices that honor who you are.

📞 Looking for LGBTQ+-affirming therapy? Ready to strengthen your self-esteem, boundaries, and mental health? Click the link in our bio to schedule a FREE 15-minute consultation with Terra Friedman, AMFT (she/her). 💬

⚠️ Social media content is for educational purposes only and is not therapy, mental health treatment, or medical advice.

🎥 In Video: Terra Friedman, AMFT (she/her)

#Boundaries #SelfTrust #LGBTQTherapy #LGBTQMentalHealth #QueerTherapist taken in Silver Lake by @openspacetherapycollective

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4 days ago

🌈 Check out Episode 80 Embodied and Unscripted: A Queer Conversation About Pleasure and Consent, featuring this week’s Queer Moment of Joy with Sam Weller (He/Him)

🎧 Tune in now wherever you get your podcasts!

#QueerRelationships #EmbodiedConsent #SomaticTherapy #HealthyRelationships #TherapyPodcast taken in Sunset Triangle plaza by @openspacetherapycollective

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4 days ago

✨ “Why is it so hard to make friends as an adult?”
You’re not the only one asking. 👀

💡 61% of U.S. adults say close friendships are super important for a fulfilling life (Pew Research), but making new connections? That’s a whole thing—especially as queer, trans, or BIPOC folks navigating systems that weren’t built for us. 🏳️‍🌈✊🏾

Maybe you’ve moved 🌆
Maybe you’re healing from past hurt 💔
Maybe the people you used to feel close to just don’t get you anymore 🤷🏽‍♀️
Whatever it is—you’re not broken. You’re human. 💛

And you deserve community that sees you, affirms you, and makes space for your whole self.

🌿 Building that can mean getting vulnerable (ugh, we know), trying new things, or facing the fear that no one will show up. But guess what? It is possible. And you don’t have to do it alone.

🧠 Therapy can be a powerful space to explore your relationship patterns, clarify your needs, and learn how to build the kind of friendships + support that match the life you’re living right now.

💬 Ready to talk about what community could look like for you?

Book a free intro call with one of our queer & trans-affirming therapists.
📲 Link in bio.

🎥 In video: Therapist Allison Smith, LCSW (they/them)

#QueerTherapist #CommunityCare #MentalHealthMatters #ChosenFamily #LGBTQTherapy taken in Silver Lake by @openspacetherapycollective

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🌈Figuring out your gender identity can feel empowering, confusing, and everything in between. While there’s plenty of conversation about coming out, there aren’t many guides for answering the first question: Who am I?

If you’re questioning your gender identity or wondering whether you’re transgender, nonbinary, or gender-expansive, you’re not alone. It’s common to experience fear, anxiety, self-doubt, or even imposter syndrome—asking yourself, “Am I trans enough?”

🏳️‍⚧️ 🏳️‍🌈One of the most impactful resources I recommend to my transgender and gender nonconforming (GNC) clients is Gender Magic by Rae McDaniel. Rather than treating gender as a box you have to fit into, they invite you to see it as a sandbox—a space to explore, experiment, and embrace what makes you uniquely you.

🙌🏽This book isn’t about finding the “perfect” label. It’s about creating space for curiosity, self-discovery, authenticity, and personal growth.
@theraemcdaniel

If you’re ready to explore your identity with compassionate support, we’re here to help.

📱 Click the link in our bio to schedule your FREE 15-minute phone consultation and discover creative, affirming ways to navigate your gender journey.

🎥 In this video: Raven Juergensen, APCC, ATR-P (she/her)

#GenderIdentity #GenderExploration #GenderAffirmingCare #TransMentalHealth #TransgenderSupport taken in Silver Lake by @openspacetherapycollective

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