Individual Therapy in Los Angeles, CA
Gay-Affirmative | LGBTQ-Inclusive | Evidence-Based | In-Person & Online
Something brought you here. Maybe it’s anxiety that won’t quiet down no matter how busy you stay. Maybe it’s a persistent sense of disconnection — from yourself, from your relationships, or from the life you thought you’d be living by now. Or maybe you’ve been searching for a therapist who actually gets it — someone who understands the particular challenges of being LGBTQ+ in this world, not just tolerates them.
Whatever brought you here, you deserve a space that’s genuinely safe — where you can stop managing how you’re perceived and start doing the real work of becoming who you want to be.
That’s exactly what individual therapy with David Strah, M.A., LMFT offers.
What Is Individual Therapy?
Individual therapy — also called talk therapy, psychotherapy, or one-on-one counseling — is a private, collaborative process between you and a licensed therapist. It’s a dedicated space to explore what’s happening in your inner world: your thoughts, emotions, patterns, and the experiences that shaped you.
Unlike venting to a friend or journaling on your own, therapy provides professional guidance, evidence-based techniques, and a trained outside perspective — one that can see what you’re often too close to notice. Over time, individual therapy helps you build genuine self-awareness, develop healthier coping strategies, improve your relationships, and move toward the life you actually want.
At David Strah Therapy, individual sessions are 50 minutes. Most clients meet weekly. Sessions are available in person at the Larchmont Boulevard office in Los Angeles or via secure telehealth for anyone throughout California.
Why Clients Choose David Strah?
- Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) — California
- A. in Clinical Psychology
- Openly gay therapist with genuine lived experience in LGBTQ+ life
- Published author — Gay Dads: A Celebration of Fatherhood (Penguin/Putnam, 2003)
- In-person in Los Angeles | Telehealth throughout California
- Free 15-minute consultation to get started
Does Any of This Sound Familiar?
You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit from therapy. Sometimes it’s quieter than that — a nagging feeling, a pattern you can’t seem to break, or an exhaustion you can’t quite explain. Here are some of the things people come to David Strah to work through:
Anxiety That Runs the Show
Your mind races at night. During the day, you’re braced for the next thing to go wrong. Even when things look fine on the outside, you’re in a constant state of low-level dread — hypervigilant, exhausted, and waiting. Anxiety is one of the most treatable conditions in therapy, and it doesn’t have to run your life.
Depression That Steals the Color From Life
It’s not always crying and not getting out of bed. Often, depression looks like going through the motions — functional on the outside, numb on the inside. You’re showing up for your life, but you’re not really there. That gap between who you are and who you want to be? Therapy can help close it.
Trauma That Keeps Showing Up
You thought you’d moved on. But a tone of voice, a situation that feels too familiar, or a moment of unexpected emotion pulls you right back. The past has a way of hijacking the present — and it’s exhausting to keep fighting it alone. Evidence-based trauma therapy can change that.
Living Inauthentically — And Knowing It
You’ve built a life that looks good from the outside. But quietly, persistently, you wonder if any of it is really you. There’s a gap between who you show the world and who you know yourself to be. Closing that gap — that’s what this work is about.
LGBTQ+ Identity, Coming Out, and the Ongoing Journey of Self-Discovery
Whether you’re navigating your identity as a gay man, exploring what it means to be queer in a world that still doesn’t always make room for you, reconciling your identity with family or cultural expectations, or simply figuring out who you want to be in the next chapter of your life — this is a space where all of that is welcome. No explaining, no justifying. Just real, affirming work with a therapist who genuinely understands.
The Particular Pressures of Life in Los Angeles
LA has its own brand of hard. The entertainment industry’s relentless pace. The cost of living pressure. The social comparison that’s impossible to escape. The performance of having it all together. These aren’t small stressors — they’re constant, and they compound. David understands the unique landscape of life in Los Angeles and brings that awareness into every session.
The Approach: Personalized, Evidence-Based, and Built Around You
Psychodynamic Therapy — Understanding the “Why”
Most therapy manages symptoms. Psychodynamic therapy goes deeper — exploring how your early experiences, unconscious patterns, and relational history are shaping your present. When you understand the why behind your feelings and behaviors, you stop being at their mercy. Real, lasting change becomes possible — not just symptom relief that fades when life gets hard again.
Narrative Therapy — Rewriting Your Story
You are not your diagnosis. You are not your worst moments, your family’s expectations, or the labels that have followed you around. Narrative therapy helps you separate yourself from the stories you’ve absorbed — and begin authoring a new one. One that reflects your values, your strengths, and who you actually want to be.
EMDR — For Trauma That Won’t Let Go
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is one of the most well-researched and powerfully effective trauma therapies available. It works by helping your brain reprocess distressing memories so they lose their emotional charge — so they stop hijacking your present. For clients dealing with trauma, PTSD, or chronic anxiety rooted in past experiences, EMDR can be genuinely transformative.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) — Change How You Think, Change How You Feel
CBT is one of the most extensively studied therapeutic approaches in the world. It helps you identify the negative thought patterns that fuel anxiety and depression — and replace them with more grounded, realistic, and adaptive ways of thinking. You’ll leave sessions with actual tools you can use between appointments.
LGBTQ-Affirmative Therapy — More Than Just “Accepting”
Affirming therapy for gay men, queer individuals, and the broader LGBTQ+ community isn’t about being tolerant or politically correct. It’s about deeply understanding the unique stressors, identity questions, internalized messages, and relational dynamics that shape LGBTQ+ lives — and bringing that understanding into every session.
As an openly gay therapist and published author in the LGBTQ+ space, David brings lived experience — not just clinical training — to this work. This isn’t an add-on service. It’s foundational to who he is as a therapist.
What to Expect: From First Call to Real Change
One of the biggest reasons people wait to start therapy? They don’t know what to expect. Here’s exactly how it works:
Step 1 — Your Free 15-Minute Consultation
This is a no-pressure phone or video call. You’ll share a bit about what’s going on, ask any questions you have, and get a genuine sense of whether David feels like the right fit. There’s no commitment, no paperwork, and no judgment. Just a real conversation to see if this is the right place for you.
Step 2 — Your First Session
Your first full session is the beginning of a real conversation — not a clinical intake form. David will get to know you: your history, your goals, and what you’re hoping therapy will help you achieve. You’ll leave with a clearer sense of direction and a plan for what comes next.
Step 3 — Consistent, Collaborative Work
Therapy isn’t a quick fix — and anyone who promises one isn’t being straight with you. What it is, is a consistent, supportive space where real things shift over time. Most clients meet weekly. As you make progress, you and David will adjust the pace and focus together.
Step 4 — Tools That Travel With You
The work doesn’t stop when the session ends. David will equip you with practical tools — ways to manage anxiety in the moment, interrupt old patterns before they take over, and navigate difficult conversations with more confidence and calm.
Who David Works With
David works with adults across Los Angeles and throughout California — people who are navigating a wide range of challenges, from everyday struggles to complex, layered histories. Many of his clients are high-functioning on the outside but struggling quietly on the inside. Others have had mixed experiences with therapy before and are looking for something that actually sticks.
Areas of Focus in Individual Therapy
- Anxiety and panic disorders
- Depression and persistent low mood
- Trauma and PTSD
- LGBTQ+ identity, coming out, and self-acceptance
- Grief and loss
- Life transitions and major changes
- Career stress, burnout, and creative block
- Self-esteem and identity challenges
- Relationship patterns and difficulties
- Gay parenting, gay dads, and chosen family dynamics
David also has deep expertise in working with gay men, queer individuals, and LGBTQ+ people across the full spectrum of identity — including those navigating coming out later in life, reconciling identity with family expectations, or dealing with the residual effects of growing up in environments that weren’t affirming.
Why Work With David Strah?
There are thousands of therapists in Los Angeles. Here’s why the clients who find David — especially LGBTQ+ individuals and gay men looking for a therapist who truly understands — tend to stay.
He Brings Lived Experience, Not Just a Clinical Framework
David is an openly gay man, a father through adoption, and someone who has navigated identity, authenticity, and belonging in a world that doesn’t always make it easy. That lived experience doesn’t stay outside the therapy room — it makes him a more perceptive, more empathetic, and more effective therapist, particularly for LGBTQ+ clients who are tired of over-explaining their lives.
He Is a Published Author and Recognized Voice in the LGBTQ+ Community
David authored Gay Dads: A Celebration of Fatherhood (Penguin/Putnam, 2003), a nationally recognized book that established him as a thought leader in LGBTQ+ family life. That depth of reflection and commitment to honest storytelling shapes every session he offers. He’s not just a therapist who works with gay clients — he’s a voice in the community.
You Get David — Not an Associate You’ve Never Met
David doesn’t run a group practice with a rotating roster of therapists. When you work with David Strah, you work with David Strah — one therapist, deeply invested in your progress, in it for the long game with you. That kind of continuity matters enormously in therapy.
He’s Active, Not Passive
Good therapy isn’t just being listened to — though that matters deeply. David is an active participant in your sessions. He’ll ask the question you didn’t see coming. He’ll point to the pattern you keep circling. He’ll challenge you — gently but honestly — because that’s what actually moves the needle.
Centrally Located in Los Angeles — Easy to Get To
The office is located at 321 N. Larchmont Boulevard, Suite 808, Los Angeles, CA 90004 — in Larchmont Village, one of the most central and accessible neighborhoods in the city. Easy to reach from Hollywood, Hancock Park, Koreatown, Silver Lake, Mid-City, Los Feliz, and beyond.
Gay Therapy and LGBTQ Counseling Reviews
Session Information & Practical Details
In-Person Therapy in Los Angeles
321 N. Larchmont Boulevard, Suite 808 Los Angeles, CA 90004 Conveniently located in Larchmont Village — accessible from Hollywood, Hancock Park, Koreatown, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Mid-City, and the greater Los Angeles area.
Online Therapy Throughout California
Secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth sessions are available to anyone in California — whether you’re across town or across the state. Research consistently shows that online therapy is just as effective as in-person sessions for anxiety, depression, trauma, and identity-related concerns.
How to Get Started
Phone: (917) 922-2650
Email: davidstrah@aol.com
Address: 321 N. Larchmont Blvd, Suite 808, Los Angeles, CA 90004
Hours: Monday – Friday: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Frequently Asked Questions About Individual Therapy in Los Angeles
What is individual therapy and how does it work?
Individual therapy is a private, one-on-one process between a client and a licensed therapist. Sessions — typically 50 minutes, held weekly — are a structured space to explore your emotions, understand patterns in your thoughts and behavior, and develop practical strategies for real change. Your therapist draws from evidence-based approaches like psychodynamic therapy, CBT, EMDR, or narrative therapy, tailored specifically to your needs and goals. The process is collaborative, confidential, and entirely focused on you.
What is a gay therapist and why does it matter?
A gay therapist is a licensed mental health professional who is also openly gay — bringing lived experience, not just clinical training, to work with LGBTQ+ clients. This matters because LGBTQ+ people often carry unique stressors: internalized shame, family rejection, identity questioning, and the ongoing work of living authentically in a world that doesn’t always support that. A gay therapist understands these dynamics from the inside — which means less explaining, less educating your therapist, and more time doing the work that actually matters. David Strah is one of Los Angeles’s most experienced gay male therapists, with decades of practice and lived experience in the LGBTQ+ community.
What is LGBTQ therapy and how is it different from regular therapy?
LGBTQ therapy — also called gay-affirmative therapy or queer-affirming therapy — is individual (or couples) therapy provided by a therapist who is specifically trained in, and ideally has lived experience with, LGBTQ+ identity and culture. The difference isn’t just about being “accepting” — it’s about deeply understanding the distinct pressures that shape LGBTQ+ lives: coming out, internalized homophobia, family dynamics, relationship structures, and the psychological impact of living in a society still navigating how to fully embrace queer identity. At David Strah Therapy, LGBTQ-affirmative care isn’t a specialty add-on. It’s central to everything.
How do I know if I need individual therapy?
You don’t need to be in a full-blown crisis to benefit from therapy. Common signs include: persistent anxiety or worry that affects your daily life, low mood or depression, difficulty managing stress, relationship patterns that keep repeating, unresolved trauma, identity struggles, or a pervasive sense that something isn’t right — even when life looks fine on the outside. If you’ve been feeling stuck — emotionally, relationally, or in your sense of self — therapy is worth exploring. Many people find that the act of reaching out is itself the turning point.
Do you offer LGBTQ-affirmative therapy in Los Angeles?
Yes — and it’s not an add-on. It’s foundational. As an openly gay therapist and published author in the LGBTQ+ space, David brings genuine lived experience to this work. That means a therapy space where your identity is never treated as the problem to be solved, where the unique stressors of LGBTQ+ life are genuinely understood, and where you can be fully yourself — no explanation, no justification. David works with gay men, queer individuals, bisexual and transgender clients, and anyone navigating the rich and complex terrain of LGBTQ+ identity.
Do you offer online therapy in California?
Yes. David Strah’s office at 321 N. Larchmont Blvd, Suite 808 is accessible from West Hollywood, Silver Lake, Echo Park, and Los Feliz. He serves LGBTQ clients across Los Angeles in person and offers telehealth for clients throughout California including Culver City, Santa Monica, Pasadena, Burbank, and beyond. Call (917) 922-2650.
How long does individual therapy take?
Therapy timelines vary widely depending on what you’re working through and your goals. Some clients find meaningful relief and new tools in 10–20 sessions. Others with more complex histories or deeper goals work with a therapist for a year or more. At David Strah Therapy, progress is regularly reviewed together — the goal is always to reach the point where you feel genuinely equipped to navigate life on your own terms. There’s no pressure to stay longer than you need, and no rush to wrap up before you’re ready.
What happens during the first therapy session?
Your first session is the beginning of a real conversation — not an intake form. David will spend time getting to know you: what brought you in, what’s been challenging, what you’re hoping therapy will help you with, and a bit about your history and context. You’ll also have space to ask questions and get a feel for whether this is the right fit. By the end of the session, you’ll have a clearer sense of what we might work on together and what a path forward could look like.
I've tried therapy before and it didn't work. Why would this be different?
This is one of the most important questions you can ask — and it’s more common than you might think. The quality of therapy varies enormously based on the therapist’s approach, their depth of training, and how well they understand you and your specific context. If past therapy felt too passive, too surface-level, or like you were talking but nothing was actually shifting — you may simply not have found the right fit. At David Strah Therapy, the approach is active, tailored, and rooted in understanding the deeper patterns — not just managing symptoms. The free 15-minute consultation is the lowest-risk way to find out if this feels different.
How do I get started with individual therapy in Los Angeles?
Getting started is simple. Call or text (917) 922-2650, or submit a contact request through davidstrah.com. We’ll schedule a free 15-minute consultation to talk about what you’re looking for and make sure it’s the right fit. From there, we’ll find a session time that works for your schedule — in person at the Larchmont Boulevard office or online anywhere in California. The hardest step is reaching out. Everything after that gets easier.
You Don't Have to Keep Feeling This Way
Real change is possible. Not the kind that papers over the cracks, but the kind that actually shifts how you see yourself, how you show up in your relationships, and what you believe is possible for your life. That’s what good therapy — the right therapy, with the right therapist — makes room for.
If you’re ready to take that step — or even just curious what it might look like — I’d be honored to be part of your journey.
Don’t wait for things to get worse before you get support. The best time to start is now.
