“When you become the image of your own imagination, it’s the most powerful thing you could ever do.” -RuPaul

You deserve affirmative care from clinicians with lived experience and training in affirmative practices. We strive to provide a safe space for you to explore your mental, emotional, social, and physical needs - whether they relate to your gender or not. 

While every single experience is different, here are some of the common issues that impact the trans community:

  • Transphobia and erasure 

  • Feeling ostracized, rejected, or misunderstood by their families and communities 

  • Religious trauma and toxic spirituality 

  • Hate crimes, discrimination, and bullying 

  • Sense of isolation and loneliness 

  • Depression

  • Anxiety 

  • Self-harm and/or suicidality

Exploring your gender can present some pretty unique challenges - challenges that your friends or family may not get- which really sucks. If you’re feeling alone, lost, and overwhelmed, we’ve got you. 

Whether you’re coming to terms with your identity, preparing for gender-affirming surgery, processing internalized transphobia, or struggling with gender dysphoria, a gender-affirming therapist will hold space for all of your feelings. At the same time, holding equal space for the feelings of pure euphoria and love that come with finding and expressing your most authentic self.

Empower also has individual and group support for family members and partners who want to understand your journey and learn how to best love and support you along the way.

Need a gender-affirmative surgery letter? 

Empower Marriage and Family Therapy offers this service, which you can read about by clicking here. We provide free consultation and gender-affirming surgery letters through The Gender Affirming Letter Access Project, a nationwide network of clinicians who offer sessions and letters at no cost. 

If you are looking for a therapist that specializes in Gender Affirmation, meet Sam.

Sam Weiss received his Master of Arts in Clinical Social Work from University of Southern California and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Long Beach, California. Sam is a clinical supervisor, therapist, and group facilitator at Empower Marriage and Family Therapy. 

Sam is a trans-man and is also an LGBT-affirmative therapist.  Sam uses his experience with his own gender journey to help individuals make stronger connections to their own sense of gender and sexuality.  

Sam received his Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California in 2015. Sam’s primary approaches to therapy include EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing, and solution-focused therapy. Sam believes that everyone should feel empowered with the conceptual and contextual knowledge to cultivate self-awareness, as well as practical skills that you can use on the daily. In addition to individual therapy, Sam leads groups for LGBTQIA individuals.