Jake Myers is the founder and CEO of LGBTQ Therapy Space, the first LGBTQ-owned and operated online therapy platform designed for LGBTQ+ clients. A Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who recently relocated from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale, Florida when his own practice moved online, Myers is dedicated to providing an affirmative and welcoming space for LGBTQ+ individuals and couples to navigate life’s challenges. He graduated from Antioch University Los Angeles with a master’s degree in clinical psychology and a specialization in LGBT Affirmative Psychotherapy. Myers writes a column, “Ask Jake,” for Queerty, in addition to other mental health-related topics. You can view all of his pieces for Queerty here.
LGBTQ Therapy Space, the first LGBTQ-owned and operated national online therapy platform designed specifically for the LGBTQ+ community launched on August 31st. The platform connects LGBTQ+ clients seeking quality individual or couples counseling services with local licensed therapists who have first-hand knowledge of LGBTQ+ challenges and experiences.
The user-friendly online platform provides an authentic, judgment-free space to help clients navigate a wide variety of challenges, including issues that disproportionately affect members of the LGBTQ+ community such as anxiety, depression, and substance abuse.
Therapists also work with clients to help them navigate unique LGBTQ+ experiences, such as coming out to family and friends, transitioning, exploring complex relationship dynamics, and addressing harassment in the workplace.
LGBTQ Therapy Space provides quality 50-minute online video sessions, versus the less personal text message check-ins offered by some other teletherapy platforms, enabling clients to enjoy the benefits of traditional in-person therapy sessions from the comfort and safety of their homes.
Convenient features like remote therapy sessions, quick and efficient therapist matching, advanced appointment scheduling capabilities, streamlined payment systems, and free therapy consultations also help clients save valuable time.
Jake Myers, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), founded LGBTQ Therapy Space to provide quality and accessible mental health and counseling services to all members of the LGBTQ+ community. As a therapist and gay man, he recognized a severe lack of access to LGBTQ+ therapists and resources nationwide, prompting him to launch the first telehealth platform of its kind.
“For healing to really take place, we need to feel completely safe, accepted, and seen by a therapist,” Myers, founder, and CEO of LGBTQ Therapy Space said. “Having an LGBTQ-affirmative therapist available to someone in a big city like Miami or a smaller town like Fresno is imperative for an LGBTQ+ person to gain the most from their work in therapy. However, it can be difficult for LGBTQ+ people to find licensed therapists in their towns or cities who truly understand what they are going through.”
Approximately 56 percent of LGBTQ+ people have experienced discrimination while seeking health and medical treatments, ranging from the lack of proper gender designation on intake forms to the refusal of services, according to a health report from the National LGBTQ Task Force.
“LGBTQ Therapy Space is working hard to change this narrative by making it easy for LGBTQ+ individuals and couples to get the therapy and counseling services they’ve been searching for so they can live their best lives,” Myers continued.
LGBTQ Therapy Space recognizes the full spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community and building diversity and inclusion into the foundation of its services. Contracting diverse therapists enables clients of all backgrounds to receive therapy and counseling services from professionals who understand their unique struggles.
“We vigilantly maintain a culture of acceptance and belonging,” Myers said. “Our telehealth platform is a safe and accepting place for all members of the LGBTQ+ community, no matter their gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race or religion.”
“As queer people, we face specific desires and struggles, all while sharing the same difficulties that all humans experience,” Myers continued. “By connecting clients with therapists who understand the emotional complexity of their lives, without judgment, we help facilitate authenticity and acceptance to their inner lives. More importantly, LGBTQ Therapy Space allows clients to feel seen and heard no matter where they are located.”
In addition to leading LGBTQ Therapy Space, Myers writes a column for Queerty, one of the largest online LGBTQ+ lifestyle and news magazines. Titled “Ask Jake,” Myers answers relationship and mental health-related questions from readers in his column, further expanding his perspective on issues LGBTQ+ individuals and couples are facing today. Myers also covers a broad range of topics outside of his column, ranging from cyberstalking exes to exploring the laws of attraction.
LGBTQ Therapy Space connects clients with therapists licensed in California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The teletherapy platform is actively expanding its reach by contracting therapists located in additional states across the U.S.
To learn more about LGBTQ Therapy Space, please visit lgbtqtherapyspace.com. People interested in receiving individual or couples counseling from LGBTQ Therapy Space can schedule a 10-minute consultation with their new therapist by visiting lgbtqtherapyspace.com/new-clients.