LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy for Children, Teens & Families

with Erin Gauvin, LCSW

A place where your child doesn't have to explain or defend who they are

Children and teens deserve therapy where every part of who they are can show up.

I provide affirming support for LGBTQ+ children and teens, gender-creative youth, and the families who love them.

For some young people, therapy may focus directly on gender or sexual identity. For many others, being LGBTQ+ is simply one part of who they are while they're navigating the same anxiety, ADHD, perfectionism, friendships, school pressure, family relationships, and growing pains as everyone else.

Either way, they deserve a therapist who understands the difference.

Therapy might include support around:

  • Gender-expansive children

  • Neurodivergent LGBTQ+ youth

  • Bullying, exclusion, or minority stress

  • Navigating school environments

  • Body image

  • Building confidence and self-advocacy

  • Helping caregivers support an LGBTQ+ child or teen

  • Gender identity or gender expression

  • Sexual orientation and identity exploration

  • Coming out

  • Anxiety or depression

  • School and social stress

  • Friendship and dating relationships

  • Self-esteem

  • Family communication

How I Help

Affirming therapy doesn't mean assuming that every problem a child has is related to their identity.

Sometimes a queer teenager wants to talk about being queer. Sometimes they desperately want to talk about literally anything else.

I follow the young person's lead while creating a space where identity can be explored openly and without judgment when it is relevant.

For younger gender-expansive children, work includes significant caregiver involvement. Parents may have questions about development, language, school, siblings, extended family, boundaries, or how to create a supportive environment while giving their child room to explore who they are.

With teens, therapy can provide a private space to explore identity, relationships, anxiety, self-esteem, belonging, and the complicated work of figuring out who you are.

I also offer parent-focused support for caregivers who want to support their child and would benefit from a knowledgeable place to ask questions of their own.

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Think We’d Be a Good Fit?

  • 1. Reach Out

    Fill out my contact form or send me an email with a little information about what you're looking for.

  • 2. Let's Talk

    We'll schedule a brief consultation to talk about your concerns, answer questions, and see whether working together feels like a good fit.

  • 3. Get Started

    If we decide to move forward, we'll begin with an assessment and create a plan based on your child's strengths, challenges, and your family's goals.

About Me

My name is Erin. I’m a child and family therapist based in South Pasadena helping families across the country feel supported and strong.

Many of the families I work with have children who are bright, creative, highly sensitive, or high-achieving. These are often the kids who look like they are doing well from the outside while quietly struggling with anxiety, perfectionism, or pressure to succeed. I enjoy helping these kids build confidence and resilience while also supporting caregivers in understanding the challenges that may not always be visible.

I also know this kind of child as an insider. I was a high-performing, highly sensitive kid myself: academically driven, deeply involved, hard on myself, and drawn to both achievement and creativity. I understand the strengths that can come with being a driven, capable child, and I also understand how easily pressure, sensitivity, and self-expectation can become heavy.

Professionally, I’ve spent more than a decade in mental health and seven years working explicitly as a clinician with children and families. Before opening my private practice, my work took place across many settings: schools, hospitals, prisons, shelters, encampments, family homes, and intensive medical environments. Those experiences taught me that children and families are never just one thing: a child can be successful and anxious, gifted and overwhelmed, sensitive and strong, capable and still in need of care. I bring the full range of my clinical background into my work, but I also bring a deep belief that most serious dilemmas can be navigated with clarity, creativity, and companionship.

Outside of therapy, I’m an amateur cook with an inexplicable affinity for home repairs, reading, and wandering through used bookstores. My wife and I live in South Pasadena and enjoy exploring LA, trying new restaurants, and spending time with friends and family.

Availability

I worth with children from the ages of 7 through 18 and their families. I meet with people via telehealth who live in the state of California. Please inquire about in-person therapy opportunities for families living in Northeast LA area.


I’m additionally licensed in the states of Arizona, Washington, and Tennessee, and I’m able to work with families in these states.

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  • Master of Science in Social Work, University of Tennessee- Knoxville, Certificate in Trauma Treatment

  • Bachelor of Arts in Social Work, Arizona State University

  • Practicum at Vanderbilt University Psychiatric Hospital

  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker in California #115370, Arizona # 21304, Washington #61589071, and Tennessee #8781

  • Certification in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

  • Certification in Perinatal Mental Health, Postpartum Support International

  • Bringing Home Baby Educator Training, Gottman Institute

  • Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) Training, by Dr. Eli Lebowitz of the Yale Child Study Center

  • Member of WPATH

Education, Certifications, and Trainings

Ready to start?