Finding mental health support can be challenging for anyone, but for those in the LGBTQIA+ community, the search for truly affirming care often involves navigating additional barriers. From healthcare discrimination to family rejection, LGBTQIA+ people face unique stressors that can profoundly impact mental health. In particular, the transgender community often encounters systemic healthcare challenges that can make accessing basic medical care difficult, let alone specialized mental health support.
Kenichi (Ken) Mekaru, ACSW, a psychotherapist at Neuro Wellness Spa in Manhattan Beach, brings both professional expertise and cultural sensitivity to LGBTQIA+ affirming care, specializing in working with LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with HIV, and those experiencing depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.
“Many [in the] LGBTQIA+ community, we are having challenges, especially with the healthcare system, especially for the transgender population. We are facing a lot of healthcare issues, which means that we are not able to seek the regular healthcare that a lot of people are seeking,” explains Ken, highlighting the systemic barriers that make affirming care so crucial.
Drawing from his own cultural background growing up in Japan — where therapy carries significant stigma — Ken understands the importance of creating a welcoming environment where clients can explore and share their authentic identity without fear of judgment or discrimination.
In this informative video, you’ll learn:
- LGBTQ Mental Health: Challenges, Support, and Resources
- LGBTQ Youth Mental Health: Barriers to Care, Identity Formation, and Age-Appropriate Treatment
- CBT for Depression: Restructuring Negative Thoughts
- CBT for Anxiety: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Techniques for Anxiety Disorders
Our psychiatrists offer evidence-based mental health treatments and the latest psychiatric medication options through convenient online visits across California or in-person at our locations in the Los Angeles area. Schedule your appointment today.
Ken emphasizes that effective LGBTQIA+ affirming therapy requires meeting clients where they are, understanding their unique challenges, and providing the nonjudgmental support that many have been denied in other settings. Using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques, he helps clients recognize how thoughts, feelings, and actions interconnect, creating pathways toward more positive mental health outcomes.
If you or someone you care about is seeking LGBTQIA+ affirming mental health care, Neuro Wellness Spa offers comprehensive therapeutic services with therapists trained in culturally competent care. Our supportive team provides therapy — including CBT and DBT — psychiatry, medication management, and innovative treatments like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in an environment that celebrates and affirms all identities. Contact Neuro Wellness Spa today to begin your journey toward mental wellness in a safe, accepting space.
Kenichi (Ken) Mekaru, ACSW, on LGBTQIA+ Affirming Care
“So therapy, if I can share a little bit of my background from being born in Japan, that we do not seek therapy, in general. It’s because there’s a lot of, like, shame attached to it because people think that seeking therapy is for crazy people, or that those kinds of people are not functioning well enough. But you know, therapy is not only that — like, if you can think about coming to therapy to talk to your best friend or your family member — you cannot really share the core part of it to other people, then hey, therapy is the great place to share those core parts that you are not able to share with other people.
“So what that’s going to mean is that, you know, you don’t have to be too serious about, like, you know, ‘Oh, I have to be this way to be in therapy, I have to go to therapy.’ You don’t have to, you can be yourself and then you can just share what’s inside of you wholeheartedly without hesitation. And like, you know, that’s what therapy is all about — we’re not expecting you to be anyone or someone, but like, you know, therapy is all about sharing what you’re thinking inside that you’re not able to share to other people.”
“Hi, my name is Ken Mekaru. I’m a psychotherapist at Neuro Wanna Spa in Manhattan Beach, and my expertise is working with the LGBTQIA+ community, and people with HIV, and also people with depression, anxiety, bipolar, and some other mental health issues.”
What challenges does the LGBTIA+ community face?
“Many [in the] LGBTQAI+ community, we are having challenges, especially with the healthcare system, especially for the transgender population. We are facing a lot of healthcare issues, which means that we are not able to seek the regular healthcare that a lot of people are seeking. And there is a lot of discrimination, and then a lot of unfairness, I should say, when seeking treatment.
“So, like, when we are facing unfairness or discrimination, then we feel like we are inferior to other people. And then, at the end of the day, we’re all human. But, like, when we all think that, ‘You know, hey, we are lacking, or like when we are not being heard, or we are not being validated.’ So, like, you know, that gives us a lot of, like, depression, right? And then also, like, a lot of anxiety, right? And also, we are having difficulty coming out to be accepted by family, society, and school or peers. So that gives us a lot of difficulty living in our lives.”
What are the best therapy approaches for the LGBTQIA+ community?
“I’m trying to [meet them] where they’re at, and then what they’re experiencing, and what their challenges are. Because everyone’s having unique challenges in their daily lives and then in their, like, own community, own family members, or own family environment.
“So, I’m trying to be there, and then understanding what they’re going through, and then what they’re suffering from, and then what their challenges are. And I put myself into the spot also and into their shoes, trying to understand how we can process those feelings, and how we can make it better, and how we can encourage ourselves to each other. So the LGBTQIA+ community is so important to have the community, like, within and outside too.
“I utilize a lot of CBT — cognitive behavioral therapy — techniques into it. So it means CBT is all about — not all about, but it can be easier to explain — is how our cognition or ideas activate our action or feelings, and how feelings are going to activate our action. There’s a little inner triangle that we can see. So kind of our thought, feelings, and actions are all interconnected and they’re all each affecting each other. So, in a way, if we have negative cognition, our feelings might be negative, and then our actions might be negative as well.
“But what if we have positive ideas or neutral ideas? Maybe our feelings are going to be neutral or positive, and then our actions can be neutral and positive as well. So in our difficult society or challenging society these days, I would use the CBT techniques into my treatment modality and make our feelings better.”
What should someone look for in an LGBTQIA+ affirming care?
“I would say nonjudgmental stance is the most important thing cause a lot of people from LGBTQIA+ community, we have been judged by people in society. So, in therapy we provide a safe environment, and also a nonjudgmental stance that we provide. So I think that we would like to understand what kind of challenges they went through, and we would like to be there for them, and we would like to understand what they were, and then also help them to process [feelings], and help them to move forward.
“If you are looking for or seeking mental health issues, Neuro Wellness Spot is a great place to start because we provide not only therapy support, but we also provide psychiatrists and then med management. And then also we have a great mental health tool — what we call TMS, as well. And also, like, if you’re someone who is suffering from substance issues — substance use issues — then we also have Clear Behavioral Health as well to support you in many ways. If you’re seeking mental health services, yeah, please give us a call at Neuro Wellness Spot, and then we have great staff to help you to set up your appointments.”