LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy in Washington, DC
LGBTQ+ affirming therapy in DC with Paddy Loftus, M.A.
Support for adolescents and adults navigating anxiety, depression, identity development, relationships, trauma, grief, substance use, and life transitions.
In-person therapy near Dupont Circle and secure virtual therapy for clients in Washington, DC when clinically appropriate.
Therapy where you do not have to over-explain
Affirming care means your identity is not treated as the problem.
Many LGBTQ+ clients want support for anxiety, depression, trauma, relationships, family stress, grief, or substance use without having to educate their therapist first. Therapy with Paddy offers space to talk about what is painful, confusing, hopeful, complicated, or still hard to name.
Therapy may help with:
- Coming out, identity development, and self-acceptance
- Anxiety, depression, shame, grief, or loneliness
- Dating, relationships, family stress, and boundaries
- Trauma, identity-based harm, and substance use
- Intersectional identity, including race, culture, faith, class, gender, and community
Why fit matters
Finding an affirming therapist can make it easier to start and stay with care.
LGBTQ+ people are not more vulnerable because of identity itself. Stress, stigma, rejection, discrimination, isolation, and barriers to affirming care can make support harder to access.
Needed mental health care
KFF reported that 67% of LGBT+ adults said they needed a mental health service in the past two years, compared with 39% of non-LGBT+ adults.
Source: KFF Mental Health Care Needs and Experiences Among LGBT+ People.Needed care but did not get it
KFF reported that nearly half of LGBT adults said there was a time in the past three years when they needed mental health services but did not receive them.
Source: KFF Survey on LGBT Adults and Health Care Experiences.Had trouble finding a relatable provider
Among LGBT adults who received or tried to receive mental health care, KFF found that about half said it was difficult to find a provider who could relate to their background and experience.
Source: KFF Survey on LGBT Adults and Health Care Experiences.Areas of support
What Paddy can help with
Anxiety and overthinking
Support for worry, social anxiety, perfectionism, fear of judgment, rumination, and pressure to appear okay.
Depression and shutdown
Help for numbness, disconnection, low motivation, loneliness, shame, and feeling unlike yourself.
Identity development
Space to explore self-acceptance, authenticity, coming out, community, and parts of yourself that have felt hidden.
Relationships and family stress
Support for dating, communication, boundaries, chosen family, rejection, conflict, and attachment concerns.
Trauma and grief
Care for painful experiences, family rupture, community loss, identity-based harm, trust, safety, and emotional overwhelm.
Substance use and coping
Nonjudgmental support for understanding coping patterns and building more flexible ways to handle stress or pain.
How Paddy works
Open-minded, curious, strengths-based therapy.
Paddy’s style is collaborative, patient, and grounded in a supportive therapeutic relationship. Sessions may include practical coping skills, deeper self-understanding, values work, and space to explore the parts of life that feel hard to discuss elsewhere.
Training and background
Paddy earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and trained at the University of Southern California. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in Clinical-Community Psychology at George Washington University.
- CBT-informed skills for thoughts, behaviors, and coping patterns
- ACT-informed work around values, flexibility, and self-acceptance
- Affirming support for LGBTQ+, BIPOC, adolescent, young adult, and adult clients
- Care that considers identity, community, culture, and resilience
Starting therapy at North Star
A simple path to getting support
Reach out
Use the contact form, call, or email to ask about availability, fit, fees, and whether therapy with Paddy may match your needs.
Free consultation
Use the consultation to share what is bringing you in and ask questions about in-person, virtual, or hybrid therapy.
Begin therapy
If it feels like a fit, therapy can focus on your goals, symptoms, identity, relationships, coping patterns, and values.
In-person therapy near Dupont Circle
North Star Psychological Services is located at 1350 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 203, Washington, DC 20036, directly south of Dupont Circle. The office is convenient for clients coming from nearby neighborhoods, universities, federal agencies, nonprofits, law firms, consulting firms, healthcare settings, and downtown DC workplaces.
Questions about LGBTQ+ therapy
Frequently asked questions
Is Paddy Loftus an LGBTQ+ therapist in DC?
Paddy Loftus, M.A., is a supervised doctoral extern at North Star Psychological Services with a strong interest in LGBTQ+ affirming therapy. He supports LGBTQ+ adolescents and adults with concerns such as anxiety, depression, identity development, relationships, trauma, grief, substance use, and life transitions.
What does LGBTQ+ affirming therapy mean?
LGBTQ+ affirming therapy means your identity is respected as part of your whole life, not treated as a problem to solve. Therapy may focus on identity directly, or it may focus on anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationships, substance use, or life stress while still holding LGBTQ+ identity with care.
Can therapy help with coming out or identity development?
Yes. Therapy can provide space to explore identity, self-acceptance, coming out, family or cultural pressure, dating, community, and what it may mean to live more authentically. You do not have to arrive with the right words or a fully settled identity before starting.
Does Paddy work with LGBTQ+ adolescents and young adults?
Yes. Paddy works with adolescents and adults and has experience in school-based and community mental health settings. He can support young people navigating identity development, anxiety, depression, relationships, grief, trauma, family stress, and self-understanding.
Is lower-fee therapy available?
Lower-fee therapy may be available with doctoral externs at North Star. Fees, availability, and fit can be discussed during the free consultation or when you contact the practice.
Do you offer in-person LGBTQ+ therapy near Dupont Circle?
Yes. North Star Psychological Services is located at 1350 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 203, Washington, DC 20036, directly south of Dupont Circle. Depending on fit and scheduling, therapy may be available in person, virtually, or through a hybrid approach.
What if I am in crisis?
If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. You can also call, text, or chat 988 for crisis support. North Star is not an emergency service.
Ready when you are
Looking for an LGBTQ+ affirming therapist in DC?
Reach out to ask about availability with Paddy Loftus, M.A., and whether therapy may be a good fit for what you are carrying right now.