Michael Pezzullo | Michael Pezzullo Psychotherapy

Welcome LGBTQ professionals & creatives.

You’ve probably spent most of your life feeling shame.

Your culture, your community and maybe even your family told you you weren’t good enough.

By now have probably built a successful life and had fantastic life experiences.

But, despite the external success and validation, you still don’t feel good enough.

Small rejections may trigger you.

You frequently compare yourself to others.

You don’t know how to feel confident as your full authentic self.

Or maybe you don’t feel like you’re thriving as much as you could.

Setbacks show up in life in different ways.

You start feeling hopeful messaging back and forth with someone on a dating app. It seems like it’s going well and suddenly they block you. Rejection and insecurity punches you in the gut.

Joining a gym is something you resolve to do to start developing the ideal body you want.The first day you walk in, you see a gym filled with perfectly fit and muscular bodies. Immediately insecurity and a sense of defeat overcomes you.

Friends invite you to join them for drinks on weekday evening. You tell yourself you’re just going to have one or maybe two drinks max. But when you get there, you find yourself overwhelmed with social anxiety and getting way too drunk. And to make it worse, you end up doing party drugs. You just wish you could have fun and feel relaxed on your own.

You’ve crafted what looks like the “perfect” life: nice home, impressive career, you’re in great shape, you take luxurious vacations. But, despite all these external validation, it’s frustrating that you still feel unsatisfied and wanting for more.

You don't have to stay stuck.

On the other side is a life feeling confident and good about yourself.

You’ve probably heard that before, along with other promises of happiness and contentment.

This one is different.

When I first sought therapy, I found myself feeling unseen and misunderstood.

While I was offered some useful tools for the issues I was struggling with, my identity as a gay man was ignored.

The truth is that not that many therapists understand the unique needs of our community.

So, we often end up hiding in therapy—a space where we need be fully seen.

I strongly believe that if you have to leave part of yourself at the door, you’re in the wrong room.

After years of specialized clinical training with the LGBTQ+ community, I have developed my own method for treating our unique needs.

My method synthesizes the best of a variety of therapeutic modalities, including CBT, EMDR and attachment theory, that specifically targets the needs of our community.

My goal isn’t to tell you what to do.

My goal is to meet you where you’re at, learn about what makes you unique, and help you create the life you truly want to live.

You can experience a life where you feel like you’re thriving inside and out.

Book a free consult call with me today: 213-640-9788.

projects.

What I offer:

about:

I first tackled my own mental health in a pretty dramatic way when I was sent to a residential treatment center. Sitting in my first therapy session, that thought that kept looping through my head was: I don’t want to be here. How is this stranger, who knows nothing about me, supposed to make any difference in my life? But, I decided I would at least give it a try. And, after a few tries, I finally connected with the right therapist. Someone who got me. Someone who could identify my feelings in a way that I couldn’t. Someone who was transparent, direct, and gave me clear, specific direction. Once I experienced real therapy, I understood more than ever how much connection is the cure.

I truly believe that we heal through relationship—not in isolation. So rather than providing a list of pre-scripted tools, I strive to develop real, authentic connections with my clients. And I only endorse techniques that I truly believe in. That’s because every modality I practice, from CBT to EMDR, is something I’ve tried myself. In fact, they’re still tools that I practice today.