Hi! I’m Sarah Almaqousi, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Oakland, California. My services include couples counseling for both LGBTQ couples and straight couples, queer teens (especially transgender youth) and their families, and therapy for adults struggling with emotion regulation, depression, or anxiety.

I grew up on a little farm outside of Fresno, and then left for the Bay Area, where I lived in San Francisco for years. I graduated from the University of San Francisco in 2009 and had a thriving practice in San Francisco for over a decade before relocating to Oakland. I was the first intern to start at Queer LifeSpace, a queer mental health agency based out of SF, and eventually became a Supervisor, educator, and Executive Director actively working with LGBTQIA patients and therapists.

While my physical practice has moved, I continue to offer virtual therapy to clients across California, as well as face-to-face sessions for locals.

My therapy approach integrates a variety of modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, the Gottman Method, and Structural Family Therapy. Depending on the patient and their needs, sometimes we take a more process-oriented system where we explore the past to identify patterns that are informing the present. Over the last few years, I am continuing my education through advanced training offered by the Couples Institute Training (CIT) and an advanced coaching program through the Gender Health Training Institute.

In addition to running my own practice, I am an Executive Board Member of Gaylesta, a member of the Psychotherapist Association for Gender and Sexual Diversity, and a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT). I was also previously the Executive Director of Queer LifeSpace.

My experience as a queer woman with kids allows me to be familiar with the complexity of navigating the world as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. The issues we face within society, the workplace, families, and relationships can be complicated, particularly when navigating systemic oppression and regressive attitudes within our larger communities. I provide culturally sensitive treatment to adults and youth seeking therapeutic support with gender transitions, coming out, and intersex issues.

While I am always an active advocate for our community, the current political climate makes it more important than ever for queer folks to have the therapeutic support they need, and I am here to provide that. I have a personal understanding of how challenging navigating the world as a queer person can be, and I believe everyone in our community has the ability to live a fulfilling and happy life.

Regardless of your sexual orientation or gender, you are a welcome patient here!