Therapy for Young Men in Their 20s
For men in their twenties working out dating, sex, pornography, and how to say what they want. Plain talk, no lecture, in Long Beach or by video anywhere in California.
Your twenties, and the things nobody explained.
Working with young men is some of the work I like most. Most men your age were handed very little that is useful about closeness: how to want someone without performing, how to say no without a fight, what to do with a private habit that has started to feel less like a choice. You were expected to pick it up somewhere.
Many of the men I see in their twenties are in the courting stage of life. Dating, a first serious relationship, or the stretch in between. That is when these questions stop being abstract, and it is a reasonable time to look at them.
You do not need to be in crisis, and you do not need a name for what is wrong. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California and a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist, which means I have specific training in sexual behavior and intimacy. It does not mean you get a label.
Dating, sex and pornography, without the lecture.
Boundaries, assertiveness and saying what you want.
Many young men are good at reading what everyone else wants and go blank when the question turns to them. That is not modesty. It is a skill that never got practice.
So we practice. Knowing your own yes and no. Making a request plainly enough that the other person can answer it. Staying in a conversation after someone is disappointed in you. These are learnable skills, and they are the ones most men tell me they were never taught.
Sometimes the hard part is at home. A parent who still needs you to manage their feelings, or a mother whose approval quietly runs your decisions, makes it difficult to be fully in a relationship of your own. I work with that often, and without turning anyone into a villain.
Why this is easier with other people in the picture.
Most men your age assume everyone else has this figured out. They do not. One of the quieter costs of your twenties is carrying all of it alone, with friends who know your job and not much else.
Individual therapy is one place to say the true version out loud. I also run a men's group, and its page has the current details. If you are in a relationship and the two of you want to look at something together, couples work is available as well.
How to start, and where.
Sessions are in person at the Long Beach office or by secure video anywhere in California. I am licensed in California only. I work in English or Spanish.
It starts with a short phone call. You describe roughly what is going on, and badly is fine, and I tell you honestly whether I am the right person. If I am not, I will say so. Current fees are on the rates page, so you can read them before you call.
What men in their twenties ask before they book anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Badly explained is fine
A short phone consultation. You do not need a diagnosis or a tidy version of events. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.