LGBT Services

JFCS/East Bay is proud to offer a welcoming environment for East Bay LGBT individuals, couples, parents, and families. Recognizing the distinct social service needs of the LGBT community, all of our therapists have gone through LGBT sensitivity and clinical training. We also have the capacity to offer a Jewish framework for understanding individual and family issues.

Couples Counseling

As an agency that welcomes and celebrates family diversity, JFCS/East Bay strongly supports the 2008 California Supreme Court ruling that affirmed the right of lesbians and gay men to marry.

Despite the passage of Proposition 8, JFCS/East Bay is committed to providing guidance for couples as they explore their readiness to enter into this profound level of commitment. Our professional mental health staff will help you and your partner examine the various issues that may arise for you, and your families, as your marriage approaches. Welcoming lesbian and gay couples of all backgrounds, premarital counseling is offered in our Berkeley office on a private-pay basis; we also accept MediCal, Medicare, and private insurance.

Individual Counseling

Our therapists are available to provide guidance on the range of issues experienced by LGBT individuals of all religions and affiliations. We have expertise working with people who are exploring their sexual or gender identity for the first time as well as people in all stages of transitioning.

LGBT Services

Lisa and Karen had been together for five years and were ready to move to a deeper level of commitment. They came to JFCS/East Bay for couples counseling, looking to build a healthy foundation for their relationship. As an interfaith couple, particularly important to them both was discussing how Karen’s desire to maintain a Jewish household would play a role in their future family. With their therapist’s help, Lisa and Karen explored their shared values and built techniques for positive communication that will strengthen their relationship for years to come.