Lyza Graham, MS, LMHC

Licensed Mental Health Counselor | National Certified Counselor | 2SLGBTQIA+ Advocate

Do you resonate?

The queer and trans communities experience an array of complex thoughts, feelings, and challenges that are distinctly unique to them. Feelings of fear and loneliness and experiences of ostracism and rejection often leave us craving the connection and acceptance we as humans need to thrive. My goal is to provide you with a therapeutic space that allows you to embrace your authenticity, experience safety in the hurt, and reclaim your voice and space as the courageous human that you are.

What is my background?

My name is Lyza (She/Her/Hers) and I am a proud queer, transgender woman and mental health therapist in the state of Washington.

I have over a decade of experience of working in the helping professions.

I have extensive experience with providing counseling services to college students/young adults.

I have several years of experience of working in the community mental health/nonprofit sector, providing  counseling to adults of all ages and backgrounds.

What do I work with?

  • Life transitions/Adjusting to change

  • Anxiety

  • Stress management

  • Boundaries & Self-esteem

  • Body Image

  • Neurodivergence (i.e.: ADHD, Autism, OCD, Tourette Syndrome)

  • Exploration of Sexuality

  • Exploration of Gender Identity

  • Relationship Conflict/Navigation

  • Exploration of Relationship Style (Monogamy, Polyamory)

Who am I as a therapist?

    • I view the strength of our therapeutic relationship as the backbone for your personal growth.

    • I prioritize building a professional relationship with you that sits on a foundation of trustworthiness, safeness, and unconditional positive regard.

    • I ensure to incorporate and hold space for all of your intersecting identities.

    • I independently continue to build my competence with effectively confronting and navigating oppressive systems with my clients.

    • I identify as a political therapist. This means that I work from a place of anti-neutrality and recognize that in order to be a safe therapist for those who experience oppression, I must acknowledge these systems for what they are.

    • I pursue care with a framework that one’s state of health cannot be accurately judged by one’s size. Instead, I prioritize understanding of evidence-based determinants of health.

    • I believe, value, and promote the idea that all bodies are deserving and capable of designing their own healthy lifestyle.

    • I provide a therapeutic space that allows one to think critically about their own gender identity, helping them build trust in themselves to make identity-related decisions.

    • As a therapist, I see variations in brain function as natural human differences. I do not work to cure or change these differences. Instead, I create a supportive environment where your differences are accepted and supported.

    • As an individual with a tic disorder myself, I recognize the importance of being able to unmask in therapy. I believe that therapy should provide us with a space to experience relief from our symptoms; not a place that exacerbates or discourages them.

    • I tailor a unique therapeutic approach for each individual that I work with. I pay mind to your own specific needs to create an approach that best serves you.

    • Although at times, you may feel lost, confused, and disconnected from yourself, I firmly believe that deep down, you know yourself best. It is my goal while providing therapy to you to help foster that reintegration.

    • I openly and nonjudgmentally embrace conversation on topics related to one’s sexuality, sexual behaviors, and sexual health.

    • I prioritize building a therapeutic space that reduces shame and promotes safety in the discovery and exploration of your sexuality.

My Primary Modalities:

  • I firmly believe that you have your own set of unique strengths that once tapped into, can greatly accelerate your progress and growth. It is my goal to help uncover these strengths with you and help you channel them into techniques and tools that benefit you.

  • In some scenarios, such as when one is experiencing anxiety, there are many solutions that are readily available to us that can immediately improve our symptoms. It is my goal to help build a toolbox with you full of solution-focused measures that you can utilize in your everyday life for these kinds of concerns.

  • Above all, I aim to assist you with finding what brings meaning and purpose to your life. I seek to help you embrace your authenticity, recover your true voice, and be in the driver seat of your own life.

  • In this day and age, all too often we can feel disconnected from our bodies. And not only does our mind store our traumas; our body does too. Throughout your therapeutic journey, I yearn to incorporate experiences that help you build safety and connection with your body.

  • The road to finding yourself likely began far earlier than when you first made the decision to seek therapy. As queer and trans individuals, we are especially sensitive to the experiences that have shaped us over time. I recognize the value in getting to know you and all of your experiences that came before us meeting. Returning to these past events can often provide us with great insight and healing. I hope to build a safe space where you can reflect on these past experiences, at a pace that feels comfortable for you.

  • Within the queer and/or trans experience, there is only so much that we as humans can change in the present. As a result, we are left with the freedom of how we choose to interact with and experience our environments around us. ACT helps us identify what we can control in our immediate surroundings and how we can engage in acts of mindfulness and goal-setting behaviors to get through challenging times.

  • DBT is a therapeutic modality that focuses on four main goals: building emotional regulation, improving interpersonal relationships, strengthening distress tolerance, and exercising mindfulness. Through our talk therapy together, I will often pull from this modality when assisting you with navigating these four parts of yourself.

As a therapist, I’m professional, and I’m also human. I feel things deeply. I empathize hard. Sometimes, I swear in session. At times, I will challenge you. Through it all, I will support you.

Click on my ‘About’ tab to read more about me.

Washington State Warm Line

Resources

Emerald City Resource Guide

Washington Statewide Resources (211)

Seattle/Washington Support Groups

*If you are seeking supportive conversation through your general mental health concerns and are not in a state of crisis, the Washington State warm line may be a safe choice for you. If you are in a state of mental health crisis and/or experiencing an emergency, please text or call 988 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Contact Me

Feel like we could be a good fit?

Send me a message and I’ll reach out to you to set up a free consultation call as soon as I can!