Identity, orientation and labels
You do not need a label to start. Some men arrive sure of who they are and stuck on something else entirely. Others are still working it out at forty. Being gay or bisexual is never the thing we try to fix.
In English · LGBTQ+ affirmative · Online
Online therapy for gay men in English, from wherever you live
It is half past ten at night in Lisbon, or Toronto, or a small town two hours from the nearest gay bar, and you have opened the same booking page three times this week without writing to anyone. Maybe it is your relationship, maybe your family, maybe a tiredness you cannot quite place. This is online therapy for gay men and bisexual men who want an affirming psychologist and would rather do the work in English, by video, from any country.
Onlineand
worldwide
worldwide
8+years of
experience
experience
M-36402Licensed
psychologist
psychologist
ES · ENBilingual sessions
Does this sound familiar?
Why gay and bi men look for online therapy
01
You have a therapist near you, in theory, but the last one asked whether your boyfriend might be a phase, and you never went back.
02
You live somewhere where you would rather not be seen walking into an LGBTQ+ practice, even if nobody would ever say anything.
03
You and your partner keep having the same argument about the apps, or about opening the relationship, and neither of you is sure what you actually want.
04
You came out years ago and thought that part was finished, yet one comment from your father at Christmas still takes you a week to get over.
05
Anxiety has become background noise at work, and you spend more energy managing how you come across than doing the job itself.
06
English is the language you think in, or the one you share with your partner, and you want a therapist you can talk to without hunting for words.
What we work on
What online therapy for gay men can help with
Coming out, to others or all over again
Telling your family, a new manager, or the friends you made after moving. We can think through who you want to tell, what you are afraid might happen and what you would do if a conversation goes badly.
Internalised homophobia and shame
Plenty of men who are completely out still flinch at certain things, such as holding hands on one particular street or feeling too much at a family dinner. We look at where that critical voice came from and how much of it you still want to listen to.
Anxiety, self-demand and burnout
If rest only feels allowed once everything is perfect, we work on why that rule exists and what it is costing you, with small practical changes you can try between sessions.
Relationships, sex and the apps
Monogamy, open relationships, jealousy, desire that has gone quiet, the hours lost scrolling at night. We talk about it plainly, and there is no script for how your relationship is supposed to look.
Self-esteem after years of hiding
Growing up hiding, or proving yourself twice as hard as everyone else, tends to show up later in how you date and in how harshly you talk to yourself. We can look at how those years still show up in the way you date and talk to yourself.
How it works
How to start
1
Send a WhatsApp message
A couple of lines is enough. Tell me roughly where you are in the world and what is bringing you to therapy now.
2
Agree a time that works
I reply and we pick a slot for the first session in your time zone rather than mine.
3
Start your online sessions
Sessions are by video call, so you can join from wherever you live as long as you have privacy and a stable connection. Some people come every week, others every two weeks.
4
Review the fit as we go
Every so often we look at what is changing and what is not, and adjust the pace if we need to. You stay in charge of where the work goes.
About me
Mariano Ventura Barreira
Psychologist · Licence M-36402 · LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapy
Most of the people I see online are gay and bi men who live far from Madrid, where I am registered as a psychologist (licence M-36402). Sessions can be in English or in Spanish, whichever you prefer, and they are open to other LGBTQ+ adults too.
My work is affirmative. I do not treat your orientation or gender identity as something to correct, and you will not have to spend the first sessions explaining what the closet is or why some things in gay relationships work differently. I already know that part.
I work from Madrid and see people online in different countries, so the therapy can come with you if you move, travel a lot for work or split the year between two places.
Follow me on Instagram · @preguntadorenserieWould you like to talk it through first?
If this sounds like what you need, send me a WhatsApp message saying where you are and what is on your mind. I will reply and we can find a time for a first conversation.
Message me on WhatsAppFAQ
Questions about online therapy for gay men
It means I start from full respect for your orientation and identity, and I do not treat either as a problem to solve. Nobody is trying to change who you are.
Yes. Sessions are by video call and I work with people in different countries. We agree a regular time that fits your time zone and review it if your schedule changes.
No. You do not need anything labelled to begin, and you can keep working it out during the sessions.
Yes. Everything we talk about is covered by professional confidentiality. Since the sessions are by video, it helps to pick a room where you will not be overheard.
Reviews on Google
What clients say
5.0
★★★★★
Ratings on Google
★★★★★
Un profesional excelente, con una sensibilidad y empatía excepcionales. Como psicólogo especializado en la comunidad LGTBI, crea un espacio seguro donde realmente te sientes escuchado y comprendido. Lo recomiendo totalmente para quien busque apoyo con calidez y profesionalismo.
★★★★★
Después de casi tres años de terapia con Mariano, puedo decir que sigue siendo mi primer psicólogo y que nunca he sentido la necesidad de buscar otro. Desde la primera sesión me hizo sentir cómodo, sin juicios.
★★★★★
Un acierto. Desde la primera sesión sentí que estaba hablando con alguien que realmente entendía mi realidad como hombre gay. Me ayudó a trabajar mis inseguridades y dificultades en mis vínculos.
Genuine reviews published on Google, anonymised with initials to protect each person’s privacy. They are in Spanish, as the clients wrote them.
See all reviews on Google →