Emily/Em Dorman (they/them or she/her)

AMFT136803
Accepting Clients

Welcome! I am a trauma therapist specializing in working with LGBGTQIA+ adults, couples/polycules, and families to heal their attachments.

Associate Marriage & Family Therapist in California
Supervised by Tracy Smith, PsyD #24366

Services
  • Individual
  • Couples
  • Family
  • Adolescent/Teen

About My Clients

Most people that I work with experience many clashing thoughts and feelings. On one hand, some parts of you care very intensely, want to get it “just right,” and deeply crave connection and success. On the other hand, some parts of you are overwhelmed, confused, and stuck. I am particularly passionate about working with folks that are trauma survivors, neurodivergent, queer and/or trans, ethically non-monogamous, and kinky.

My Background and Approach

My background is in LGBTQIA+ affirming therapy and trauma-responsive therapy. Primarily, I have worked with LGBTQIA+ and immigrant communities to help folks heal from state, relationship, sexual, and/or childhood trauma. In individual therapy, I tend to focus on emotions, body sensations, and beliefs. We work to observe troublesome experiences and/or parts of yourself from a distance in order to gain calmness, curiosity, and compassion. I use modalities like Internal Family Systems (IFS), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and somatic and mindfulness exercises. In relationship therapy, I tend to focus on emotional patterns, boundaries, and safety. I learn about how your relationship functions as a single emotional unit. Then I help you to approach difficult situations with calmness, compassion, and vulnerability. I use modalities like Emotion-Focused Therapy, Family Systems Therapy, and solution-focused exercises. Supervised by Rayne Banneck, LMFT #124607

My Personal Beliefs and Interests

I center a liberation-focused approach. This means that my work is rooted in a continued commitment to radical empathy, anti-racism, decolonization, disability justice, intersectional feminism, fat liberation, gender affirmation, and de-carceral approaches. Therapy is my vocation and passion. I feel called to this work because I believe that therapists have both the honor and responsibility to use their knowledge, skills, and wisdom in service of human liberation. This may look like learning how to set boundaries, unlearning harmful narratives, unmasking, exploring your identity and values, etc. Ultimately, I aim to be a comrade and steward on your journey towards understanding what a liberated and happy life means to you.

Techniques I Use

Specialties
Attachment Theory Couples Counseling Internal Family Systems
Other Techniques
  • Attachment Theory
  • Couples Counseling
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
  • Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
  • Family Systems
  • Family Therapy
  • Feminist Therapy
  • Harm Reduction Therapy
  • Motivational Interviewing
  • Nonviolent Communication
  • Play Therapy
  • Solution Focused Brief Therapy
  • Somatic Therapy: Body-Based Healing for Emotional Trauma
  • Internal Family Systems
  • Sand Tray Therapy

Issues I Treat

Specialties
Attachment Gender Identity Therapy Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Other Issues
  • Abuse
  • ADHD Therapists
  • Anxiety
  • Attachment
  • Burnout
  • Codependency
  • Depression
  • Dissociative Disorders
  • Divorce
  • Domestic Violence or Intimate Partner Violence
  • Family Conflict
  • Gender Identity Therapy
  • Historical/ Intergenerational Trauma
  • LGBTQ-Friendly Therapists
  • Marriage Counseling
  • Polyamorous and Open Relationships
  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Relationship Issues
  • Systemic Oppression Therapy
  • Women's Issues
I offer online counseling in the following states:

At A Glance

  • Experience: 4 years of practice
  • Languages: English
  • Rate: $50 - 175/session

Reach out to Emily/Em