Amanda Helton, AMFT #160640
Relational, de-colonial therapy that honors context, identity, and lived experience
About Amanda
I’m a queer, neurodivergent therapist and Certified Sex Educator through Everyone Deserves Sex Ed (EDSE) offering virtual therapy across California for older teens, emerging adults, and adults. Before becoming a therapist, I worked in the arts and museums after completing a Master’s degree in art history. My backgrounds in art, queer community organizing, and sexual health education continues to shape how I think about care, identity, creativity, and belonging.
I’m especially interested in how relationships, family histories, labor, culture, and systems of survival shape emotional life across generations—and how those experiences can live in the body and in relationships without always being named. As a queer, neurodivergent therapist, I also bring lived understanding of masking, difference, overwhelm, and the importance of spaces where people can exhale and feel more fully themselves.
I work with people navigating trauma, anxiety, identity development, burnout, relationship difficulties, sexuality and gender exploration, religious harm, family rejection, and relational trauma. I especially enjoy working with queer and LGBTQ+ folks, neurodivergent people, and those looking for therapy that feels collaborative, affirming, and grounded in context rather than judgment.
LGBTQ+ affirming • Neurodivergent-affirming • Sex-positive • Kink-affirming • Ethical non-monogamy aFFIRMING
My Approach
My approach is warm, relational, collaborative, and trauma-informed. I understand distress as something shaped by relationships, environments, systems, and survival rather than as personal failure or defect.
I pay attention to how people adapt to the worlds they move through and how those survival strategies can later become painful, exhausting, or limiting. I believe people make sense in context, and that healing often begins through self-understanding, curiosity, and relationships where you feel more understood than evaluated.
My work is grounded in relational, systemic, and de-colonial perspectives. I approach sexuality and relationships through consent, meaning, and context rather than pathology, and I value creating space where people can show up more fully as themselves.
Areas of Focus
- Trauma and complex trauma
- LGBTQ+ identity and relationships
- Neurodivergence, masking, and overwhelm
- Anxiety and burnout
- Religious trauma and shame
- Sexuality and gender exploration
- Family rejection and relational wounds
- Life transitions and identity development
- Sex and intimacy
- Relationship dynamics and communication
Standard Rates
- Individuals: $180/session
- Couples: $210/session
Sliding Scale
I reserve a limited number of sliding scale spots for clients who may benefit from a lower fee due to financial circumstances.
Reduced-fee sessions generally range from:
- Individuals: approximately $120–160/session
- Couples: approximately $140–190/session
Sliding scale availability is limited and discussed collaboratively during consultation. My goal is to approach these conversations with transparency, care, and respect rather than gatekeeping or shame.
Insurance
I do not take insurance, but I am able to provide superbills for our sessions. Superbills are similar to itemized receipts. Depending on your insurance and your plan, you may be able to receive reimbursement for our sessions. You will have to confirm with your insurance provider if they are able to cover “out of network” therapy providers.
Gender-Affirming Care Support Letters
I offer focused assessments for individuals seeking letters of support for gender-affirming surgery, HRT, and other affirming care. You do not need to be an ongoing therapy client to receive an assessment for this care.
The evaluation is conducted in accordance with the WPATH Standards of Care (Version 8) and includes a discussion of your gender history, goals, informed consent, and any relevant psychosocial factors. When clinical criteria are met, I will prepare a personalized support letter for your surgeon, physician, and/or insurance provider.
Letters are authored by me and reviewed and co-signed by my licensed supervisor. Most surgeons and insurance companies accept AMFT-authored letters with LMFT supervision, though I encourage you to verify your specific requirements before scheduling. Many assessments can be completed in a single appointment, though additional sessions may be recommended depending on your circumstances or documentation requirements.
Get in touch with Amanda
Finding the right therapeutic fit is an important part of the process. I offer a free consultation so we can get a sense of whether working together feels like a good match. If you’re interested, please fill out the form below and I’ll reach out soon.
Amanda Helton, AMFT #160640 