Affirming, in-person therapy for gay men and other members of the LGBTQ+ community. If you’re navigating your identity, sexuality, relationships, or trauma, you deserve a place where you can talk openly about all of it.
I’m Dr. Wayne Bullock, a licensed clinical psychologist providing in-person therapy for adults and couples throughout the DMV, including people who live and work in Bethesda.
As a gay psychologist with specialized education in human sexuality, I offer a candid, compassionate place to explore your life. My office is in downtown Washington, DC, near Farragut North, a direct Red Line ride from Bethesda.
Therapy for Bethesda’s LGBTQ+ Community
You may have built a life that looks successful and fulfilling from the outside while still struggling with something that feels harder to name.
Perhaps you feel confident at work but uncertain in relationships. You might be open about being gay in some parts of your life while carefully managing what you share in others. You may be navigating coming out, dating, intimacy, body image, or sex. Perhaps you’re exploring an open relationship or questioning what you want from a partnership.
LGBTQ+ affirming therapy gives you room to explore your whole life. You’re welcome whether you’re out, questioning, selectively open, or simply looking for a therapist who respects you. As a gay psychologist, I bring clinical training and lived experience to this work while allowing your personal experience to guide our conversations.
Sex and Sexuality Therapy Near Bethesda, MD
Sex and sexuality can be difficult to discuss, even with someone you trust. Sex therapy offers a private, nonjudgmental place to explore concerns you may not feel comfortable bringing elsewhere.
As a licensed psychologist with a Master of Education in Human Sexuality, I help individuals and couples understand their sexuality and address concerns affecting pleasure, confidence, and connection. I’m here to help you understand what you want, with attention to consent, communication, boundaries, and emotional well-being.
Our conversations may include differences in desire, performance anxiety, shame, intimacy, or the effects of past experiences. I am kink-positive and work with people in monogamous and consensually non-monogamous relationships.
Other Concerns I Help My Bethesda Clients Explore
Anxiety and Pressure to Perform
For some people balancing demanding careers, family responsibilities, and a commute between Bethesda and DC, anxiety can become part of the daily routine. You may keep meeting expectations while privately feeling tense or afraid of falling short.
Anxiety therapy offers space to understand your worries, the expectations you carry, and the patterns that keep you feeling under pressure.
Depression and Disconnection
Depression doesn’t always mean you stop functioning. You may continue working and socializing while feeling increasingly detached from yourself. In depression therapy, we can explore the emotional, relational, and historical patterns contributing to your experience.
Trauma and Past Experiences
Rejection, abuse, discrimination, and other painful experiences may continue to affect your sense of safety and trust. Trauma therapy can help you understand those effects and work toward changes in how you relate to yourself and others.
Loneliness and Belonging
Living near restaurants, workplaces, and social opportunities doesn’t always mean you feel connected. You may have a full calendar yet struggle to find relationships where you can be open. Therapy can help you explore what happens when you seek closeness, including fears of rejection, comparison, or vulnerability.
Identity and Life Transitions
Changes in career, relationships, health, or age can leave you questioning the life you’ve built. Goals that once motivated you may no longer fit. We can explore what matters to you now and what you want the next chapter to include.
Working With Dr. Wayne Bullock
I am a licensed clinical psychologist with more than a decade of experience. My approach is primarily psychoanalytic, with relational and interpersonal therapy woven into our work.
That means I’m interested in your mental health as a whole. We’ll pay attention to your history, relationships, thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and the patterns that repeat across different parts of your life.
My style is friendly and engaged. I offer support while also inviting you to look more closely at experiences that may feel uncomfortable or difficult to understand.
I welcome people of every race, ethnicity, religion, identity, and orientation. I have particular experience working with LGBTQ+ adults, gay men, and members of the Jewish community.
My office is located in downtown Washington, DC, near both the Farragut North and Farragut West Metro stations. From Bethesda, you can take the Red Line toward Glenmont to Farragut North without changing trains. Depending on where you live or work, Bethesda station or Medical Center station may be a useful starting point. I also serve clients throughout the DMV area, including Alexandria and Arlington.
Do you provide therapy for people who live in Bethesda?
Yes. I provide in-person therapy for adults and couples who live or work in Bethesda and can attend appointments at my downtown Washington, DC office. I do not have an office in Bethesda.
Do you offer therapy for LGBTQ+ couples?
Yes. I offer affirming, in-person couples therapy for LGBTQ+ partners and people in diverse relationship structures. We can explore communication, recurring conflict, trust, emotional or sexual intimacy, life changes, and questions about monogamy or consensual non-monogamy.
Do I need to identify as LGBTQ+ to work with you?
No. I welcome adults of all identities and orientations.
Can I discuss sex, kink, or non-monogamy?
Yes. You can discuss desire, kink, BDSM, relationship structures, and other private concerns without judgment. Together, we can explore what these experiences mean to you.
Do you have experience working with Jewish clients?
Yes. I have experience working with members of the Jewish community and welcome conversations about how culture, faith, family, and community shape your life. Whether you’re religious, secular, questioning, or somewhere in between, we can explore what your Jewish identity means to you without assuming a particular set of beliefs or experiences.
Can therapy help me explore both my LGBTQ+ and religious or cultural identity?
Yes. You can bring all parts of yourself into therapy, including experiences that feel connected, complicated, or difficult to reconcile. We can explore belonging, family expectations, relationships, and your own values. My approach is LGBTQ+ affirming and respects your right to decide what role religion, culture, and community have in your life.
Do you accept insurance?
I am not in-network with insurance plans. As an out-of-network provider, my services may qualify for partial reimbursement under some plans. Contact your insurer to ask about your out-of-network mental health benefits.
Can I get to your office from Bethesda by Metro?
Yes. Bethesda and Farragut North are both on the Red Line, so you can travel between them without a transfer. Take a train toward Glenmont from Bethesda and exit at Farragut North. My office is nearby at 910 17th St NW, Suite 419.