About me
Welcome! I’m Cory, and my pronouns are he/him/his. I’m a proud gay man, husband to my partner, and Dad to our four-legged sidekick, Luna, and I have an insatiable love for animals.
Los Angeles has been my home for over 20 years, but I was born and raised in Texas. I have always been passionate about empowering others to find authenticity, purpose, meaning, and fulfillment in their relationships.
I am a licensed Clinical Psychotherapist (CA #88014, NY #002207) with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences and the New York State Office of the Professions and I have over ten years of experience in private practice and clinical settings. I completed a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University, specializing in LGBT Affirmative Psychology, and a Bachelor of Science in Corporate Communications from the University of Texas at Austin.
I specialize in working with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, sex and intimacy concerns, relationship issues, men’s issues, and those who have experienced trauma. I also specialize in and provide emotionally focused therapy for couples, and my office locations offer a discreet setting for high-profile executives and entertainers.
My early work in entertainment, education, and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ youth who experienced bullying inspired my passion for becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist and relationship specialist so that I could provide mental health services to marginalized and underserved identities.
Alongside my private practice, I’ve worked as a diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant at Deloitte, Cook Ross, and Russell Reynolds Associates, advising business leaders on DEI and how to actualize infrastructure and psychology for workforce composition results, team member engagement, and equity in talent management.
My clinical training started at AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA). APLA has a renowned reputation for expert psychotherapy supervision and training. At APLA, I gained invaluable knowledge and experience working with various issues, including sexual orientation, chronic and infectious diseases, addiction, and dual diagnosis. In 2013 I was awarded the Paul K. Starke Warrior Award from the City of West Hollywood for Excellence in HIV/AIDS Prevention and Mental Health while at APLA. I enhanced my training at Cedars Sinai’s (now Didi Hirsch’s) Teenline, a national teen-to-teen crisis and suicide prevention hotline that supports teenagers experiencing suicidality, child abuse, and bullying. I received two years of clinical supervision and training at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Jeffrey Goodman Special Care Clinic, a Federally Qualified Health Center, where I provided mental health services to individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Additionally, I received clinical supervision and training at Men’s Life Skills Center under the direct clinical supervision of Ken Howard, LCSW.
As part of my clinical, I also worked as a mental health consultant with the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Project 10 department, under the direct supervision and collaboration of Stephen Jimenez, where we worked to ensure district policies and procedures protected the rights of gender variant and transgender students and offered educational support to LGBT students.
I continue to keynote and provide LGBTQIA+ and mental health and wellness education, training, and professional development at organizations and conferences nationwide.
Licenses
- Marriage and Family Therapist, #88014, California Board of Behavioral Sciences, Sacramento, CA
- Marriage and Family Therapist, #2207-01, The University of the State of New York, Education Department, Office of the Professions
Education
- M.A. Clinical Psychology & Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) studies, Antioch University Los Angeles
- B.S. Corporate Communication, University of Texas at Austin
Certifications
- ICEEFT, Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples (in progress)
- Conflict Resolution (Texas Civil Practices and Remedies, Code section 154.052)
- Family Mediation (Texas Civil Practices and Remedies, Code section 154.052)
- Hogan Assessment & Instrument (Hogan Systems)
Affiliations
- CAMFT (California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists)
- ICEEFT (International Center of Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy)
- EFTCLA (Emotionally Focused Therapy Center of Los Angeles)
- LAGPA (Los Angeles Gay Psychological Association)
- AACAST (American Association of Couples and Sex Therapists)
Clinical Training
- ICEEFT, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Externship
- ICEEFT, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Core Skills Training
- AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA)
- Teenline Suicide Hotline, Cedars Sinai
- Los Angeles LGBT Center, Jeffrey Goodman Special Care Clinic
- Key Howard, LCSW
- Los Angeles Unified School District's Project 10