Lo Story Moon Lankford
(they/them)
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #137555
As a trans + queer non-binary femme, I am passionate about interdependence and community psychology. I believe that the societal structures inherent in our ‘independence’ focused U.S. culture harms all of us by creating fixed binaries in our identities and ways of living and making asking for and receiving help difficult. We were never meant to do any of this alone, and resourcing folx (in a variety of ways) is at the root of all of my work. ‘In the room,’ I genuinely care about helping people connect to therapy work in a way that is meaningful to them, noting that this can look a little different person to person and always exists in your own cultural context. Reaching out for help can be really difficult for some, and it’s important to me that we collaborate to find out if we’re a good fit and what you’re hoping therapy will provide. My style is direct, embodied, collaborative and curious and I believe deeply that addressing conflict – both in therapy and out in the world – vulnerably deepens connection and that when we avoid conflict and/or change, we're thus avoiding intimacy.
​
I received my bachelors in cinema studies and music theory from NYU and my masters from Antioch University, where I specialized in LGBTQ community psych. Outside of the LA Gender Center, I spend clinical time at the Relational Center. Past work experience includes The Trevor Project, Trans Lifeline, Brave Trails (an LGBTQ+ youth summer camp) and the LA LGBT Center. I also currently work as a film consultant in both pre-production and on-set to guide conversations about and depictions of LGBTQ+ folx, especially trans youth. I’ve also worked with writers and directors on ways to speak to young people about their feelings through their projects. Films and TV shows I’ve worked on have earned GLAAD awards, Academy Awards and Golden Globes.
I took the ‘be who you needed when you were younger’ thing pretty seriously. While I love working with folx of all ages, most of my work is with LGBTQ people ages 6-38.