Lo Story Moon, LMFT
“What if we could see ourselves less as innocent, but as harmed and harming, more or less honest, more or less able to be conscious when triggered, more or less manipulative, more or less willing to take responsibility for our own change, more or less caught in patterns. Would we be better able to create and respect boundaries between each other? Can we ween ourselves off of the myth of purity, of innocence embedded in our supremacist and exceptionalist structures? Can we tolerate knowing ourselves?” – Prentis Hemphill (they/them)
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 – in therapy and out in the world – vulnerably deepens connection and that when we avoid conflict and/or change, we avoid 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 TRC, I spend clinical time at the LA Gender Center. Other work time is spent with The Trevor Project, Trans Lifeline, Brave Trails (an LGBTQ+ youth summer camp) and the LA LGBT Center. I also work as a film consultant in both pre-production and on-set to guide conversations about and depictions of both LGBTQ+ folx, especially trans youth. I’ve also worked with writers and directors on ways to talk 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.
As you can see, 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 young people ages 6-24.