Marston James, LMFT(He/Him/His)

Marston James is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist based in West Hollywood, California, who has for over 25 years worked with individuals and couples of various self-identities, though he specializes in treating gay men and lesbians. Marston’s typical clients range from successful working professionals, to those navigating through college, or those who are working to develop a career. Marston’s clients seek out psychotherapy due to feelings of anxiety, depression, and/or stress that stem from feelings of disconnection from others, struggling to develop personal relationships, or feeling generally unfulfilled and dissatisfied in their lives, despite their outward success, but unable to explain why. Marston is particularly sensitive to clients’ experiences of trauma, such as when there has been abuse, or that of growing up gay/lesbian in this homophobic world.

Marston utilizes Gay-Centered Depth Psychoanalysis to assist clients in examining their own heteronormative upbringing and its impact on them as gay/lesbian children. That is, what messages did they receive as kids about who and what they were supposed to be (and not be)? These messages, called “unfinished family business,” have a powerful influence on us, not just in our youth but throughout our lives, unless addressed and intervened upon. To do so, Marston’s clients learn about their inner world, called “psyche”, what objects exist in their personal psyche, and how they can work with those inner objects in order to differentiate between those old messages and one’s authentic voice or inner knowing. In the process, Marston’s clients begin to shift their self-identity from that of their “abused-self” to that of their true Self.

Marston is empathetic, inquisitive, and supportive as he gently guides individuals in exploring their “unfinished family business,” while sometimes challenging clients to look at things in new ways. A seasoned telehealth provider, Marston conducts his sessions virtually.