dani marrufo,lmft

L.A. Therapist for LGBTQIA+ folks, Latinx & BIPOC Individuals

dani marrufo lmft laughing and leaning forward in chair at kindman & co. therapy in highland park 90042

hello,

I believe that humans are a culmination of many identities and life that require celebration and care.

I help folks go from yielding to painful emotions and insecurities to actively choosing, knowing, and becoming the most human, empowered version of themselves.

About dani (she/her/ella)

I am here to help you celebrate all the parts of yourself and begin to live the fully authentic, emboldened life that you desire. I live at the intersection of queer and Mexican and have felt that fully embracing one identity means grappling with the other. From feeling shame about my curly hair, to fearing the expression of my androgynous presentation, I have come to value and embrace these revered parts of myself. I truly get the complexities of navigating intersecting identities and want to help you feel empowered to also live your truth.

As a queer woman, I understand the nuances of gender and sexuality and approach identity with a curious and holistic perspective. My purpose as a therapist is to work collaboratively with you to create a foundation of trust and work at your pace (giving you a push here and there) to help you explore all aspects of your identity. Together, we can explore the othered, shamed, and oppressed parts of you that need care and tenderness—to begin to more fully integrate and cherish all parts of you. We will consider cultural factors and forms of systemic oppression that contribute to the anxiety, depression, loneliness, or un-belonging that you may be feeling, and work to challenge any internalized stories of marginalization and trauma to help you feel more empowered to advocate for your healing.

I am especially passionate about supporting Latine, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ folks, who navigate many intersections of identity and are trying to make sense of who they are and how to they fit into a historically queerphobic world. I want to help you to liberate your identities and really listen to the needs you may be avoiding or uncomfortable with. I want to help you have pride in who you are and in your existence. Similarly, I am very excited to work with poly, ENM, and queer partners who want to move towards more security in their relationships, communicate effectively and compassionately, and bridge any relevant cultural differences to have increased curiosity and enjoyment in their partnerships.

Therapy doesn’t have to be exchanges of awkward silence and rigid call outs like we see in film. I like to challenge the narratives of what therapy traditionally looks like and dive into creative expression with couples, partners, and individuals who are open to doing so. Working with fellow creative people, actors, and those looking for creative ways to approach therapy and externalizing feelings is something that I love. Through creatively externalizing the most intimate parts of ourselves, we can come to more deeply understand, care for, and nurture ourselves and our relationships.

Life, and discovering your most genuine self, is a full-on expedition of wandering and roaming into the unknown. Look, while I can’t do the work for you, I love doing the work with you and helping you uncover all of the wonders that are you.

dani marrufo lmft laughing with weezie the office dog of kindman & co. therapy in highland park, los angeles

therapy for grief, loss, & life transitions

From what you’ve read about me so far, I hope it comes across that I know, from experience, that life is rarely Live, Laugh, Love.  The reality is that life is often in transition. We grieve, and we feel the emptiness that loss can bring. I’ve spent the majority of my career working with various forms of bereavements and specifically how this intersects with physical health and disability. My work in cancer support settings has prepared me to best support clients who are navigating significant life transitions, life altering diagnoses, caregiver challenges and burnout, and processing the pain and complexity of grief and loss.

I believe that there is not only pain and despair in grief but also beauty and ways to soothe and find support in relationships. I want to help you feel less alone in the heavy moments, as well as to access more resilience and joy in the lighter ones. Whatever comes up, I’m committed to being on this journey with you.

career highlights & key trainings

i am…

I am a product of my ancestors and recognize the privilege I hold as I am living their wildest dream—thanks to their fight and persistence! I am a lesbian, androgynous, Mexican, and anxious.  I am an over-thinker, hobby collector, and can often be found wandering the aisles of craft stores. I am someone who has held shame, grief, and loneliness more than I would have liked to and have found comfort in chosen family, my wife, and myself. I am a lover of people and know that there is goodness in this world—even when it is hard to find. I despise silver linings and feel that avoidance & escapism are great coping skills (when used intentionally). As a kid, I was a “weirdo” who did her homework at recess, was interested in fly fishing, longed for deep connection, and was fascinated by existentialism—in some ways…I’m still her.

california licensed marriage & family therapist no. 129955

We would love to connect with you.

The easiest way to get started at Kindman & Co. is to book a twenty minute complimentary information session with our Care Coordinator, Clarissa. On this call, she will ask a little about you and what’s bringing you to therapy at this time, share about our practice and our relational therapy approach to make sure it’s a good fit, and pair you with the therapist who is best suited for you.

**Please note that we are only able to work with clients physically located in the state of California at this time.