Pacific Center for Human Growth

Founded in 1973, Pacific Center for Human Growth is the oldest LGBTQIA+ center in the Bay Area, the third oldest in the nation, and operates the only sliding scale mental health clinic for LGBTQIA+ and QTBIPOC people and their families in Alameda County.

Our Mission

To enhance the mental health and overall well-being of the LGBTQIA+ and QTBIPOC communities by providing culturally responsive therapy, peer to peer support groups, community outreach services, and facilitated workshops. 

To incorporate strong social justice and trauma-informed frameworks in our clinical training and peer-to-peer support programs that contribute to equitable mental health service delivery. To provide the most comprehensive care possible for all who seek our services.

Our Services

Utilizing nearly 200 volunteers and 11 staff members. Pacific Center provides direct services for Alameda County and the greater Bay Area LGBTQIA+ communities. We currently serve over 3,000 people a year through our programs. To learn more about what we do, click any link below:

• Licensed mental health services for LGBTQ+folks
• Accredited training for graduate-level student therapists and pre-licensed clinicians
• Mental health support groups for HIV+ people living in Alameda County
• A safe-space drop-in program for youth on Tuesdays and Fridays
• A transitional-age youth-led speaker’s bureau
• Free therapy groups and social support groups for LGBTQ+ adults 50+ 
• Over 20 volunteer-led peer support groups on a variety of issues, dedicated to serving a diversity of populations within the LGBTQ+ community
• Training and consultation services for Bay Area organizations, agencies, and companies, to enhance culturally responsive practices as it relates to LGBTQ+ clients and colleagues, which center queer and trans people of color

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Vision

For Pacific Center, mental health and social justice are inextricably intertwined. We imagine a world in which everyone has access to culturally responsive care. Because we are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion as core principles that guide all aspects of our work, we strive to address the deeply entrenched practices, cultural norms and decision making structures that perpetuate inequities within the mental health and social support systems. We know that unraveling the systemic oppression of marginalized groups requires an undaunting commitment to sustained self-reflection that leads to action. We have made mistakes in the past, and will continue to make mistakes on this journey. We strive to continually learn and to adapt in ways that center and uplift the LGBTQIA+ community at large; specifically QTBIPOC folx, at the intersections of race, age, class, religion, ethnicity, ability and diverse gender identities.