Queer-affirming · San Francisco · CA + MA
Therapy that meets you where you are — and doesn’t leave you there.
Queer-affirming online therapy for anxiety, identity, and relationship growth. I’m Rio Bauce, LCSW — I help adults and couples build resilience, clarity, and connection, from the comfort of home.
You might be here because…
You may be feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or disconnected. I specialize in working with people who are ready to better understand themselves and create meaningful, sustainable change.
You’re struggling with anxiety, stress, or burnout — even if things look “fine” on the outside.
You’re navigating identity exploration or LGBTQ+ related concerns.
You feel stuck in relationship or communication patterns that keep repeating.
You’re processing trauma or difficult past experiences.
You’re moving through a major life transition — career, relationships, relocation.
Small groups, starting this fall.
Online, 6–8 members, weekly. Every prospective member has a screening call first.
High-Functioning Anxiety Group
For people whose anxiety looks like competence — and never switches off. Separate California and Massachusetts groups.
Gay Men’s Attachment Group
For gay and queer men who keep landing in the same place. Welcoming cis and trans men.
Gay, Bi & Queer Men’s Harm Reduction Group
Your substance use, on your terms. No drug testing, and no goal set for you. Welcoming cis and trans men.
Therapy with me is a space where you don’t have to perform or have everything figured out — at least not all at once.
Rio Bauce · LCSW, LICSW
Warmth, with thoughtful challenge.
I work relationally and at a pace that respects your nervous system, your lived experience, and what feels manageable right now.
Sessions that balance warmth with thoughtful challenge
A collaborative pace — not rushed, not stagnant
Practical tools alongside deeper reflection
Attention to identity, context, and lived experience
Clear boundaries and a consistent structure
Evidence-based. Human-paced.
EFT
Emotionally Focused Therapy
An attachment-based approach to couples work — focused on the pattern underneath the argument rather than the argument itself.
CBT
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Practical tools to understand and shift the thought patterns that keep you stuck — so change shows up in your everyday life.
MI
Motivational Interviewing
A collaborative approach that strengthens your own motivation for change — especially powerful for shifting substance use.
Psychodynamic
Depth & Insight Work
Insight-oriented exploration of patterns, relationships, and emotional experience — for deeper, lasting change.
Also drawing from DBT and ACT — always tailored to you.
A moment, before you go on
This is the pace we work at: one unhurried breath at a time.
Hi, I’m Rio.
I’m a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker providing telehealth therapy to adults and couples in Massachusetts and California. As a queer clinician, I bring an affirming, culturally responsive lens to all of my work — shaped by years in community mental health, HIV care, and LGBTQ+ health in San Francisco.
Clients describe my style as steady, attentive, and honest — in a way that feels human and relatable.
Consider this a first hello.
What it’s like to work together, in Rio’s own words.
Simple, transparent fees.
per session · weekly
Focused one-on-one work — steady momentum on anxiety, identity, substance use, and life transitions.
per session · weekly
Communication, conflict patterns, trust repair, and intimacy — affirming of all relationship structures.
Superbills provided for out-of-network reimbursement in California; many plans cover a portion of each session. Massachusetts clients: United Healthcare, Aetna, and BCBS of MA accepted. Details in the FAQ.
No pressure. Just a conversation.
Begin with a free 15-minute consultation.
A short, no-pressure call to see whether we’re a good fit. Tell me a little about yourself and I’ll reply within 24 hours.