Cannabis-Friendly Mental Health Therapist in Kansas City, MO.
Let’s Talk About Cannabis Use Without Judgment.
Even though cannabis is legal in Missouri, the stigma surrounding its use remains strong—especially in mental health care. Too often, people who use cannabis are labeled as lazy, unmotivated, or irresponsible. These harmful stereotypes can discourage honest conversations with healthcare providers, leaving many people feeling misunderstood or unsupported.
I’m Lynee Gonzales, M.S., PLMFT, and I believe it’s time for a different approach. As a therapist, I understand that cannabis can be a vital part of managing anxiety, depression, PTSD, or chronic pain. It can also help with focus, creativity, and emotional insight.
When you work with me, you’ll find a safe space to explore how cannabis fits into your life without fear of judgment. Whether you’re using it as a tool for healing or are curious about how it might be affecting your mental health, we’ll work together to honor your experiences and find the right balance.
Meet Lynee Gonzales: A Therapist Who Understands.
Hey, I’m Lynee Gonzales, a Marriage and Family Therapist in Kansas City, MO, and I’m here to provide the kind of care I wish more people had access to—mental healthcare free from judgment. My practice is rooted in the belief that mental health therapy should honor the complexity of each individual’s story, including the choices they make to support their well-being.
As someone who has seen the stigma surrounding cannabis up close, I understand how isolating it can feel to be judged for something that helps you function, heal, or thrive. That’s why I’ve created a space where you can talk openly about your relationship with cannabis—whether it’s part of managing your ADHD, easing the symptoms of PTSD, or simply something that helps you feel grounded.
Why Choose Cannabis-Friendly Mental Health Therapy?
Cannabis can mean different things to different people. For some, it’s a way to manage chronic pain, anxiety, or insomnia. For others, it’s a tool for creativity, focus, or grounding. Yet, despite its therapeutic potential, cannabis use is still misunderstood and often dismissed in mental health care.
In cannabis-friendly therapy, we move beyond stereotypes to look at the full picture of your life.
This means exploring how cannabis interacts with your emotional and physical well-being, helping you maximize its benefits while understanding its potential challenges. Whether you’ve found that cannabis helps you relax after a stressful day, enhances your focus on tasks, or even supports you through a difficult period of grief, this is a space to talk openly about your experiences.
My role is to meet you where you are. If cannabis plays a role in your mental health journey, we’ll work together to ensure it’s serving your goals—not holding you back. Therapy isn’t about judgment or “right and wrong”; it’s about understanding what works for you and building a plan that fosters your growth and healing.
In this safe, open environment, you’ll find not only support but a chance to deepen your connection to yourself and take meaningful steps toward the life you want.
“You deserve a therapist who doesn’t see your cannabis use as inherently negative. As someone with friends and family in the cannabis industry, it’s my honor to serve such a kind and supportive community!”
How Cannabis Impacts Mental Health.
Exploring the Benefits and Risks:
Cannabis is often misunderstood in mental health conversations. While some see it as a recreational substance, for many, it’s a valuable tool for managing their mental and physical health. Like any tool, it can have both benefits and risks depending on how it’s used.
When approached with intention, cannabis can offer significant mental health benefits. It can help reduce anxiety, ease chronic pain, and improve sleep. Some people find it enhances focus, sparks creativity, or allows them to connect more deeply with their emotions. Cannabis can also act as a grounding force during stressful times, helping to quiet racing thoughts or provide a sense of calm.
However, like any substance, cannabis isn’t without its challenges. Overuse can lead to dependence, cognitive fog, or emotional numbing, making it harder to process the very feelings you’re trying to address. For younger users, cannabis can impact brain development if used before the age of 25. The key lies in finding balance and understanding how cannabis fits into your overall mental health plan.
In our work together, we’ll take a closer look at how cannabis impacts your life—whether it’s helping, hindering, or a little of both. Therapy isn’t about judging your choices but about understanding them and making adjustments that serve your goals. By taking a mindful approach to cannabis use, you can unlock its potential as a powerful ally in your mental health journey.
Who Can Benefit from Cannabis-Friendly Therapy?
Cannabis-friendly therapy is for anyone seeking a safe, nonjudgmental space to explore their mental health while addressing their relationship with cannabis. Whether cannabis is a small part of your life or a key tool in managing chronic conditions, therapy can help you align its use with your personal goals and well-being.
I work with clients navigating a wide range of challenges:
Managing Anxiety and Depression: Cannabis can be a helpful way to ease the weight of these emotions, but therapy can deepen your understanding of how to use it intentionally.
Chronic Pain and PTSD: For those dealing with physical or emotional trauma, cannabis can provide relief and grounding, offering a path to reclaim your life.
ADHD and Focus: If you’ve found that cannabis helps calm racing thoughts or improve concentration, we can explore how it fits into a broader plan for success.
Stress and Burnout: Life’s pressures can feel overwhelming, and cannabis might help take the edge off. Therapy can complement its use by providing tools to build resilience and long-term well-being.
This approach also benefits those who are reevaluating their relationship with cannabis. Maybe you’re curious about setting boundaries, concerned about overuse, or unsure whether it’s impacting other aspects of your life. Whatever the case, you’ll have a trusted partner in navigating those questions with care and empathy.
You don’t have to choose between being honest about your cannabis use and seeking mental health support. In this space, both can coexist in harmony, creating a foundation for healing and growth.
Practical Guidelines for Cannabis Use in Therapy.
Making the most of your sessions.
Therapy is a space for growth, insight, and emotional processing—and to get the most out of it, it’s important to approach your sessions with a clear mind. While cannabis can play a valuable role in your overall mental health journey, it’s best to take a break for a few hours before and after therapy.
Here’s why: Cannabis can temporarily affect how your brain processes emotions and memories, which are key to meaningful therapeutic work. By abstaining for at least four hours before and after your session, you’ll be better able to engage fully in the experience, reflect deeply, and integrate what you’ve learned.
That said, therapy is also a space to explore your relationship with cannabis openly. If cannabis has been a part of your coping strategy, let’s talk about how it helps, what challenges you face, and how we can optimize its role in your life. This is a judgment-free zone where your choices and experiences are respected.
Practical guidelines like these are designed to help you achieve the best possible outcomes from therapy while supporting your broader mental health goals. Together, we’ll create a plan that aligns with your needs, honors your experiences, and helps you grow.
Lynee’s Harm-Reduction Approach.
Finding Balance with Compassion and Care:
Cannabis can be a valuable part of your life, but like any relationship, it requires balance. Maybe you’re wondering if your use is helping or holding you back. Perhaps you’ve noticed patterns that feel more like dependence than support. Whatever your concerns, you don’t have to navigate them alone.
In my practice, I use a harm-reduction approach to help you assess your relationship with cannabis. This isn’t about judgment or forcing abstinence—it’s about working together to understand how cannabis impacts your life and finding ways to maximize its benefits while minimizing potential harm.
We’ll start by exploring your current use: What role does cannabis play in your daily life? How does it help you? Are there times when it might be getting in the way of your goals? From there, we’ll create a personalized plan tailored to your needs, whether that’s adjusting your consumption, setting boundaries, or even exploring alternative coping strategies.
This approach ensures that your choices are respected and your mental health remains the priority. Whether you’re seeking greater control, more clarity, or just a deeper understanding of your habits, harm-reduction therapy offers a path forward that’s empowering and stigma-free. Together, we’ll build a relationship with cannabis that supports your growth and well-being.
Client Testimonials (All names have been changed to protect client privacy.)
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“I never thought I could talk openly about my cannabis use with a therapist. Lynee’s nonjudgmental approach made me feel understood for the first time. Together, we worked on setting boundaries with my use, and I feel more in control of my mental health than ever.”
-Billy, 26
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“Cannabis helped me through some of the hardest periods of my life, but I didn’t realize I had started relying on it too much. Lynee’s harm-reduction strategies were a game-changer. Now, I feel like I’m using it intentionally, and it’s truly enhancing my well-being.”
-Shannon, 33
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“I was nervous to bring up my cannabis use in therapy, but Lynee created such a safe space. She helped me understand how it fits into my life and even how it connects to some of my bigger goals. I feel so much more confident in who I am.”
-Monica, 21
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“Our family was struggling with communication, and cannabis use had become a sensitive topic. Lynee helped us have honest conversations about it in a way that felt safe and productive. She gave us tools to respect each other’s boundaries while addressing the root of our conflicts. We’re in such a better place now, and we couldn’t have done it without her.”
-Randal, 51
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“Cannabis had always been a part of my life, but it caused tension in our marriage because my partner didn’t understand how it helped me manage stress. Lynee helped us bridge that gap. She created a space where we could listen to each other without judgment and work through our frustrations. Now, we have a deeper understanding of each other, and our relationship feels stronger than ever.”
-Trevor, 40
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“We came to Lynee for couples therapy because cannabis use was a point of tension in our relationship. One of us found it helpful for managing anxiety, but the other worried it was becoming a crutch. Lynee helped us navigate those feelings with empathy and gave us practical tools to find balance. She respected both of our perspectives and now we feel more connected and aligned in how we approach our challenges.”
-A and S, together for 6 years
Not ready to commit to scheduling an appointment just yet? That’s ok!
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At Liz Davis Therapy, being cannabis-friendly means providing a safe and nonjudgmental space to discuss how cannabis fits into your life. We explore its impact on your mental health openly, recognizing it as a potential tool for healing or an area for reflection, without resorting to stereotypes or stigma.
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Cannabis can have both positive and negative effects on mental health, depending on how it’s used. It may help alleviate anxiety, depression, or chronic pain for some, while others may find it interferes with their emotions, cognition, or relationships. Therapy can help you understand these dynamics and find the right balance for your well-being.
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Absolutely! Therapy is a space for honesty and growth. At Liz Davis Therapy, you’re encouraged to discuss cannabis use openly, without fear of judgment or assumptions. Together, we’ll explore its role in your life and how it aligns with your goals.
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Many individuals use cannabis to help manage symptoms of anxiety, depression, or PTSD. It can provide relief from overwhelming emotions, enhance focus, or promote relaxation. In therapy, we’ll discuss how cannabis is impacting you and whether it’s serving your mental health goals.
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Harm reduction focuses on maximizing the benefits of cannabis while minimizing its risks. This might include setting boundaries around use, exploring alternatives, or identifying patterns that may not support your overall mental health. Therapy is a collaborative process to help you make informed choices.
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Absolutely. If you’re concerned about dependency, therapy provides a space to explore your relationship with cannabis. Together, we’ll assess your goals, identify challenges, and create strategies to help you regain balance and control.
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In therapy, we’ll look at how cannabis affects your emotions, relationships, and daily functioning. By examining patterns of use, we can determine if it’s a helpful tool or if adjustments could improve your mental health and overall quality of life.
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Nope! Therapy is not about imposing judgments or forcing abstinence. My role is to meet you where you are and work with you to understand how cannabis fits into your mental health journey. The goal is to align your choices with your personal growth and well-being.
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A typical session focuses on you—your thoughts, feelings, and goals. If cannabis plays a role in your life, we’ll explore it as part of your broader mental health story. Sessions are always collaborative, supportive, and tailored to your unique needs.
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Working with a cannabis-friendly therapist ensures you’ll be met with understanding, not judgment. It allows for open conversations about a topic often stigmatized, creating a space where you can be honest about all aspects of your mental health and work toward meaningful growth.