he/him California John Sovec, MA, LMFT is a nationally recognized expert on creating affirmative support for the LGBTQIA+ community. He is the clinical consultant for The Life Group LA, adjunct faculty at Phillips Graduate Institute and guest lecturer at Alliant University, Antioch, Cal State Fullerton, and USC School of Social Work. In December 2019, he was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. John is the author of Out: A Parent’s Guide to Supporting Their LGBTQIA+ Kid Through Coming Out and Beyond (JKP 2023). He is a frequent contributor to numerous publications on providing LGBTQ support, speaks at conferences nationally, and provides training and professional consultation on LGBTQIA+ competencies for community agencies, schools, and non-profits. In addition, he consults and trains on the corporate level regarding diversity, equity, and LGBTQIA+ inclusion. John is a nationally recognized expert on creating affirmative LGBTQIA+ support with his work featured on ABC, NBC, CBS, OWN, FOX, NPR, Bravo, The Riki Lake Show, The Washington Post , Newsweek, Reader Digest, The Advocate, LA Talk Radio, and columns for Huffington Post, Medium, and Good Therapy.