GENDER AFFIRMING THERAPY
Explore the abundant possibilities around your gender identity, expression, and presentation in a compassionate therapeutic setting.
AFFIRMATION IS THE BASELINE
I provide compassionate, inclusive therapy to people exploring various aspects of their gender identities. This goes beyond simply affirming your gender, which is the minimum guarantee in my practice. I’m here to center your trans, non-binary, or otherwise gender non-confirming experience.
Is This You?
you’ve started to question your gender identity experience and you WANT TO EXPLORE…
Early messages about gender socialization (expectations and roles you were taught to play)
Terms and pronouns that reflect your experience
Decisions for social and/or medical transition
Internalized fear of being trans or non-binary
Cultural expectations that might not include, or directly reject, being trans or non-binary
Changes that might occur in existing relationships as a result of gender exploration
Coming out (or not)
Locating pleasure (of all kinds) in your body
Advocating for yourself in your relationships, communities, work, and school settings
Sexual practices that feel right for you, including before and after medical care
How to move through the world with the parts of you that were socialized one way, while wanting to try on qualities that are more aligned with your current gender
Navigating social interactions where your gender may or may not be accurately perceived by others
“Continue to write, speak, exist, live. Not just to show the world that we’re here. But to show one another that we are. That gender non-conforming life is possible. And beautiful.”
Alok Vaid-Menon
How I Can Help
I have nearly a decade of experience working with trans, non-binary, and gender questioning people of varying ages and multicultural backgrounds.
With relational psychodynamic therapy, we explore how we connect with each other. There might be thoughts and feelings that come up between us that are unique to being two people talking openly about gender in this sociocultural context. For instance, some clients have never talked to a trans provider before who understands what they’re saying without having to explain the language. Therapy can be a reliable space where fear, ambivalence, excitement, and curiosity about being trans is shared and acknowledged.
With somatic therapy, I support you with connecting to your body through focusing on sensations and following them to their associated emotions, images, or ideas. For some people exploring their gender, they might have disconnected from parts of their body that give them dysphoria. We can explore the body in a safe, consensual manner and use language that respects your gender.
With Internal Family Systems (IFS), I help you explore parts of you that have certain thoughts, feelings, and ideas about gender. We can have parts that feel masculine, feminine, and in-between, both, or neither. We can have parts that want to change quickly, and parts that need to move slower. We can have parts excited to explore gender, and parts that feel scared to dig deeper.
With any of these approaches, we make space for and celebrate who you are, exactly as you are. I can’t wait to see how you’ll shine in your truth.
T4T THERAPY
I feel passionate about working with trans and non-binary people who have been deeply harmed by the medical industrial complex and the current political administration’s attacks on trans rights. While I do not assume the role of expert simply by virtue of being a trans therapist who works with trans clients, I understand how helpful it can be to work with someone who knows and appreciates fundamental challenges faced by trans individuals and their loved ones.
somatic healing FOR GENDER AFFIRMING surgery
For trans and non-binary folks who are about to go through a gender affirming surgery or have already done so, somatic therapy can help with reconnecting to your body after surgery. Surgery can be validating and life-saving for many people wanting to align their physical bodies with their inner worlds. During this process, the body might need extra support with integrating medically-induced changes. Somatic therapy can be especially helpful for trans and non-binary folks who experience numbness, nerve pain, or dissociation around their body pre- or post-surgery.
start here
Book a free 25-minute video consultation call by filling out the form. I will get back to you within 2-3 working days.