LGBTQ Counseling & Transgender Care in Philadelphia, PA
You can't shake the nagging feeling that you’re not living a life that feels like yours.
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When you look in the mirror, it feels like you’re staring at a stranger. Certain clothes feel awkward, and you always feel restless and on edge. You try to go about your day but you feel like you’re going through the motions. Something just feels off.
You’re at your friend’s wedding, wishing you could just enjoy yourself. But instead you’re hyper-aware of how you look and you feel like you don’t belong.
You just want to disappear.
Sometimes you fantasize about being a different gender, and it’s the one thing that gets you through the day. However, the 1 am internet deep-dives about whether you’re trans leave you feeling confused and scared.
You want to talk it out with someone, but you’re afraid to take the first step because that will make it more real.
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Maybe you’re a millennial or Gen X, who grew up with limited awareness and language around queerness. You only knew of two options: gay or straight, and neither label really felt right to you.
So you stuffed the feelings down, thinking that everyone fantasizes about kissing their friends sometimes.
Now you’re on Instagram and Tik-Tok reading about Comp Het, pansexuality, and gender fluidity. It’s starting to click, but it feels like you have a lot to lose. What if your straight spouse freaks out, and your religious family disowns you?
You thought you had a vision for your future, but it’s been flipped upside down.
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You’ve sent the email to your family, you’ve had the Zoom call with your friends, and now you’re about to come out to your boss at work.
Your heart is racing and while you’re on the other side of some of these conversations, you still can’t fully relax. Because coming out is an ongoing process, and you’re always bracing yourself for how the other person will react, even with your progressive friends.
Maybe you’ve flown under the radar but now you’re in a visibly queer relationship. You want to introduce your new partner to your family, but you’re scared because they don’t know you're queer and you’re not sure how they'll react.
Perhaps you’re exploring options around HRT and gender-affirming surgery, and you’re looking to talk it out with someone.
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Whether you’re navigating dating apps, ethical non-monogamy, or a long-term relationship, queer dating hits a little different.
Maybe you are trans and you’re realizing you’re attracted to more than one gender. You’re excited, but also nervous because you’ve just re-entered the dating scene since you’ve transitioned. Or maybe you’ve been dating for awhile, but you’re tired of trying to weed out the people who only see you as a fetish.
Perhaps you’re seeking a sapphic relationship, and you’re struggling with knowing how to flirt with women and show them you’re interested.
Or, maybe you’re poly, and google calendars have become your best friend. You’re juggling time with your nesting partner, date night with your long-distant partner, and Back-to-School Night.
Maybe you…
Maybe you’re dealing with…
Fantasizing about being with someone of the same gender, even though you’ve identified as straight up until now.
Being misgendered by friends and coworkers while feeling burdened with having to reassure them when they overly apologize.
Family members calling you by your old name and rolling their eyes when you try to correct their pronouns.
Strangers commenting on your body and feeling terrified to use the public bathroom because you don’t know how people will react.
Wishing you had more queer and trans friends, but you feel too shy and awkward to meet people.
Trying to date as a queer and trans person and grappling with feelings of not being good enough.
My Approach to Lgbtq therapy
Your struggles aren’t personal failings—they are normal reactions to living in an unjust world.
I believe our identities and lived experiences impact the relationship we build in therapy. My goal is to create a space where you can talk openly about what’s working, what’s not, and any concerns that come up along the way.
As a white, cisgender queer woman, I’ll never fully know what it’s like to walk in your shoes. However, I am committed to creating the safest place possible where you can be vulnerable and do deep, meaningful work in therapy. I’d love to walk alongside of you in your journey.
In our work together, we’ll call out the systems that put certain bodies and identities above other. We’ll explore how these societal pressures have impacted how you see yourself and move through the world.
Therapy can help you understand why you feel stuck, and give you the tools to know how to change it. We’ll uncover what’s been holding you back so you can feel more confident in who you are and have more fulfilling relationships.
Together, we’ll help you let go of the shame that you’ve carried, so you can reconnect with who you really are.
Therapy Services
I offer specialized, experiential approaches that support queer and gender affirming care.
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IFS is a compassion-based model that can help you understand the different parts of your inner world that may hold conflicting feelings around your identity. IFS can help you name and heal the parts that come from internalized homophobia and transphobia.
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Art therapy helps you process feelings in ways beyond words. The creative process can help you understand yourself in a deeper way and unlock new aspects of your identity. Art therapy is flexible and expansive, making it queer affirming at its core.
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Psychodynamic Therapy explores how early relationships and cultural messages about gender shape current patterns. Understanding these influences creates opportunities for profound healing and change in your relationship with yourself.
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ERP is an evidenced-based approach for OCD. It offers structured support for OCD symptoms related to gender identity or body image. ERP is a collaborative process that helps you face your fears and break the cycle of compulsions.
Therapy for Queer and Transgender Teens
Are you a teen who just came out as queer, and are looking for a safe space to process your feelings? Or maybe you’re already out, and you want to talk through friend drama and school stress? Maybe you’re a parent whose teen just came out as trans and wants to start transitioning. Understandably, you have a lot of questions and even some fears. That’s okay!
My approach to teen therapy is holistic. That means I view therapy as a collaborative process between myself, you, and your teen. You know your kid best, and I truly believe that caregivers are the real agents of change.
Teen therapy will include sessions with just your teen and sometimes sessions with the caregivers, when needed. We use talking, creative approaches, and practical strategies for advocating at school, navigating extended family reactions, and supporting your child through potential social transition.
Wherever your teen is on their journey, I’d love to support both of you. You don’t have to navigate this alone.
LGBTQ-Affirming Eating Disorder Therapy in Philadelphia
Are you tired of counting calories and checking the scale? Maybe you want to stop tracking your food, but you’re afraid of gaining weight. Maybe you want to change your body to feel more aligned in your gender, but the mental load is becoming too much.
I understand that traditional recovery narratives don’t land for queer and trans folks. My approach to eating disorder therapy is nuanced and collaborative, where you define what recovery means to you.
There is a path forward, and it doesn’t have to be perfect. There is space for all of your conflicting feelings, wants, and fears. I’d love to help you find more peace with food and confidence in who you are.
Support for Transitioning Partners
As a therapist with a trans spouse, I understand the joys and challenges of being in a relationship with a trans partner. Maybe your spouse just came out as trans, and you’re looking for support. You’re not sure what this means for your relationship, sex life, or your identity. It can mean going from presenting as a straight-passing relationship to a visibly queer couple. Or maybe you’re worried that your partners transition will erase your queerness.
Perhaps you need space to process whether you want stay in the relationship, or have already decided to separate, and need your own support.
Therapy can help you make sense of your feelings and cope with the uncertainty of this journey.
LGBTQ-Affirming therapy can help you…
Find Your People
Therapy helps you strengthen the connections you already have, while helping you build new friendships in queer spaces.
Discover Your True Self
You’ll identify and connect with your values, goals, passions, and the relationships that truly matter.
Learn Self-Compassion
Therapy helps you look at every side of yourself with kindness, not criticism. Even the parts buried in shame and guilt.
Advocate For Your Needs
Learn how to set boundaries and protect your well-being when dealing with invasive questions, misgendering and navigating cis-het spaces.
Reduce self-blame
The beliefs you inherited from oppressive systems aren’t yours to carry. It’s time to start directing your anger where it belongs—at the systems that caused the harm, not you.
Celebrate Queer Joy
Find ways to notice small moments of gratitude and what brings you happiness, even in a cis-het world. Learn how to carve out time for pleasure, fun and rest.
You don't have to keep feeling ashamed of who you are.
Together, let’s build the confidence to live the life you truly want.
Questions?
FAQs
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Starting therapy begins with a free 20-minute phone consultation where we discuss what brings you to seek support and whether my approach aligns with your needs.
There's no pressure - finding the right therapist who understands transgender health is crucial for effective therapy.
If we decide to work together, you'll complete intake paperwork through a secure client portal.
Our first session focuses on understanding your goals, exploring your history with gender identity and any co-occurring concerns like eating disorders, and discussing how therapy can support your journey.
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I typically meet with clients weekly for one-hour sessions at a consistent day and time. Some benefit from meeting more frequently or for extended 90-minute sessions, particularly when doing intensive work around gender dysphoria or eating disorders.
Between sessions, I may provide journal prompts to deepen self-exploration. For those working with OCD through ERP, there will be specific homework to practice skills and track progress.
Sometimes goals/needs change in therapy, or you might realize that something is missing in sessions. I always center your needs in treatment and encourage feedback on what’s working for you and what’s not working
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I get it, starting therapy is a huge leap! Here are some things to consider:
You’re looking to explore your gender and feel ready to talk about it.
You’re considering HRT or gender affirming surgery and need support in how to take those next steps
You’re looking for a gender affirming letter.
You’re looking for a social justice, anti-oppressive approach to therapy.
You’re interested in trying non-traditional approaches to counseling (in addition to talk therapy).
You’re looking to do deeper work to understand yourself better.
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You can schedule a consultation by booking online.
We’ll start with a quick, free 20-minute phone chat to talk about what’s been coming up for you and what kind of support you’re looking for. There’s no pressure — it’s just a chance for us to connect and see if working together feels like a good fit. You deserve a therapist who really gets your experience and makes space for all of who you are.
After the phone call, if it’s a good fit, we can schedule that first appointment. You will receive an email to set up your client portal and complete the intake paperwork online. Once all of the forms are completed, your appointment will be confirmed.
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Yes. Supporting transgender and non-binary individuals is one of my primary specialties. I have training in both eating disorder treatment and gender-affirming care, and I understand how closely gender identity and body image can be connected. My goal is to provide a space where your identity is affirmed and your full experience is understood.
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Many traditional approaches focus solely on food behaviors or body image without considering gender dysphoria. For transgender and non-binary individuals, body distress may not simply be about weight or appearance — it may be deeply connected to gender identity. When that piece is ignored, treatment can feel invalidating or incomplete.
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For some people, disordered eating becomes a way to cope with or attempt to change body characteristics that feel misaligned with their gender identity. Restricting, bingeing, purging, or over-exercising can sometimes be connected to a desire to suppress or reshape the body. In our work together, we gently explore how dysphoria and eating behaviors may be intertwined — without shame or judgment.
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I draw from Art Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and psychodynamic therapy. These approaches allow us to explore complex emotions from multiple angles — cognitively, emotionally, and creatively.
Art Therapy can be especially powerful when feelings about body or gender feel too overwhelming or difficult to put into words. Sometimes creating images helps us access and process what language alone cannot.
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Queer and transgender individuals are at higher risk for trauma due to possibly facing discrimination, rejection, and healthcare systems that aren’t affirming. The stress of having to navigate a world that is increasingly hostile to LGBTQ people can take a toll on your mental health and well-being.
Learn more about trauma therapy for LGBTQ individuals in Philadelphia.
Creating Your Path Forward
Living authentically as your true self is possible, even when facing societal challenges. Through our work together, you can develop more self-confidence, improve your relationship with your body, and build hope for your future. My role is to provide consistent, compassionate support while you navigate your journey towards self-discovery.
Recovery from eating disorders, healing from trauma, and embracing your gender identity aren't linear processes. There will be challenges along the way. What matters is having steady support from someone who understands the unique experiences of transgender and non-binary individuals.