Youth and Young Adults

Individual Therapy for Youth and Young Adults

Perhaps it’s no surprise that research tells us queer and trans youth do best when supported by accepting and affirming adults, and when connected meaningfully with like-identified peers.  Of course we know that not all queer and trans youth actually have these in everyday life, even when living in liberal or progressive places like Seattle.  And even when these are present, being queer or trans can present unique challenges for all of us trying to find our way in the world.

As a queer provider, I am here to support you and potentially be one source of connectedness to the queer community at large.  My clients often work with me because, as another queer person, I more or less get it when we’re talking about queer things – you’re not going to have to explain to me why your pronouns matter to you, or what the letters mean in LGBTQIA2S+.  And we all need spaces where we can be deeply understood without having to educate others about our identities. But I also won’t assume that just because I’m also queer that I know exactly what your specific experiences are like, or what matters to you most.

This is where you come in.  Generally, the client is responsible for bringing the “what” to therapy: something that has happened you want to unpack, something you’re feeling and want some support around, or just something you’re thinking about and want to discuss.  I’ll bring the “how” to our sessions: strategies to unpack those topics in a way that might help us learn about you and your mental health, and maybe build some strategies for feeling better.

For parents:

I do individual therapy with youth ages 13 and up, and am happy to incorporate parents or other adults into sessions as much or as little as the young person wants, as long as all the basics are taken care of (safety, scheduling, billing).  If it seems like family therapy is what’s needed most, or that as the parent you could use some of your own support, I am happy to help with referrals.