Gender Health Counseling
Welcome to my gender health practice!
I am a mental health therapist that has extensive training and experience in working with transgender, non-binary, gender-expansive, and gender-non-conforming adolescents and adults. Most of my clinical training has been focused on promoting the health and wellness of the LGBTQ communities and reducing health disparities. In the past, I have worked in a large integrated healthcare system, within a gender specialty clinic as a pediatric specialist. In this milieu, I have worked cross-disciplinary with a wide range of providers, including nurses, endocrinologists, OBGYN, adolescent, and family medicine, as well as with a team of surgeons. I have also supported adults through hormone and surgical consultations and referrals, as well as facilitated support groups.
Navigating gender identity and exploration can be challenging for trans and gender-expansive youth and their families. I strive to create a safe therapeutic space where patients can feel validated and supported in their multiple identities and discover their authentic gender selves.
I am WPATH GEI SO8 Certified Member
I have experience in:
Gender consultations and both short-term and long-term therapy with youth and their families regarding gender exploration, social transition, medical transition, and collaboration with schools and other healthcare providers.
Gender consultations using WPATH Standards of Care regarding gender-affirming hormones and surgeries, including risks, benefits, and possible complications.
Co-facilitated weekly support group for transgender and gender-expansive youth, as well as adult transgender patients.
Patient education classes for patients and their families, around recovering from gender-affirming surgeries.
Please click below to reach out if you would like to set up a complimentary 15-minute consultation call.
Past training and presentations I have given include:
2017 - La Clinica de la Raza, Oakland, CA - Intro to Gender Affirming Care
2018 - World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Annual Conference, Buenos Aires, Argentina - Interdisciplinary Education and Support: A Patient-Centered Approach
2019 - Kaiser Pediatric Gender Therapist Trainings - Medical Intervention Basics with Trans & GE Youth (Day 1) Conducting Interviews/Assessments for Gender-Affirming Care (Day 2)
2019 - UCSF Transgender Health Summit Pre-Conference, Oakland, CA - Youth Mental Health Track: Children & Adolescent Foundations, Clinical Applications & Assessment and Letter Writing from an Integrated Perspective
2019 - UCSF Transgender Health Summit, Oakland, CA - Decolonizing Mental Health: Centering Trans Voices in Leadership
2019 - Northern CA Kaiser Permanente - Pediatric Gender Assessment Training for Residents
2019 - UCSF - Pediatric Gender Care: Discussing Puberty Blockers and Gender Affirming Hormone Care in a Mental Health Setting
2019 - La Clinica de la Raza, Oakland, CA - Gender Affirming Mental Health and Letter Writing Training
2019 - Kaiser Permanente KP Northern California LGBTQ Health Speaker Series 2019 Webinar
2019 - United States Professional Association for Transgender Health (USPATH), Washington D.C. - Centering Accessibility: The Gender Affirming Letter Access Project (GALAP)
2019 - USPATH , Washington D.C. - Decolonizing Gender Health: Centering Trans Voices in Leadership
2019 - Rainbow Community Center, Concord, CA - Gender-Affirming Mental Health Care
2020 - Women’s Therapy Center, Berkeley, CA - 3 Part Series on Gender Affirming Mental Health Care for TNBGNC Youth
2020 - Gender Spectrum Professional Symposium Conference, St. Mary’s in Moraga, CA - Adolescent Surgery in a Multidisciplinary Setting
2020 - Wright Institute, Berkeley, CA - Gender-Affirming Mental Health Care
2023 - UCSF Transgender Health Summit, San Francisco, CA - Keynote Speaker at Plenary Session on Youth
2023 - Understanding Minority Stress of Trans and Non-Binary Youth, and Developing Gender Resiliency - TransFamily Alliance Webinar