LGBTQIA+ Affirming Therapy in New York
You deserve therapy where your gender, sexuality, relationships, and sense of self are met with genuine respect from the beginning.
At Peace Love Wellness, LGBTQIA+ clients are met with affirming, knowledgeable care — no need to explain the basics, brace for judgment, or wonder whether it's safe to be fully yourself.
Care That Already Makes Room for Who You Are
Plenty of LGBTQIA+ people have sat in a therapy room managing the therapist's comfort instead of getting support — explaining terms, softening their life, or quietly deciding which parts to leave out.
That's not the care you came for.
Here, your gender, sexuality, and relationships are met with understanding and respect, not curiosity at your expense. We start from there, so you can use your energy on what actually brought you in.
What We Help With
LGBTQIA+ people come to therapy for every reason anyone does — and sometimes for experiences that are specific to living as a queer or trans person. We support both, including:
- anxiety, depression, trauma, and the everyday things that bring anyone to therapy
- the wear of minority stress — vigilance, rejection, never quite being able to relax
- coming out, or living in different levels of outness across your life
- exploring or settling into your gender or sexuality, at any age
- family rejection, religious harm, or grief over relationships that changed
- internalized shame or stigma that's hard to shake even when you know better
- queer and trans relationships, dating, and chosen family
Gender-Affirming Care
We provide gender-affirming therapy for trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people — and for anyone questioning or exploring.
That means we take your understanding of your own gender as the starting point, not something to be tested. We can support you through exploration, social or medical transition, the relationships and logistics around it, and the ordinary life that keeps happening alongside it.
If you need letters or coordination for gender-affirming care, reach out and we can talk with you about what we're able to provide and what kind of support may be needed.
Your Identity Is Not the Problem
We'll never treat being queer, trans, or nonbinary as the thing to fix.
If you're struggling, it's not because of who you are. More often, it's the weight of moving through a world that isn't always built for you. Our care is here to help you carry that with more support and more steadiness — and to feel more at home in yourself, not less.
Finding an LGBTQIA+-Affirming Therapist Who Gets It
When you reach out, you can tell us that working with an affirming, knowledgeable therapist matters to you, and if shared lived experience matters, you can tell us that too. We'll factor it into your match and connect you with a clinician who's genuinely affirming of and experienced with LGBTQIA+ care, so you can begin without a learning curve you have to manage for them.
Questions About LGBTQIA+ Affirming Therapy
Are your therapists actually affirming, or just LGBTQ-friendly?
Affirming and knowledgeable. Every clinician at Peace Love Wellness works with LGBTQIA+ clients, and Ryn Cagle, LMHC, centers their practice on queer, trans, and nonbinary care. Our practice starts from genuine respect for your identity — not tolerance of it.
Can I work with a therapist who shares part of my identity?
You can tell us if that matters to you, and we'll factor it into your match. We can't always guarantee a specific match — it depends on availability and insurance — but we'll be honest about what's possible.
Do you provide gender-affirming care and letters?
We provide gender-affirming therapy, and we can talk with you about letters or coordination for gender-affirming care as part of your care. Reach out and we'll tell you how we can help.
Do you take insurance?
We are in-network with Aetna, Anthem / Empire BlueCross (including Excellus, Highmark, and out-of-state BlueCard plans), Carelon, Cigna, EmblemHealth, MagnaCare, Meritain, and NYSHIP / The Empire Plan. Copays and other out-of-pocket costs vary by insurance and plan. Participation also varies by clinician; we confirm your coverage and cost before your first session.
Who You Could Work With
Ryn Cagle, LMHC
Centers their practice on queer, trans, and gender-diverse adults.
Currently accepting new clients
Zaire Smalls, MHC-LP
Affirming care for LGBTQIA+ teens ages 16+ and adults, with attention to culture, family, and community.
Currently accepting new clients
Karen Garcia, MHC-LP
Affirming care for LGBTQIA+ teens ages 16+, adults, couples, and families, in English or Spanish.
Currently accepting new clients
Cameron Eshgh, LMHC-D
Identity-affirming relational therapy for LGBTQIA+ adults and couples.
Currently full — accepting waitlist requests
Michelle Batista, MHC-LP
Affirming care for LGBTQIA+ adults, in English or Spanish.
Currently full — accepting waitlist requests
Sessions are online for clients located in New York. We review clinical fit, insurance, and current openings before you begin. Insurance & Fees · Get Started
You deserve a therapist you don't have to come out to over and over.
If you're looking for genuinely affirming care, we'd be glad to help you find the right fit.