Allison Berwald, LCSW
Allison Berwald, LCSW

***I am currently only offering telehealth sessions for clients in NY, NJ and WA***

Welcome

Heal and move forward with the right therapist in a nurturing setting.

To get the most out of therapy, it is important to find a professional that is skilled in creating a safe, affirming therapeutic environment.  I am trained to treat people of all intersecting identities with a broad range of socioemotional issues to find their way in life. To help my clients work through impasses and uncover deep personal truths, I position myself as an accepting and empathetic guide to promote healing, help people evolve towards a more stable life and, ultimately, attain fulfillment on their terms.

Live your authentic life in your true identity.

It has been my mission over the course of my career to center and uplift historically oppressed and marginalized individuals as a psychotherapist and advocate.  I specialize in issues commonly experienced within the LGBTQIA+ community and am experienced in working with people of all walks of life, including BIPOC of varying cultural and religious backgrounds, immigrants/children of immigrants, folks living with disabilities and chronic illness, and people of all socioeconomic realities.  I provide a supportive setting for clients of all identities to share what brought them to therapy, explore the ways their lived experience have shaped who they are today, understand how historical experiences of trauma and oppression across generations impacts how one exists in the world currently, and clarify where they are going in the future. Our process seeks to reveal the most authentic self possible, leading to more clarity and happiness.

You are the expert of your own experience.

I offer a collaborative therapeutic environment to develop a comprehensive understanding of the situations and challenges that individuals from all walks of life face. Each person is the expert of their own experience shaped by specific social realities.  It is my goal to make people feel heard, gain insight and increase self-understanding.  I am here to actively listen, advocate and guide you to a better life.  

Areas of specialty include:

  • Sexuality, including exploration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer identities; kink/BDSM; consensual non-monogamy

  • Gender identity exploration, expression, and transition; support to access gender-affirming resources; surgery letters (inquire directly about pro-bono letters for gender-affirming medical care!)

  • Work with partners and family members of gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, trans and gender non-conforming individuals, young adults, and youth

  • Trauma - past and present

  • Race/cultural issues - experiences of social injustice and discrimination on the basis of race/ethnicity/religion/culture, intergenerational trauma, immigration issues, internalized racism, internalized white supremacy/healing from whiteness

  • Difficulties with interpersonal relationships -forming and maintaining friendships, boundary setting, social isolation, trust issues, social anxiety, communication skills, emotional vulnerability  

  • Family issues - chronic conflict, communication issues, estrangement, divorce, separation, adoption/foster care, blended family adjustments

  • Intimate partner issues - queer and heterosexual relationships, physical/emotional intimacy, unhealthy relationship dynamics, navigating sex life, communicating needs and desires

  • Emotional attunement and connectedness to self and others 

  • Identifying and implementing appropriate interpersonal boundaries

  • Dealing with feelings of anxiety, stress, and depression

  • Challenges related to experiences of trauma and acute stress

  • Coping with life transitions - entering adulthood, adjusting to independent living, career changes, retirement, ageing, becoming a parent/caregiver

  • Thinking through a problem, or making a difficult life decision

  • Bereavement and loss

  • Employment and career challenges

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