Andy Kuhlmann, MA

About

Therapy is a place to make sense of our circumstances, our thoughts and our emotions. I help my clients tune into what’s happening inside themselves. My approach to therapy combines mindfulness, person-centered humanistic and existential theory, somatic and Internal Family Systems approaches. A lot of my work as a clinician is informed by my years of experience as a sex educator and my academic background in gender, sexuality and cultural studies. I often use humor and metaphors to help my clients frame new ideas, and I’ve been told by my clients that I “act like an actual person” during sessions (which seems to me like a really good, important thing for all therapists to do!)

Many of my clients come to therapy to address concerns around gender identity, sexual orientation, the body, relationships and physical intimacy. These are areas where it’s all too common to feel anxious, stuck or lost, and where so many of us would like to find more clarity and freedom. I help my clients get to know themselves better, so that they can recognize and trust their own strengths, and act in alignment with their core values.

My own values as a therapist are informed in part by my lived experiences as a queer, trans and neurodivergent person. I work from a trauma-informed perspective that centers client consent and autonomy. That means I partner with my clients to determine the course of our work; I explain what I’m doing and I’m always happy to answer questions with transparency. I have a background in fat liberation activism, and I work from a place of body neutrality — there’s no wrong way to have a body. I think therapy can be a powerful space to combat oppression and contribute to the healing of intergenerational wounds.

I provide therapy for adults and adolescents ages 15 and older, and have experience working with neurodivergence, chronic pain and illness, depression, childhood and family of origin trauma, grief and loss and substance use. I specialize in working with anxiety and supporting clients in gender and sexuality exploration and gender affirming transition.

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