Catherine Sikelianos-Carter

As a queer and gender-affirming therapist, I work primarily with trans and queer individuals who are navigating what it means to live fully and authentically in a world that does not always make space for them. I was raised within the queer community and have spent my life as an active ally and advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights. This isn’t just an area of professional interest for me, it is personal, lived, and deeply rooted.

My clinical work is grounded in a social justice-oriented, trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming, and trans-allied framework. I understand that many of the struggles my clients face are not individual deficits, but natural responses to systemic stress, marginalization, and minority stress. Therapy with me is not about “fixing” who you are, it is about creating space to understand yourself more fully, build resilience, and move toward the life you want.

Clients often come to me carrying imposter syndrome, exhaustion, anxiety, trauma histories, or the weight of living in environments that have required them to shrink or mask parts of themselves. I specialize in supporting social and medical transitions, exploring identity, and working through the layered emotional realities of belonging to a marginalized community.

I also bring decades of experience teaching, mentoring, and facilitating programs for youth from diverse backgrounds. When working with younger trans and non-binary clients, I collaborate closely with parents and caregivers as needed to help build affirming, informed support systems.

My therapeutic approach is collaborative and tailored. I draw from a range of modalities based on each client’s needs and goals. As a creative arts therapist, I often incorporate play and art-making into sessions, particularly when experiences feel difficult to access through words alone. Creative processes can offer insight into unconscious material and open pathways for expression that feel safer and more expansive.

At the core of my work are authenticity, dignity, and respect. I aim to offer a space where clients feel seen without having to explain themselves, challenged without being judged, and supported in building a life that feels aligned with who they truly are.