Abi Weissman (she & they)

I look at power and privilege in the therapeutic context. I look at my white privilege and work hard to unpack my racism and fight against injustice in and out of the therapy context.

I have a specialty in working with queer and trans people. I have a special appreciation for working with intersex people. I help people who wish they could be their full queer, transgender, religious, liberal, polyamorous, and/or kink selves but hold themselves back because they are scared they will be unloved, unemployed, and rejected by their loved ones and communities. Why? I encourage them to share their deepest wishes so that they can learn to be happy being themselves. I know from my own path to wellness and years of working with LGBTQIQA clients that it is possible to survive the fear of others’ judgment, hurt, and disappointment to live your true self.

I write letters to support trans people in getting medical interventions that are sorely needed. I also help clients figure out their identities, relationships, and more through depressive and anxious symptoms so that they can lead happier and healthier lives.

In the room with a client, I am acutely aware of the ways in which the client (and myself) are impacted by the world outside of us. I am a collaborate therapist, meaning that I believe that while I hold expertise in psychology, that my client holds expertise in themselves and in their own experience. I honor my client's experience and story(ies) about themselves and how they are in the world. I am comfortable talking and thinking about the identities closest to people including race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, relationship status, role, occupation, size, documentation status, age, and ability. I am always thinking of the ways that people identify and how these identities impact them and I don't shy away from difficult topics if the client finds it worthy of discussion and contemplation, then I am happy to spend the time focusing on what topic(s) are most important to them.

I support people with ADHD, all types learn to have compassion for themselves. I find that there is a lot of overlap in the queer and trans communities with ADHD and neurodiversity in general and I find that I am especially attuned to working with these populations. My offices each have fidgets and toys to help client's focus and I'm skilled at following trains of thought that loop around without much context.

I have my Mental Health Practitioner - 500 hour (MHP-500)Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy certificate. As a Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapist, I am a facilitator to help to support the client in best connecting to their inner wisdom. I am also continuing to work towards international yoga therapy certification.

I work towards being an anti-racist therapist and person. In the session, it is not unusual to talk about how cultural and systematic oppression, including how they come into the session and into the world of the client. I am actively researching and learning about intersectional identities, power, and privilege.