Working With the LGBTQIA+ Community

Purpose and Population

I’m Edward Yaeger, a licensed clinical psychotherapist, and I identify as Queer. My work with the LGBTQIA+ community grows out of both lived experience and years of professional engagement. I completed my supervised clinical training at Fresh Path NY, a queer-affirming, intersectional practice based in New York City, and I have long been involved in major discussions, advocacies, and policies around identity, sexuality, and mental health.

Alongside my clinical work, I’ve written op-eds for HuffPost, The Advocate, and Outsports on issues affecting Queer folx; lectured at universities on sex and sexuality; and participated in panel discussions at major professional associations about workplace safety and protections of Queer employees.

In my clinical practice, I work with adults across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum who are navigating the intersections of identity, sexuality,  relationships, emotional wellbeing, and major life changes. Clients often seek support around identity development, coming-out challenges or disclosure concerns, sexual health, minority stress, shame, trauma (developmental, relational, and/or identity-based), and experiences of transition or reinvention.

My approach is trauma-informed, affirming, and grounded in contemporary research and clinical feedback – all deeply attuned to the lived experiences of each and every Queer individual with whom I collaborate.

Why Specialized LGBTQIA+-Affirmative Therapy Matters

For many Queer clients, therapy is not simply about treating symptoms; it is about reclaiming self-definition, interrupting and replacing old narratives, expanding identity, and creating space for expression and belonging. LGBTQIA+-affirming therapy acknowledges:

• Minority stress and internalized stigma, past and present

• Family-of-origin dynamics, including estrangement, partial acceptance, or conditional love

• Complex relational ecosystems, including heteronormativity, mixed-orientation partnerships, polyamory, kink/BDSM frameworks, sex positivity, queerplatonic bonds, and chosen-family structures

• Sexual identity development, authenticity in intimacy, and shame deconstruction

• Gender exploration and transition, including social, medical, relational, and professional implications

• Creative, professional, and public-identity tension, particularly within oppressive environments or high-visibility fields

I integrate psychological depth, social context, and identity affirmation in equal measure.

What to Expect

1. Initial Assessment & Identity Mapping

I begin with a comprehensive exploration of personal history, family systems, relationships of importance, cultural context, identity development, personal strengths, and current challenges. This may include:

• Experiences related to sexual orientation, gender identity, expression, and embodiment

• Past relationships, attachment patterns, sexuality, and intimacy

• Trauma- or shame-based narratives influencing current functioning

• Familial, societal, cultural, vocational, and professional pressures connected to authenticity and visibility

• Goals for emotional health, relationships, and personal evolution

This initial phase ensures therapy is tailored to each client’s lived experience

2. Therapeutic Process

Sessions combine insight-oriented depth work, evidence-based interventions, and a nuanced understanding of LGBTQIA+ identities. Depending on individual needs, I may focus on:

• Identity expansion, (re)integration, and self-acceptance

• Processing shame, secrecy, internalized messaging, or minority stress

• Exploring sexuality, desire, erotic identity, and sexual health

• Reducing anxiety, depression, or relational duress

• Clarifying personal narratives and strengthening communication

• Fostering intimacy and connection within Queer and/or mixed-orientation relationships

This work supports clients in cultivating clarity, grounding, and a more aligned sense of self.

3. Integration & Real-World Application

I support clients in translating therapeutic insight into sustainable, real-life change. This includes learning to:

• Build and maintain healthy, authentic relationships

• Communicate needs and enforce boundaries with confidence

• Navigate professional environments as Queer individuals

• Develop healthier sexual and relational patterns

• Re-evaluate roles, expectations, and long-standing self-beliefs

• Move through the world with greater agency, intention, courage, and self-trust

Integration is ongoing, collaborative, and tailored to each client’s life context.

Areas of Focus

• Sexuality & Intimacy: orientation, desire, kink/BDSM, sexual shame, relational patterns

• Gender Identity & Transition: exploration, navigation, relationships, embodiment

• Trauma: developmental, relational, identity-based, minority-stress trauma

• Relational Ecosystems: monogamous, polyamorous, open, or ethically non-monogamous structures

• PTSD: sexual trauma or trauma intersecting with sex and sexuality

• Gender Dysphoria: non-pathologized distress related to gender identity

Invitation

If you are LGBTQIA+ and are navigating identity, relationships, shame, disclosure, or simply seeking a therapeutic space that acknowledges and respects the complexity of the Queer lived experience, I welcome the opportunity to work with you.

Together, we can build a thoughtful, affirming space where you are understood, supported, and fortified to move toward a more fully aligned version of yourself.