Therapy for LGBTQ+ adults · New Haven, CT
Therapy where you don't have to explain yourself first
A solo practice in New Haven for LGBTQ+ adults. Sessions in person on Orange Street, or by video from anywhere in Connecticut. I use the name, the pronouns and the words you give me.
What affirming means here
Affirming is a set of practices, not a sticker on the door
For lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary, queer and questioning adults, and for people still finding the words. Here is what you can count on.
Your name and pronouns
Reminders, receipts and replies use the name and pronouns you give me, even when your insurance card says something else.
No debate about who you are
I don't treat your orientation or gender as a problem to solve. We spend the time on what you came for.
Your privacy, on your terms
I ask before I contact anyone, I send nothing to your home unless you say so, and every page has a quick exit button.
What I don't do
I don't offer or support attempts to change anyone's orientation or gender identity.
How it works
From first message to first session
- 01
You write to me
Use the form or call. Tell me the name and pronouns you'd like me to use. I reply on weekdays.
- 02
We talk through the practicalities
I answer your questions about fees, privacy and how sessions work, and I send your fee in writing before you book.
- 03
The first session
We talk about what you'd like from therapy, at a pace you choose. You don't have to tell your story or explain your identity.
- 04
Sessions that fit
Many people start weekly. We check the pace together, and you can change it whenever you like.
Services
Three ways we can work together
Individual therapy
One-on-one sessions about coming out, anxiety, grief, work, family, or whatever is sitting heaviest right now.
Individual therapy
Gender identity and transition
Room to explore, to plan and to be heard, with letters written as part of our work when you need one.
Gender and transition
Partners and chosen family
Sessions for couples, for partners of any number, and for the people you've chosen as family.
Partners and chosen family
Your clinician
I'm Kaveh Yazdani, a licensed clinical social worker in New Haven
I work with LGBTQ+ adults one at a time, in a quiet room on Orange Street and by video across Connecticut.
I listen first. You decide what we talk about and how fast we go, and I tell you what we're about to do before we do it. Some sessions are about identity. Many are about everything else: work, money, family, a breakup, a long week.
I'm not here to decide who you are. I'm here to make the hour yours.
Licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in Connecticut
Sees adults, 18 and older
In person in New Haven, or by video in Connecticut
50 min
Individual sessionsCT
Licensed, in person or by video
Letters
Letters, in plain words
If you need a letter for gender-affirming care, a name or marker change, a workplace or a school, I write it as part of our work together.
You tell me what it's for
Who it goes to and what it needs to say. I tell you what I can honestly write about our work, and what I can't.
You read it first
Every letter comes to you before it goes anywhere, and nothing is sent without your say.
No checklist, no set count
I don't use a fixed number of visits. A letter reflects the work we've done, so it comes after I know you.
How fees work
Insurance we work with
I take some insurance plans and I'm out of network with others. Before the first session I check what your plan covers and tell you what it means for you. I don't bill Medicare or Medicaid.
Some plan types, checked before you book
Out-of-network benefits explained
Medicare and Medicaid are not billed
If you pay yourself
If you pay yourself, you get my fee in writing before we meet, and it stays the same for every session. I keep a limited number of reduced-fee sessions, so ask when you write. HSA and FSA cards usually work. I ask for 24 hours' notice to cancel or move a session.
Fee in writing before the first session
A limited number of reduced-fee sessions
24 hours' notice to cancel or move a session
Receipts for reimbursement
I can send a monthly itemized receipt, called a superbill, to whoever pays. It lists a diagnosis code, and your plan will see it. If you'd rather not have a code on paper, tell me before we start and we'll talk it through. The plan decides what it pays back, and reimbursement is not guaranteed.
An estimate in advance
If you pay without insurance, you have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate of the cost of your care before you start, and I give you one in writing. If a bill comes to $400 or more above the estimate, you can dispute it. The estimate is not a contract.
Checking your benefits
I go over your benefits with you before the first session and tell you what to ask your plan. I can't promise what a plan will pay. If the name on your card is not the name you use, I'll use the name you use in everything I send you.
Questions
Questions people ask before writing
Do I have to explain my identity in the first session?
No. We start with what you'd like from therapy. You share what you want to share, when you want to.
What if my insurance has an old name or the wrong gender on it?
I use the name and pronouns you give me in everything I send you. What the plan prints is the plan's to fix, and I'll tell you what to ask them.
Do you see people under 18?
No, my practice is for adults, 18 and older.
Can I bring a partner or a friend?
Yes, for sessions you choose to share. I'll ask you first about what you want them to hear.
Is video as good as in person?
Many people prefer it. You need to be in Connecticut when we meet, and a private place where you can talk.
What if I'm in crisis?
Call or text 988, any time, or call 911 in an emergency. The crisis page lists more lines.
Write to me
A few words are enough. Tell me the name and pronouns you'd like me to use, and the way you'd like me to reach you. I reply on weekdays.
- Monday – ThursdayToday
- 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- FridayToday
- 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Saturday – SundayToday
- Closed