Allison Berwald

Allison provides an affirming space to LGBTQIA+ adults and adolescents of all intersecting racial, cultural, religious and socioeconomic identities, with special experience in gender identity issues. In a world that is not always accepting of difference, she strives for an empathetic and judgement-free environment. Allison collaborates with clients to develop compassionate self-understanding, promote healing, uncover deep personal truths, encourage authenticity, and ultimately attain fulfillment on their terms using a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive lens.

Allison's practice works from the assumption that each person is the expert of their own experience shaped by specific social realities. She considers her role as not to tell you how to lead your life, but to actively listen and guide you to identify changes you want for yourself. The work will aim to support self-reflection with connections between past and present, expand your recognition of options, identify unhelpful patterns, learn to work through painful feelings and experiences, and identify and manage emotional challenges with more calm and assurance. While she is formally trained and takes the therapeutic process very seriously, it is important for there to be space for humor and enjoyment when connecting with her clients.

Prior to starting her private practice in 2017, Allison worked for many years with LGBTQIA+ youth at a non-profit in NYC, most of whom were low-income BIPOC. Allison has been an expert panelist and presenter at conferences throughout the tri-state area and co-authored a chapter in the Handbook of Child and Adolescent Group Therapy entitled "LGBTQ Adolescents," published in 2016.

Allison is currently offering individual therapy for adults and teens ages 13+ remotely through Zoom for clients living in New York and New Jersey. Allison also offers clinical supervision to other therapists.