Gender-affirming Therapy in Minneapolis: Licensed Care That Starts With Who You Are
Cabot Psychological Services offers gender-affirming therapy in Minneapolis for trans, nonbinary, and questioning people, both in our offices and online. You can bring questions about your identity, coming out, or transition choices, along with the anxiety or depression that often comes with them. Our licensed therapists provide compassionate, evidence-based mental health care, and your goals shape each session. You can book online through SimplePractice without making a phone call. We check your insurance before your first visit, so you know where you stand before you walk in or log on. Gender-affirming services are one part of the care we offer across Minneapolis, Edina, and telehealth statewide.
Gender-affirming Therapy Helps With Identity, Stress, and Mood
Gender-affirming therapy at Cabot Psychological Services supports Minneapolis adults and teens who are exploring their gender identity, coming out, or learning to live openly. Some people arrive with clear answers and need help with the next step. Others arrive with only questions. Both are good places to start.
People often come to us for help with:
- Gender dysphoria, the distress that can happen when your body or how others see you doesn’t match who you are
- Anxiety and worry
- Depression and low mood
- Low self-esteem
- Stress at home or at work
In gender-affirming care, using a client’s name and pronouns is a basic part of the work. When you don’t have to correct someone or brace for a mistake, you can spend the hour on what you came to talk about. Your goals lead the session, not assumptions about your identity or which path you should take.
Twin Cities Pride fills Loring Park each June. For some people, that visibility feels like a lift. For others, it can stir up old stress, family memories, or the pressure to be “out enough.” Both reactions make sense, and both are worth talking through in therapy.
Choose a Licensed Therapist Who Fits Your Goals
Cabot Psychological Services brings PhD, LP, LICSW, LMFT, LADC, and LGSW credentials together under one practice roof. We have been in practice since 2010. When your needs change, you can find a clear match here instead of starting over at a new clinic.
A few examples of how our team’s licenses line up with different needs:
- Amanda Mulfinger, PhD, LP, is President and Owner and holds Minnesota License #LP5029.
- Craig Norvell, MA, LMFT, holds Minnesota License #LMFT2363 for couples and family work.
- J Gold, MSW, LICSW, LADC, holds dual licensure in clinical social work and alcohol and drug counseling (Minnesota License #LICSW31202 and #LADC306430).
If trauma, anxiety, couples concerns, or substance use are part of your story, mention it when you book so you can find a licensed clinician whose training fits. How you get along with your therapist can affect how open you feel in sessions, so it’s okay to ask questions before you commit.
If you’re weighing where to get care, it may help to know that Minnesota passed a law in 2023 protecting access to gender-affirming care in the state.
Prepare for Your First Gender-affirming Therapy Session
Your first gender-affirming therapy session at Cabot Psychological Services starts with online booking through SimplePractice. You pick a time yourself, and no phone call is needed. For many people, skipping the call removes one of the hardest parts of starting therapy.
We verify your coverage before your first appointment, so you don’t have to sort out your benefits on your own. Accepted plans include Medicaid and Medicare, which many private practices don’t take.
It helps to bring:
- The name and pronouns you want us to use
- Two or three goals, even rough ones
- Questions for your therapist
- Any past therapy records, if you have them
You don’t need perfect goals. Something like “I want to feel less anxious at work” or “I want to plan how to tell my parents” is plenty. Your therapist will help you shape these over the first few sessions.
Many people in Whittier and Stevens Square get around by bus or train. If that’s you, our Minneapolis office or a telehealth session is often the easiest way to start.
Sessions Follow Evidence-based, Trauma-informed Methods
Gender-affirming therapy at Cabot Psychological Services is collaborative. You set the pace and choose what to talk about. Trauma-informed care means your therapist watches for signs that a topic feels like too much and slows down instead of pressing on.
Our clinicians use well-supported methods. In CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), you learn to notice harsh or fearful thoughts and test whether they’re true. With ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), you practice making room for hard feelings while acting on what matters to you. DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) skills give you tools for strong emotions and tense moments. When past trauma is part of the picture, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is available.
The order matters. Therapists usually build coping skills first and turn to trauma work later, because EMDR can bring up strong feelings for a while before they ease, and steady skills help you get through that stretch.
Common topics include coping with dysphoria, planning how and when to come out, relationships, and minority stress. Minority stress is the wear and tear that builds from facing bias again and again. For many clients, past harm such as rejection or abuse is also part of the work.
You can meet with us in person in Minneapolis or by telehealth anywhere in Minnesota. Telehealth can be especially useful if you live somewhere with few local providers who offer this kind of care.
Comprehensive mental health treatment from home
90% of clients and their families would recommend Cabot Psychological Services
Support for Trans and Nonbinary Teens and Their Families
Cabot Psychological Services works with Minneapolis-area parents who are worried about a trans or nonbinary teen’s mood, behavior, or safety.
Child and adolescent therapy gives teens their own room to talk. At first, a teen may share things with a therapist that feel too risky to say at home, and that space can help them sort out feelings before bringing them to the family.
Family therapy with a licensed marriage and family therapist (MFT) works on the whole family together. Parents and teens can talk through conflict and change with someone who keeps the conversation fair. Parents often have their own fears and questions, and those deserve attention too.
Crisis mental health support is part of our services. If your teen is in immediate danger, call 911 or the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline right away, then reach out to us for follow-up care.
We also have an office in Edina, which can be closer than our Minneapolis office for families who drive from the suburbs. Telehealth is available for teens and families across Minnesota.
Stay Supported Through Winter and Life Changes
Ongoing gender-affirming therapy at Cabot Psychological Services adjusts as your life shifts. A new job, a move, a new relationship, or a change in your family can raise new questions about how and where you’re out, and your sessions can change focus as those things happen. We also offer life transition counseling for big changes like starting over in a new city or career. For partners who want to talk through stress, communication, or changes in the relationship, we offer LGBTQ+ relationship counseling.
Minneapolis winters bring short, dark days from November to February. Low mood can deepen during those months, especially if you’re already dealing with stress, isolation, or depression. Keeping a steady routine with your therapist can help you notice a slide early.
Telehealth lets you skip icy sidewalks and dark commutes and still keep your regular session. You can meet with us from home on the hardest weather days, then return to our Minneapolis office when spring comes.
Our Insurance Partners
We accept most major insurance plans to make care accessible
Cabot Clients Say
"Sessions with Amanda are empowering."
Sessions with Amanda are empowering. She is a deeply kind therapist who has helped me to process, heal, and develop as a person.
"I have been a client of Cabot since the inception in 2010"
I have been a client of Cabot since the inception in 2010; my experience with the therapists and administrative staff have always been positive. I trust them and have referred both family and friends to Cabot and all have come back thanking me for the referral and have benefited from the caring and compassionate work of the Cabot staff.
"Cabot provides a welcoming and safe environment"
Cabot provides a welcoming and safe environment for those who may be struggling or need additional support. Each time I come for an appointment I am welcomed with a smile and hello not only from my therapist but others who pass through the waiting room.
REACH OUT TO START YOUR HEALING JOURNEY TODAY
Fill out our form or call us directly to learn if Cabot Psychological Services is right for you or a loved one.
WE PROUDLY PARTNER WITH MANY MAJOR INSURANCE PROVIDERS, INCLUDING COMMERCIAL AND MEDICAID