Hi! I’m Celynd (pronounced SUH-lind). I’m a therapist and I specialize in all things sex, gender, and religious trauma. I prefer in-person sessions (offices in Durham and Charlotte, NC) but I can do telehealth anywhere in the state of NC.

My identification and training:

I’m pansexual and am a long-time member of the ENM and kink communities. I have specific PhD-level training in sexuality, ENM, and kink (I’m working on my Clinical Sexology PhD). I offer sex therapy. I have a religious background and specialize in religious trauma. I’ve done specialized training in working with people who have been harmed by high-control religion of any kind. I am also trained in working with sex and porn addiction. I am trauma-informed and EMDR-trained.

In an ideal world, there would be enough gender diverse providers with their own specialized training that wanted to do the work of supporting the gender diverse community, but the reality is that there just aren’t enough providers. As a cis-gender woman who works with trans and gender diverse clients, I believe it’s my responsibility to learn from the experts (people in the gender diverse community) and take my cues from them. I have completed over 60 hours of PhD-level training developed by transmen and transwomen at the International Transgender Care Association. I have learned from panels of non-binary and trans people, their parents, and their children. I have learned from surgeons, endocrinologists, and sexologists. I have worked with trans and non-binary clients. I write gender affirmation letters.

My approach to therapy:
My foundation is in holding space for all of your very human experiences. This comes before values conversations, goal setting, or skill building. It’s more important than applying theoretical models or specific trauma processing. I *do* work with values, goals, skills, models, and processing! But you’re a person to me first. We will co-create a sense of safety, trust, and care.

Where to go from there depends on your individual story. My theoretical models prioritize identifying your needs, and often the needs of your parts such as your inner child, then strategizing to meet those needs. When there’s trauma that needs healing, we can work on EMDR together to heal you wounds. We might work together on identifying your values and helping you make choices for the person you want to be. Sometimes people need skills training, so we work on that, too.

I do work with couples, including ENM couples. I’m a pro at negotiation of relationship dynamics and helping everyone get their needs met. I help couples sort through difficult decisions and sorting of priorities.

If any of this connects with you and your needs, reach out! I look forward to hearing from you.