Hi! I’m Jess Clodfelter (she/they), founder & licensed therapist at Affirmed Emotions Therapy. I’m a queer, nonbinary, millennial therapist who works primarily with LGBTQIA+ adults navigating identity exploration, trauma, attachment wounds, & the very real impact of living in systems that weren’t built with you in mind. My work is grounded in gender-affirming, trauma-informed, & attachment-based care, with a strong intersectional lens that honors how identity, culture, power, & lived experience shape mental health.

I don’t do gatekeeping. I don’t do pathologizing people for surviving hard things. I do real, collaborative therapy that centers autonomy, dignity, & your right to take up space exactly as you are.

A significant part of my practice includes supporting trans, nonbinary, & gender-expansive clients through identity exploration & gender-affirming medical processes. I provide WPATH Standards of Care (SOC-8)–aligned surgical readiness assessments & letters using an informed consent model, & I’m a member of World Professional Association for Transgender Health, which keeps me actively connected to current standards, ethics, & best practices in gender-affirming care. I’m also a member of GLMA, reflecting my commitment to equitable, affirming healthcare across disciplines.

My clinical approach is shaped by ongoing, specialized training in LGBTQ+ mental health & gender-affirming care. I’ve completed an LGBTQ+ Affirmative Care Specialist training that included focused work on LGBTQ+ POC, disability, gender & sexuality, LGBTQ+ spirituality, youth & older adult care, self-injury support, debunking common “safety” myths, & readiness for gender-affirming medical treatments & letters. That training didn’t just check a box—it deepened how I understand the layered, systemic realities my clients are navigating every day.

I’ve also completed advanced trainings including Ethical Curiosity with Trans & Non-Binary Clients, which focuses on dismantling the harmful “need to know” mindset providers can carry, & clinical trainings on working with transgender & nonbinary clients across the lifespan, including advanced gender-affirming interventions for youth & adults. Translation: I’m actively doing the work to make sure I’m not just “affirming” in theory, but actually practicing in ways that feel safe, respectful, & non-invasive in the room.

My style is warm, direct, & a little irreverent. I’m not a blank slate therapist. I show up as a real human who will validate what makes sense, challenge what’s keeping you stuck, & help you build something that actually feels like yours. Whether we’re unpacking trauma, unlearning internalized messages, navigating identity, or figuring out how to exist in a world that can be hostile as hell, we’re doing it together—with honesty, nuance, & zero tolerance for bullshit that tells you you’re too much or not enough.

If you’re looking for therapy that is affirming, trauma-informed, & grounded in both clinical skill & lived awareness of LGBTQ+ realities, you’re in the right place.