Calm logo
Calm has teamed up with Grow Therapy to connect you with a mental health therapist who accepts your health insurance.

Licensed to practice in 3 states and accepts 52 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Depression, LGBTQ and 5 more.

Lakshmi Frigo

(she/her)

LCSW, 43 years of experience
Authentic
Open-minded
Empowering
VirtualAvailable

I believe that every person possesses the inner strength and resources needed to find happiness and healing. As a transgender woman, I understand both the internal and external forces that can stir self-doubt, amplify fear, and lead to deep feelings of loneliness and uncertainty. I also know—through both personal and professional experience—that self-acceptance and joy are not only possible, but also within reach. Science consistently shows that those who seek support often find meaningful relief and lasting change. I bring to my practice a mindfulness-based approach grounded in compassion, presence, and affirmation. My work is especially focused on serving the LGBTQAI+ community, though I warmly welcome anyone seeking an empathic, nonjudgmental partner in their journey toward a more fulfilling life. In addition to my clinical work, I have served as an adjunct and visiting professor at Washington University in St. Louis, and as professor and dean of the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies. My academic and clinical experiences have always been deeply interconnected, and both continue to inform my commitment to human dignity, resilience, and transformation.

Get to know me

In our first session together, here's what you can expect

My fundamental goal in our first session is to establish a connection, for the therapeutic alliance, according to science, predicts client outcome more than the method itself. In addition I want to learn about your world and life as you "experience" it. Most important, I want you to feel safe, heard, supported, and welcomed!

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

I offer a warm, positive, non-judgemental, and supportive approach because I believe most people know what they must do to make changes and to live more fully in the present moment. In my view, when a client feels accepted and supported by a therapist, it fosters the client toward self-acceptance and freedom. My goal is to help clients give themselves the benefit of the doubt that so many of them extend to others, but not to themselves. Thus, I strive to create an experience in which clients not only feel heard and understood and supported in making the changes they want for themselves and learn mindfulness methods, but also to begin to love themselves as they are!

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

I work primarily with LGBTQAI+ clients, though I warmly welcome all who seek an empathic, non-judgemental partner in their journey toward a fulfilling life.

Specialties

Top specialties

Anxiety

Depression

LGBTQ

Other specialties

First Responders/Healthcare Workers

Life Transitions

Older Adults

Self Esteem

Trauma and PTSD

I identify as

Hindu

Woman

Serves ages

Adults (18 to 64)

Elders (65 and above)

Licensed in

Minnesota

Missouri

New Mexico

Accepts

Aetna

Aetna - ASR Health Benefits

Aetna - Allied Benefits

Aetna - Luminare

Aetna - Medicare

Aetna - Moda

Aetna - WebTPA

Aetna – HealthEZ

All Savers

Amerihealth Administrators

Amerihealth NJ Medicare Advantage

Arlo

AvMed

Blue Cross Blue Shield

Independence Blue Cross

Independence Administrators

Blue Cross Blue Shield - Medicaid

Blue Cross Blue Shield - Medicare

Independence Personal Choice 65 PPO

Independence Keystone 65 HMO

Cash - $100 per session

Centivo

Cigna

Cigna - HealthEZ

EAP:Cigna

EAP:Evernorth

EAP:UnitedHealthcare/Optum

Evernorth

GTEB

Golden Rule

Harvard Pilgrim/UnitedHealthcare

HealthPartners

HealthPartners - Medicaid

HealthPartners - Medicare

Humana - Medicare

Humana Dual (Medicare & Medicaid)

Medica

UnitedHealthcare/Optum

Optum

OptumHealth Complex Medical Conditions

Oscar

Oxford

Surest (formerly Bind)

Tufts Health/Cigna

UCare - Medicaid

United Medical Resources

UnitedHealthcare Dual (Medicare & Medicaid)

UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance

UnitedHealthcare Shared Services

UnitedHealthcare StudentResources

UnitedHealthcare/Optum - Medicare

UnitedHealthcare Complete Care (C-SNP)

Location

Virtual

My treatment methods

Mindfulness-Based Therapy

Mindfulness is an evidence-based method used to help people manage or regulate emotions, but most important this method leads to self-love, self-acceptance, and more internal space and a vote in what happens in one's internal and external life.

, 17 ratings

2 ratings with written reviews

August 25, 2025

I really enjoyed our first session. I feel this will be a good fit for me and look forward to the next session. Thank you so much for your time.

Verified client, age 35-44
Review shared after session 1 with Lakshmi

August 22, 2025

I value my sessions with Dr. Lakshmi because she really listens to what I say. She responds by giving me not only insightful feedback with actionable steps but also a level of analysis that promotes my own understanding around the challenges I seeking to overcome with her help. I have seen her for almost a year now and I highly recommend her for anyone seeking self knowledge and strategies to address their issues and behaviors and wants to grow through self awareness and empowerment.

Verified client, age 55-64
Review shared after session 1 with Lakshmi