Kayden Rodriguez
I’m Kayden, LCSW (he/him or they/them), a nonbinary trans man and a proud member of the queer community. I know what it’s like to feel misunderstood, so I work to make this a space where you don't have to be judged or defend who you are.
Affirming, trauma-informed therapy for queer, trans, neurodivergent, and/or any other kind of identities who have felt judged or misunderstood to heal and grow into their fullest and authentic selves.
I work with queer and trans folks, neurodivergent folks, and anyone who’s felt misunderstood over their gender, relationships, kink, polyamory, sex work, race, or culture. Together we can work on things such as symptoms from ADHD, Autism, anxiety, depression, identity, and life transitions, using an approach that’s trauma-informed and intersectional. You don’t have to be perfect here, and I’m not either.
First session
In our first session, you'll get a clear picture of how I work and what to expect from therapy with me, so there are no surprises going forward. We'll also do a biopsychosocial intake, which just means getting a fuller picture of your history and what's brought you in, so I can understand you as a whole person and not just the presenting issue. From there, we'll start talking through what you want to get out of therapy and set some initial goals together. And before you leave, based on that intake, I'll give you a few tools or takeaways you can start using right away, so you're not just walking out with a summary of what we talked about.
Strengths
A lot of it comes down to who I am outside the therapy room, not just what I learned in school. As a human, I've lived a good chunk of what my clients are working through, so I'm not coming at this from a textbook only. I'm pretty direct; I won't dance around something just to keep a session comfortable, but I'll always be warm about it. I also don't stick to one method because it's familiar; I'll pull from CBT, DBT, IFS- or if I need to go learn something new, I will; whatever needs to reasonably happen to help you reach your goals.
Ideal clients
My ideal client is someone who is curious about themselves and open to the process, even when it's uncomfortable. You don't need to have it all figured out before you walk in the door. You just need to be willing to show up and do the work with me. I work with a wide range of people and concerns, and I especially love working with Queer/2SLGBTQ+ folks, including those navigating gender identity and exploring what affirming care looks like for them, as well as neurodivergent clients who are tired of feeling like they have to mask or over-explain themselves in session. If you've ever left a therapy appointment feeling unseen or like you had to educate your provider on the basics, I want to be a different experience for you.
Treatment methods
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
DBT is one of my primary go-tos for emotional regulation. I am not fully certified, but I have completed several trainings in it, and I pull from those skills often- things like distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness- depending on what you're working through. I don't do DBT in a rigid, by-the-book way; it's more about handing you practical tools you can actually use when things feel like too much, so you leave sessions with something concrete alongside the deeper work we're doing.
Gender-affirming therapy
As a transmasculine individual, I bring over ten years of personal community involvement and volunteering, along with four years of clinical experience, to this work. I understand both the lived experience and the therapeutic side of navigating identity, transition, and the systems you have to move through along the way. My goal is to give you a space where you don't have to explain the basics or justify who you are; we can just get to the actual work of supporting you through whatever you're navigating.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
IFS is probably a favored framework of mine. I love how it helps separate trauma responses from your core self, so instead of feeling like you are your anxiety, your anger, or your shutdown response, we can start to see those as parts of you that developed for a reason. It gives us a way to build understanding and compassion for those parts instead of fighting them, while still getting you closer to your true self underneath it all. I use it for some of the most effective trauma work I do.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
This is really the foundation everything else sits on top of. I push my clients to advocate for themselves; tell me if they feel the direction we are going in is not working. I believe you're the expert on your own life, so my role isn't to tell you who to be or what to want; it's to offer a space where you feel genuinely heard, accepted, and respected as you figure that out. No matter what other tools we're using in a given session, this is the lens that shapes how I show up with you: unconditional positive regard, empathy, and trust that you're capable of growth when you have the right support around you.
Location
Virtual sessions
In-person sessions204 37th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33704, 139
Identifies as
Top specialties
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Licensed in
- FloridaLicense SW26905