Kayden Rodriguez
I'm Kayden Rodriguez, LCSW (he/him or they/them). I work with a wide range of people and concerns: depression, anxiety, life transitions, executive functioning, emotional regulation, identity, relationships, and more. My approach is trauma-informed and intersectional, with specializations in Queer/2SLGBTQ+ and/or neurodivergent identities. I tend to work with anyone who's felt judged or misunderstood, whether that's around gender, relationships, diagnoses, kink, polyamory, sex work, race, culture, or ethnicity. Overall, I am not perfect, but focus on being nonjudgmental and recognize how much feeling safe, seen, and truly understood contributes to your treatment.
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
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use CBT through a trauma-informed lens, which means I'm mindful of how CBT can tip into self-gaslighting if it's not done carefully; telling yourself your feelings are "wrong" or trying to think your way out of something real can cause harm. With this in mind, we focus on building tools and perspectives that actually work for your life, rather than arguing you out of your own reality. It's less about correcting you and more about giving you options when old patterns no longer serve you.
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 ISW19559