Luis Jose Natal
Luis Jose Natal
(he/him)
Hi, I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and I am fluent in English and Spanish. I received my Masters Degree from Florida International University. I provide individual counseling and family therapy for LGBTQ individuals and their families. My goal is to imcrease the understanding of LGBTQ minority stress, and the need for consistent family support, cohesiveness and understanding as the most important protective factor in the life of an LGBTQ young person.
Get to know me
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In our first session we will start with our own introductions, we will discuss our gender identities, sexual orientations and what they mean to us. Then we will discuss particular challenges you may be experiencing as a way to give me the insight into your own particular experience and together develop a plan for our follow up sessions.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
As a member of the LGBTQ community myself working with the community I have been able to attain the insight and training to understand the challenges affecting us such as gender dysphoria or incongruence, isolation, experiences of depression and anxiety. It has given me the opportunity to tailor treatment plans with a set of unique attainable therapeutic and medical transitioning goals for reducing these symptoms, physically presenting in a more affirming way, thinking in a self affirming confident way, and increasing hope and the ability to achieve happiness and success in every aspect of life. I can support youth, young adults and adults initiate their medical transition by assessing and documenting their life experience and immediate medical needs related to gender dysphoria, making sure social and emotional support are also in place.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I support LGBTQ youth, young adults, adults and their families navigate the experience of being a member of a minority group and the stress attached to that identity to improve their quality of life, reduce hopelessness, increase hope and chances for success and wellness. As a member of the LGBTQ community myself working with the community I have been able to attain the insight and training to understand the challenges affecting us such as gender dysphoria, issues and negative views about sexual orientation resulting in isolation and experiences of depression and anxiety. It has given me the opportunity to tailor treatment plans with a set of unique attainable therapeutic and medical transitioning goals for reducing these symptoms, physically presenting in a more affirming way, thinking in a self affirming confident way, increasing hope and the ability to achieve happiness and success in every aspect of life. I can support youth, young adults and adults initiate their medical transition by assessing and documenting their life experience and immediate medical needs related to gender dysphoria, making sure social and emotional support are also in place.
About Luis Jose Natal
I identify as
Specialties
Serves ages
Licensed in
Accepts
Appointments
Fully bookedMy treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
During most of the time I have worked as a clinician, I have supported LGBTQ youth, young adults, adults and their families implementing CBT to identify unhelpful thoughts coming from stigma and negative messages about the LGBTQ identity, creating a pattern of unhelpful and anxiety inducing thoughts and feelings. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can support the understanding of how our thoughts, feelings and behaviors are interconnected. Understanding how dysfunctional thinking can provoke dysfunctional feelings and consequent reactions can support us to also do the reverse. Identifying the dysfunctional thoughts and were they are coming from can help us learning how to replace them by functional and realistic thoughts resulting in a more positive and less anxiety driven life experience overall, being able to see ourselves in a future where we can enjoy of as much happiness and success as anybody else.
Family Therapy
Attachment based family therapy has been key in my work with young people who struggle going back to their parents for support when this is really needed. Ideally adolescents would go back to their parents as a way to feel safe. However, in many cases this secure attachment has been severed and parents are perceived as dismissive and the young person choses to isolate or rely in other people for support. Exploring with parents their our history of attachment with their own parents can serve as a vehicle of enlightenment for both the parent and the young person. Restoring secure attachment has provided a safe space for the young person and their parents.