Jamie Marrara, MHC-Intern
Advanced Clinical Intern
Pronouns: They/Them/Their & He/Him/His
I’m Jamie (they/he), a bisexual, non-binary, transmasculine counselor-in-training. I am deeply passionate about helping fellow queer and transgender people as part of the tradition of community care that assisted me through my identity development. I feel such appreciation for the queer and trans individuals both in my personal life and in professional roles (such as counseling!) that provided thoughtful insights, space to be curious, and practical information for navigating institutional barriers to me throughout the years. I look to pay this forward by being one of these encouraging people for other queer (and questioning) folks, especially those who may not have this support elsewhere.
Western medicine has been invested in pathologizing mental illness to allow it to be easily categorized and digested by systems of power. However, this rarely is sensitive to the true nuance in, and wide range of, experiences that contribute to who we are and how we think. I see mental health struggles as ways of thinking that may be particularly harmful to oneself or to one’s relationships and goals, but I hesitate to consider these to be “abnormal” or “diseases.” I come to the therapy room with this mindset that no one can be fully encapsulated by a diagnosis, nor are we condemned to them.
I also actively resist the capitalist co-opting of mental health care through my work, promoting my client’s well being and interpersonal health over capitalistic goals like productivity. My hope for my clients is that together we can foster their self-understanding and awareness of their connectedness with those in their lives and the larger societal systems we inhabit. I view mental health through feminist and relational-cultural lenses, recognizing the role that our relationships to others and internal senses of warmth and disconnection play in influencing our mental health.
I value building a genuine relationship with my clients that gives them the space to explore themselves without judgment and fear. To do this, I use humanistic, client-first principles and encourage you to be in the “driver’s seat.” The issues and goals we prioritize will align with what matters most to you. Each person requires different therapeutic tools and strategies that work within their worldview, and I am more than willing to explore what those might be for you.
If it seems like we would be a good fit for one another, please reach out!
Email: jamie@theqlective.com