Trans & GNC Chicagoland Resources
To add to this list, give feedback, or comment about the resources, especially personal experience with therapists, submit thru the contact page.
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Bluebird Wellness
Created by two folks who were part of the Sage Health Collective. Sliding scale for acupuncture. Offers massages, cupping & herbal remedies. Provide post top surgery healing acupuncture treatment.
www.bluebirdwell.comChiara Acu
Chiara Acu offers the most affordable acupuncture in Chicago, with a sliding scale that goes to $15 for community acu treatments and to $35 for private acupuncture. They also take barter, and no one is turned away for inability to pay. In addition, they offer free/at cost acupuncture for social justice organizations. Their spaces are in Humboldt Park and at Haji, a black centered healing space in Chatham. Their focus is on TGNC + queer health and CPTSD/mental health, including trans fertility, pcos, pmdd, transition support and pre/post surgery recovery. Chiara works from a trauma-informed lens, having done crisis line counseling and on-scene advocacy for DV and sexual assault at the ER.
www.chiaraacu.com -
Rye Ellis (they/them) will make housecalls to cut hair! rkatz00@gmail.com, 404 402-1201
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Chicago Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights - If you live in Chicago and think you're being discriminated against as a renter, you can contact CLC for free. The more info you have (date/time of interaction with landlord, quotes, etc), the more helpful for them to pursue patterns of discrimination. You can also reach out to John Marshall Law School for assistance and/or resources about fair housing.
Metropolitan Tenants Organization - If you're having difficulty with your landlord and you live in Chicago, you can contact MTO Volunteer Tenants Rights Hotline: 773-292-4988 - hotline is open Monday-Friday, 1:00-5:00pm. Walk-In’s Mon-Thurs, 10:00-4:30pm (1727 S Indiana). To request an appointment for one-on-one help, email: lolitad@tenants-rights.org.
Open Communities - If you're in the northern suburbs and experiencing either discrimination or landlord difficulties for free.
Attorney Neda Nozari is my favorite choice. I highly recommend her and I vouch for her whole-heatedly.
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Openly trans therapists
Aren Drehobl, LCSW, CADC - Addiction & Recovery Services
Ing Swenson, LCSW
Organizations with trans-affirming therapists
Practical Audacity (sexuality, relationships, nonmonogamy)
Therapists who are likely TGNC-affirming
Amy Roe
Andrea Schultz, LCSW, RYT, CPT
Carrie Bradean, LCSW, MA, CCTP
Colleen Kempner - Catalyst Psychotherapy
Colleen Napleton - Inner Life Psychological Services
Elizabeth Duke, Psy.D. - LifeWorks Psychotherapy
Elmo Painter - specializes in somatic experiencing and body-mind psychotherapy (kink, poly)
Jason Best (kink, nonmonogamy, chronic illness, relationships, behavior changes)
Jessica Lynn Hudson Psychologist, PhD
Jim Cosenza (substance abuse / harm reduction, nonmonogamy, kink)
Jordan Dunmead - also does groups (survivors of sexual violence and nonmonogamy)
Kelli Blanchard, LCSW, CAADC
Kira Weidner (TGNC youth, trauma, relationships)
Melisa B Bailey Psychologist, PsyD
Tina Gupta at Northwestern Family Institute (sliding scale options)
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In January 2023, I posted in several local Facebook groups and below are the responses I got. I will say that in 2018-2019, I went to Athletco in Andersonville and none of the 3 people I saw could regularly get my pronouns right.
I ended up seeing Julia Tauber and Megan Sinnwell at Andersonville Physical Therapy. I highly recommend both of them. Julia specializes in working with folks who have had top surgery.
I do not vouch personally for any of these but wanted to share the other options that I crowdsourced all in one place. (Lots of people also said Andersonville Physical Therapy.) This was my post: ISO a physical therapist who knows how to use they/them pronouns. Ideally near Rogers Park but I am willing to travel for someone whose good at what they do and won’t misgender me.
What do you need addressed in PT? I work with a lot of excellent PTs at Swedish Hospital, but want to make sure I recommend appropriately based on your issue. Feel free to DM me.
Hi! I go to PhysioPartners in Lakeview and they have been amazing! They have queer and trans people on staff.
I would recommend Rush Physical Therapy at Broadway and Foster. Lexi and Leslie are amazing
Lexi at Rush Physical Therapy at Broadway and Foster has brought me back from a shoulder injury and an ankle fracture.
Aligned in Andersonville. The whole team is great.
Highly recommend Lauren Parsons through Outlier Physical Therapy in Andersonville! They’re great
Please go to Lauren Parsons at Rally PT! They changed my life post top surgery
Dr Ariel Wynne, when I saw her she was at athletico in Lincoln park. Great PT and person. Made homemade dog biscuits for the entire office and had me take some even though I don’t have a dog so I could give them out to cute pups I saw. Also she totally fixed my hip then my neck pain like a year and a half later lol
I saw Patrick Tan with North Shore and he was absolutely lovely, didn't misgender me once! the practice is in Evanston so close to RP too
There’s a woman at Weiss Memorial, Tracy Alvarez, who treated me for pelvic floor issues after my meta. She’s very trans friendly.
Brooke Harrar is ftrans-affirming and is the best PT I’ve seen.
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Praxis provides trans 101 and/or anti-oppression training (for schools, groups, organizations, employers, etc.)
Full disclosure: I work here.