top of page

LOWELL MARISSA VANBIENE, LMSW
(they/them/he/his)
Therapist

Lowell 2.jpg

When you make the decision to attend therapy, you are making the decision to prioritize your wellbeing in a fundamentally unique way. Therapy is something that can be challenging, but also transformative– Especially for those who have not been listened to, believed, or had the freedom to pause and practice introspection due to the demands of life. 

 

Knowing the challenges of finding a therapist who can understand your life experiences, I prioritize working with communities with whom I share personal experience. This includes, but is not limited to: LGBTQIA+, polyamorous/ENM, BDSM/kink, sex worker, SA/DV survivors, neurodivergent, chronically ill & disabled communities. 

 

My work is grounded in Relational-Cultural Therapy, which emphasizes the importance of the relationship between therapist and client as an essential part of the therapeutic process. I aim to minimize power dynamics in the room between therapist and client, and firmly believe you are the expert of your life. Rather than an authority in the room, I see my role as a collaborator in helping you achieve your therapy goals. For those who wish to know my social location: I am a Black, queer, disabled, neurodivergent, polyamorous, non-binary therapist in my 30s. I come from a middle-class background in a mixed race household, am a US citizen, and was raised Catholic but am not religious.

 

I approach therapy as a team effort grounded in trauma-informed, anti-racist, fat liberatory, sex & kink positive, and feminist ideals. My therapy practice is eclectic, borrowing from multiple modalities in order to find the best approach for each individual client, couple, or polycule. Common approaches I incorporate include: EFT (emotion focused therapy), IFS (internal family systems), Sex Therapy, and Attachment Theory.

 

I work with clients on a variety of topics, but special interests include: Unpacking attachment wounds using IFS; Transition stages in Poly/ENM; Freedom from shame regarding sex & kink; Impacts of disability; Relationships to health, disordered eating, and/or fatness from a fat liberatory and body neutrality lens.

 

If you are curious about working together, please email lowell@expressyourselftherapynyc.com to set up a free consultation.

bottom of page