Laura A. Jacobs

Laura A. Jacobs, LCSW-R, (pronouns: she/he/they/none) is a trans and genderqueer identified psychotherapist, speaker, author, activist, and heretic specializing in transgender and gender nonbinary issues, LGBTQIA+ issues, and other forms of gender and sexual diversity. They recently concluded their four-year term as the first transgender and genderqueer Chair of the Board of Directors for the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, a nonprofit healthcare organization with the mission of providing quality, compassionate care to the LGBTQIA+ community of NYC regardless of ability to pay. Laura is a prolific speaker in the media, at medical and mental health conferences, in medical schools, and for other organizations, having been featured in the New York Times, NPR, MSNBC, NBCNewsOnline, SiriusXM, CBSNews, Mic.com, TEDx, and more. Their upcoming book, Surviving Transphobia, will be released by Jessica Kingsley Press in September/October 2023. Laura also founded the Gender Dysphoria Affirmative Working Group and has authored or coauthored books, chapters, and articles on gender and sexual diversity. Laura was presented the 2019 Standard of Excellence Award by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists. They are a member of the Kink Clinical Guidelines Workgroup, a coalition which developed the first best practices document for the mental health care of those who are interested and/or involved in kink, BDSM, and/or fetish eroticism. As Lawrence Jacobs, he worked in the arts as a musician, composer, and photographer, as well as in less glamorous positions such as corporate middle management. www.LauraAJacobs.com