Laura A. Jacobs, LCSW-R
Laura A. Jacobs, LCSW-R, seated in an armchair

Welcome! I’m Laura

I believe in compassion, towards ourselves and others, as a philosophy of existence.

 
 

Here’s where you can learn about the many facets of who I am.

I identify as trans and genderqueer, lesbian, kinky, creative, playful, a bit nerdy, dyke, and as someone with other intersecting, often marginalized identities. 

Genderqueer, for me, refers to an active ‘queering’ of gender, a deliberate subversion of gender norms to highlight the artificiality of the gender binary and gender classifications overall. Within myself, I cannot find where one gender ends and another begins. Clients never need to identify as I do.

My family history includes systemic oppression, refugee status, and genocide.

Psychotherapy is not my first career.

Music was my first love; piano lessons began in childhood and later I performed with bands and in studio settings, also composing music and doing sound design for independent theater. Later I became a photographer exhibiting in galleries.

Creativity is inherent in who I am and I still engage in various projects, including:

 
 
Black-and-white image of Laura A. Jacobs dressed as Gomez Addams holding a cigar on a spiral staircase

Gomez Addams Roleplay

 
 
Laura A. Jacobs playing a bass guitar, wearing a 'Surviving Transphobia' tank top

Novice Bassistry

 
 
Intricate wooden structure model built using popsicle sticks

Popsicle Stick Construction

Laura A. Jacobs wearing safety goggles and a respirator mask, holding a power tool, preparing for apartment demolition

Apartment Demolition

 
 
A bathtub filled with various colorful rubber ducks arranged in different patterns

Rubber Duck Arranging

 
 
 

Today, I have joys and stressors but generally live a happy, vibrant life. I dine about town, meander through museums (I get lost in the Met every… single… time…), gaze while at the Planetarium, delight in basement jazz clubs, and attend various LGBTQIA+, BDSM/kink, and other community events. I’m glad to have a profession in which I help others and can be of service.

Lastly, I’m a lovable goofball. I am an avid Muppet fan (I primarily identify with Gonzo and Rowlf, also Cookie Monster in moderation), would love nothing more than to be a (non-redshirt) crewperson on the Enterprise (TOS, SNW, or TNG please), and am a member of the Helicon Chamber Music Foundation.

 

I am a human being of gender

 
Laura A. Jacobs smiling and posing with Sesame Street character cutouts at the "Sesame Street The Musical" event
 
 
 
 

Awards

American Association of Sexuality Educators Counselors and Therapists logo
 

Standard of Excellence Award:

AASECT, the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists

Glass award for the Professional Standard of Excellence presented to Laura Jacobs, LCSW-R by AASECT in Philadelphia, PA, on June 15, 2019
Laura Jacobs, LCSW-R, on stage holding an award while standing next to a speaker during the AASECT awards ceremony
 
Gay City News logo
 
Close-up of the Gay City News Impact Award 2018 trophy presented to Laura A. Jacobs

Impact Award, Gay City News [NY]

Laura A. Jacobs speaking at the Gay City News Impact Awards 2018
 
National Associaton of-Social Workers logo
 

Champion of Social Justice

NASW, The National Association of Social Workers, NY

Dorothy Kartashevich Consumer Award plaque presented to Laura Jacobs by CHCANYS in October 2017
Laura Jacobs receiving the Dorothy Kartashevich Consumer Award from CHCANYS at the 2017
In recognition of your dedication and advocacy to ensure high-quality health care for all.

Licensing, Education, Awards, & More

Licenses:

  • NY: LCSW-R: 078979R

  • NJ: LCSW- 44SC054654600

  • DC: LC200003354

  • PA: CW025109

  • IL: #149.027953

  • RI: ISW04226

NPI: 1477719516

Education:

  • MSW: NYU School of Social Work

  • BA: Sarah Lawrence College

And More

  • Listed as a Kink Aware Psychotherapist via the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom

  • Member of the Kink Guidelines Workgroup, and currently a member of the Version Two Revision Committee

  • Member of the Manhattan Alternative coalition of medical and mental health providers working with gender and sexually diverse clients

  • Certified in the WPATH SOC-8 [World Professional Association for Transgender Health Standards of Care, Version 8]. Also was a member of the SOC-8 revision committee.

 
 
 
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There are no pronouns in the English language as complex as I am, and I do not want to simplify myself in order to neatly fit one or the other.
— Leslie Feinberg