LGBT therapists in Hartford, CT

My background includes almost 15 years in the financial and corporate world before I shifted gears to become a therapist. I have worked in corporate, government and hospital settings. Key areas I support clients include managing difficult thought patterns and ways to have more direct and confident communication.

I also have expertise in the following areas:

--Anxiety

--Depression

--Grief

--Relationship challenges

--Workplace challenges/dynamics

--Supporting First Responders

--Facilitating workshops + webinars

--Facilitating onsite critical incidents + debriefings

--Expertise working in Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).

Hi, y'all,

I bring 17 years of experience and believe firmly that nothing shifts in the therapeutic space unless clients feel seen and connected to their clinician.

I am warm and direct, personable and challenging. I move through my life with curiosity and wonder at the natural world and the power of relationships.

I love swimming in fresh water, non-fiction books, spending time with my teenagers and hanging out in my gardens. I specialize in sexual and gender identity and look forward to building relationships with people that are motivated to move forward, begin healing and expanding their world.

Hi, I’m Taylor Garff, a licensed therapist and the founder of Inner Heart Therapy. I work with adults who are navigating anxiety, stress, and identity, especially folks in the LGBTQ+ community or anyone feeling overwhelmed by life’s demands.

I’m someone who believes therapy should feel like a soft place to land, not another thing you have to “get right.” My clients tell me they appreciate my warmth, humor, and ability to hold space for both the hard stuff and the hope. I’ll meet you with curiosity, compassion, and no pressure to be anything other than fully human.

In our work together, we might explore your anxious thoughts, practice ways to feel safer and more grounded in your body, or untangle patterns that keep you stuck. I use a mix of tools—like cognitive-behavioral therapy, nervous system regulation, and the Safe and Sound Protocol, to support you in finding more ease, clarity, and connection in your life.

If you’ve ever felt like you had to explain or defend your experiences, I want you to know you won’t have to do that here. This is a space where all of you is welcome.

Hello, and welcome! I’m Ashley, a licensed Clinical Social Worker with 5 years of experience supporting individuals in navigating life’s challenges.

I earned my MSW from the University of Kentucky and I have advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.

Whether you’re seeking support for a specific concern or simply want to better understand yourself, I’m here to help you find balance, clarity, and resilience.

You deserve to feel heard, supported, and understood—and if you’re here, you’ve already taken a meaningful step toward change.

I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master’s degree from the University of Connecticut, specializing in mental health and substance use. I’ve worked with teens, adults, and families across a range of settings, including outpatient clinics, schools, home-based care, and virtual therapy.

I work with people navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use, identity exploration, relationship stress, and major life transitions. Many of my clients feel overwhelmed, stuck in patterns they can’t seem to shift, or exhausted from trying to manage everything on their own.

My approach is collaborative, direct when helpful, and grounded in compassion. I use evidence-based practices including CBT, DBT, ACT, and trauma-informed care, but I tailor therapy to what actually fits your life—not just a model. We focus on what’s showing up for you right now, while also working toward longer-term stability and change.

Therapy with me is not about judgment or perfection. It’s a space to slow things down, understand what’s driving stress or emotional pain, and build practical tools that help you feel more steady and in control of your day-to-day life.

Terence Ching, PhD (he/him) is a Yale-, Dartmouth-, and UConn-trained clinical psychologist licensed in CT.

Dr. Ching has vast academic and clinical expertise in mood, anxiety, and trauma-based disorders, especially obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Dr. Ching is also an Instructor on the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine. There, he leads psychedelic clinical trials (namely, psilocybin) for OCD, depression, and other disorders in the Yale Program for Psychedelic Science. There, Dr. Ching assumes the role of Director of Psychedelic Training, pioneering the training and supervision of numerous facilitators who work with study participants in psychedelic dosing sessions.

In the psychedelic therapy space, Dr. Ching is an extensively published global leader in culturally attuned, queer- and trans-affirming, and ethically rigorous care of individuals experiencing altered states of consciousness.

Lastly, Dr. Ching is an internationally sought after scientific speaker. He has significant consulting experience in various aspects of psychedelic research and practice, having trained hundreds of study therapists for multiple companies who have achieved FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation in their drug development programs.

I'm so glad you are here!

My clinical expertise includes trauma (i.e., relational, racial, religious, sexual, generational, narcissistic abuse), identity development, relationship issues, anxiety/depression, and family of origin concerns. I have extensive experience supporting Muslim, South Asian, SWANA, and BIPoC communities, first generation/children of immigrants, as well as a passion for men's mental health. I balance evidence based practices with cultural responsiveness & a somatic lens.

My interests are heavily informed by my own identities as a brown, Bangladeshi-American, daughter of refugees.

I completed my doctoral degree in clinical psychology through the University of Denver's Graduate School of Professional Psychology. My predoctoral internship was completed at Emory University's Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS). I also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University's CAPS, with a focus on social justice and outreach programming. Following licensure, I served as a staff psychologist at Yale University's Mental Health & Counseling department.

My professional journey has spanned a range of settings, including private practice, a program serving adults with severe mental illness, residential treatment center for adolescents, mobile mental health services, and mental health urgent care.

If you've lost someone to suicide, you know that grief doesn't fit neatly into a box, and finding a therapist who truly understands that kind of loss can feel impossible. I've spent my career doing crisis work alongside police departments and mobile crisis units, and I specialize in working with people navigating suicide loss, as well as first responders and fellow mental health professionals who carry more than most people realize. If that sounds like you, you're in the right place.

The foundation of my practice is based on the respect I have for my clients, and my therapeutic approach is collaborative and tailored to your needs. As a trained and experienced therapist, I am not only technically objective, but also provide you with emotional nourishment and assistance as you work through problem areas in your life. Psychotherapy is about growth and transformation and equips you to overcome challenges impacting your family, job or relationships. My areas of expertise include addiction, relationship or job-related issues, depression, anxiety and stress. I employ solution focused therapy based on psychodynamic, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness approaches. I am also a qualified Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) to evaluate employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol program regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up, testing, and aftercare.