Minnie Blackman

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Masters Degree in Social Work from Rutgers University in Camden, NJ. I am also a Level II Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. I have had 10 years of experience in the mental health/substance use field, and I have been licensed since 2020. My specialties include supporting folks with trauma related disorders, anxiety disorders, and substance use difficulties. I am a queer neurodivergent clinician and specialize in LGBTQIA+ populations by training through the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association and am neurodiversity affirming. I am a Harm Reduction clinician and operate through a Anti-racist, Anti-oppressive Lens that addresses systems that may impact how we function.

My approach to therapy is highly relational and collaborative, and because 70%-80% of success in therapy is based on the relationship we can build, my initial focus is building a strong therapeutic alliance. We work together to identify your specific goals, and, once we do that, the focus becomes skill building and resilience building. I use empowerment strategies and strengths based intervention to help folks increase self esteem, self compassion, and to rewrite unhelpful or outdated narratives they may hold about themselves. We also explore some of the origins of these prickly narratives or emotions, and process any trapped emotions that live in us.

I am warm, relatable, and often use humor in sessions to connect with folks in ways that support safety to explore themselves.

In the first session my goal is to learn who you are, what your strengths are, what your interests and hobbies are, what your supports and tools look like, and to really assist in identifying your hopes for therapy. I also provide some information about how I facilitate sessions, limits of confidentiality, and administrative items. My goal is to make folks feel seen and understood and be met with compassion and warmth.