Virginia Wendt, MSCP, LPC (she/her)
The Basics
Title: Clinical Therapist + Supervisor, Clinical Site Manager (Downtown office)
Availability: Limited
Location: Downtown + Telehealth Hybrid
Schedule: Weekdays, weekends, evenings
Insurance/payment: UPMC commercial, Highmark BC/BS commercial, Cigna, Aetna, Optum/United, Allegheny Co-Medical Assistance (CCBH), Sliding scale $100-140
I offer low-cost or no-cost availability to complete letters for gender-affirming medical needs/surgery.
My Specialties
LGBTQIA2SP+ support;
Trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse support;
Neurodivergent support (please note our approach is generally therapeutic/acceptance-based, not coaching);
Trauma;
Grief and loss,
Adjustment, stress, transitions;
Relationships and sex (including poly/kink/non-traditional relationship communities)
Orientation/Approach
Systems (including familial, transgenerational, historically oppressive, intersectional identity frameworks); Cognitive Behavioral Therapies (CBT), including process-based; Strengths-based; Evidence-based trauma therapies; Solution-Focused Therapy; Mindfulness-based therapies; Feminist.
Fun Facts
A song that will always get me out on the dance floor is Deee-Lite's "Groove is in the Heart."
What Working with Me is Like
My approach is grounded in building a genuine and compassionate relationship with each client. I excel in creating a non-judgmental space to explore all of your experiences, and I consistently bring humility and empathy for the complexity of life's challenges. My style in session is less structured and can feel conversational. I deeply value curiosity and reflection and make a lot of space for this. Client autonomy is very important to me - we all deserve to choose our own path and that you know what's best for you. I expect my client and I to work together collaboratively, identifying goals and building on your strengths.
Quote
“My right to be me is tied with a thousand threads to your right to be you.” -Leslie Feinberg
Important About Me
As a white, cisgender, straight-presenting, able-bodied person who benefits from privilege, I prioritize learning from trans and gender-diverse voices, including folks who identify as BIPOC, autistic and neurodivergent, and as having disabilities. I'm guided by feminist principles that prioritize discussing how power, systems of oppression, and intersecting identities play a role in our lives and within our relationship as client and therapist. I continually work on recognizing and confronting the biases and assumptions I bring to my work.