Chalay
Chalermkraivuth, LMSW

Everybody needs and deserves safety, dignity, and connection. But we often learn—whether early on, or ongoingly in life—that we must give up one (or more) of these things in order to have another. We might learn that in order to keep ourselves safe, we have to isolate from other people. Or we might learn to placate others and hide ourselves in order to stay safe or connected. Trauma and oppression sever our relationships with the world, our communities, and ourselves, and restoring those relationships is hard work. I hope that the therapeutic relationship we build together will aid you in that work. And I feel sure that, although the road is hard and uncertain, change and growth are always possible.

My aim as a therapist is to build safety and trust, to try my best to listen, ask, and understand, and to foster an environment of curiosity and compassion that erodes away shame and self-mistrust. I work to help you understand and soothe inner conflicts and criticism. I draw on parts work/IFS, somatic work, disability justice, and psychodynamic approaches (especially relational theory). This means that I’m particularly focused on integrating all the parts of you that may be dissociated due to trauma; as well as nurturing a relationship that can accommodate conflict and feedback. I also bring tools from my organizing background and my personal experience with survivor support. My style is warm, playful, honest, and caring. I’m always keen to hear feedback and hope that we’ll be able to build a fitting, safe, creative relationship.

I work with people on a wide range of themes and challenges, including: family trauma, relationship trauma, surviving abuse, intimate partner violence, CPTSD, perfectionism and people-pleasing, attachment, race/class/gender, trans and queer identity, political work/organizing and activism, disability and chronic illness, Covid cautiousness, neurodivergence, citizenship and immigration, anxiety, suicidality, capitalism and alienation, existential concerns, and spirituality. For people looking for a Covid-cautious therapist, I actively take Covid precautions and work from an understanding, non-pathologizing place.

I received my Master of Social Work from Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College.