8. Gender and Sexuality
I'm Alex Kapnek, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT) based in Philadelphia. Therapy can be a powerful space to explore your gender identity, sexual orientation, and how these shape your sense of self. Whether you're questioning, coming out, navigating transition, or working through the impact of minority stress and discrimination, I offer an affirming space where all aspects of your identity are welcomed. My approach is grounded in evidence-based therapy, helping you work through anxiety, shame, and identity-related stress while building self-acceptance, clarity, and well-being.
LGBTQ+ Affirming Care
Affirming care is the baseline — not the endpoint. You can expect an understanding of LGBTQ+ identities and experiences, awareness of systemic and cultural stressors, space to talk about both identity and everything beyond it, and therapy that doesn't reduce you to one part of who you are.
Gender Identity Work
This work can include clarifying identity and language; navigating dysphoria (or uncertainty about it); exploring social, medical, or legal transition decisions; preparing for conversations with family, partners, or workplaces; and processing experiences of misgendering, stigma, or rejection. There is no 'right way' to be trans, nonbinary, or gender-expansive — therapy can help you define what feels right for you.
Sexuality Work
Sexuality is often shaped by more than desire — it's shaped by history, attachment, and meaning. In therapy, we might explore patterns in relationships or intimacy; shame, avoidance, or compulsive sexual behavior; desire discrepancies or confusion about attraction; the impact of trauma on sexual expression; navigating open relationships or alternative structures; and rebuilding a sense of agency and connection. This work is not about labeling you — it's about helping you understand yourself.
Signs Therapy Could Support You
You might be in the right place if:
You're questioning or exploring your gender identity or sexual orientation
You're navigating coming out, transition, or telling people in your life
You carry shame, anxiety, or confusion around identity or attraction
You're feeling the weight of minority stress, stigma, or discrimination
Past experiences or trauma are affecting how you relate or connect
You want a space that affirms every part of who you are