Therapy should make room for the whole person. You should not have to separate your mental health from your identity, body, relationships, health, environment, or lived experiences.

I am Z. Hamilton Avery, LCSW, BC-TMH, CMT, CYT-1,000, TIYT (he/they), a psychotherapist and clinical social worker with more than 15 years of interdisciplinary experience across mental health, healthcare, crisis services, education, and wellness. Through Therapy with Z, LLC, I provide affirming online psychotherapy to adolescents (13+) and adults in Oklahoma, Florida, South Carolina, and Idaho.

I work with people navigating stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and PTSD, chronic illness and pain, suicidal thoughts, grief and loss, burnout, identity-related concerns, self-worth, major life transitions, and other complex experiences. I have particular interest in supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent people, people living with disabilities or chronic health conditions, and people who have not always felt understood, respected, or adequately supported within traditional systems of care.

My approach is humanistic, person-centered, strengths-based, trauma-informed, harm-reduction oriented, inclusive, affirming, and integrative. I see mental health within the broader context of a person’s life. Physical health, relationships, identity, environment, culture, resources, past experiences, nervous system responses, and current circumstances can all influence well-being. Understanding those connections can help us make sense of what you are experiencing without reducing you to a diagnosis or collection of symptoms.

Therapy may involve exploring patterns and experiences, developing practical coping skills, strengthening emotional regulation, cultivating self-compassion, clarifying values, processing difficult experiences, practicing mindfulness, or attending to connections between the mind and body. My clinical training includes CBT, DBT, ACT, motivational interviewing, compassion-focused therapy, EMDR, trauma-focused interventions, mindfulness-based approaches, somatic work, and mind-body practices. I draw from these approaches flexibly according to your needs, experiences, strengths, preferences, and goals.

My practice is 2SLGBTQIA+ and neurodiversity affirming. I recognize that identity can intersect with mental health, relationships, family, community, healthcare experiences, safety, belonging, and access to supportive resources. I also do not assume that your identity is the reason you are seeking therapy or that it needs to become the focus of our work. You decide what matters and what deserves our attention.

I value curiosity over assumptions and collaboration over prescribing what someone’s life should look like. You do not need to perform a particular version of wellness, identity, neurotypicality, ability, or healing in therapy. You can question an approach, tell me when something does not fit, and participate actively in shaping our work together. My role is to understand your experience, respect your autonomy, and help you discover approaches that fit who you are and the life you want to build.