Kendall McSweeney
Master of Arts in Social Work, Registered Social Worker (RSW)
I am of mixed settler ancestry on the territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. I am allistic, cis, and queer. I have an MSW from UBC O, a BSW from UBC, and a BA in psychology from the University of Michigan.
I have spent the last five years working with families and youth seeking gender-affirming care. I have also worked with Autistic adults in mental wellness, dating support, and sexual health education. Previously, I worked in hospital and community settings, supporting those dealing with death and dying and those recovering and finding a new normal after life-changing injury and illness.
My Approach
Gender care:
I have a particular interest in helping folks explore gender transition and detransition from a gender-affirming lens. Whatever your gender identity is, I believe you. And sometimes it is hard to find the right words or feelings about it in this imperfect world. I would love to support you as you figure out what works for you, even if that takes a few twists and turns along the way. Sometimes figuring out who you are and how to share that with the world can be a daunting process: I want to talk about fears, joys, and everything in between.
Friendships, dating, and relationships:
There is so much advice out there on how to live life, including dating, friendship, health, and general life advice; it can be hard to find a way forward. To make it worse, much of that advice can creep out from the depths of scary parts of the internet. I want to help you find a path away from all those messages and towards your unique version of joy. I want to make the world a kinder place, one conversation at a time.
I have particular experience teaching sex ed to autistic adults and would love to look for ways that Autistic Adults can create relationships that work for them, and if they don’t always work, hold space for the pain there. Although I am Allistic, I work through a neuro-affirming lens and will do my best to align with your communication style.
Parents:
Are there questions you have about your LGBTQ+ teen that make them roll their eyes and groan? Have they told you to Google it? I am happy to answer questions or point you to resources and hold space for your feelings, talk about what it is like for you to ‘come out too’ and talk about the grief or confusion of shifting roles. Kids with enthusiastically supportive parents have mental health outcomes equal to their peers, and some support for parents in this process can get you there.
I work with folks aged 12 and up. If you would like to book a session for someone between 10 and 11, please contact me first to ensure it is a good fit. Currently, I am only taking clients virtually across BC. Please check with your extended health benefits to see if they cover RSWs.
Areas Of Focus
People come to therapy for many different reasons. These are some of the areas I commonly support.Gender
Gender-affirming care
Identity exploration
Supporting the Detrans community from a gender affirming lens
Supporting parents of LGBTQ children (of any age)
Working with the Autistic Community
Social stigma
Sexuality and sensory sensitivities
navigating friendships and dating
Hospitalization
Supporting family members and caregivers
navigating sexuality post illness or injury (BCIT sexual health rehabilitation)
supporting loved ones post death in hospital