Connecticut Children’s Gender Program, led by pediatric endocrinologist Priya Phulwani, MD, provides compassionate care to children and adolescents who express a strong desire to be a gender other than that assigned at birth.
Statement of Support for Connecticut Children’s Gender Program
At Connecticut Children’s, we are proud to offer high-quality gender-affirming and developmentally appropriate healthcare to our transgender and gender-diverse patients and their families through Connecticut Children’s Gender Program. Our program provides a safe and supportive environment for our patients to thrive and feel comfortable being their authentic selves in a way that strengthens their physical, mental, and emotional health. We are also proud to stand with our colleagues at children’s hospitals and health systems across the country, as they remain committed to providing gender-affirming care to their patients and families. Together, we will continue to advocate for transgender and gender-diverse youth and their families.
At Connecticut Children’s, we strive to make our organization as welcoming and inclusive as possible for our team members, our patients and their families, and our community partners. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is detailed in our organization’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Declaration, which is available on our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion web page.
Additional information:
- Children’s Hospital Association: Statement of Support for the Health and Well-being of Transgender Youth
How to Contact the Gender Program
If you are a parent of a prepubertal gender-diverse child, we encourage continuing to support your child’s gender expression and ensure a safe environment for it. A therapist can often provide additional support and guidance. There is no role for medication or hormones at this stage.
Please have your child’s referring provider (this can be a primary care or mental health provider) send us a referral that documents the name and pronouns used (if different from the insurance card). Additionally, if applicable, please document the adolescent’s custody arrangement, including DCF involvement (if any) and whether the adolescent’s legal guardian(s) support medical transition options. The first true sign of puberty is breast buds or testicular growth.
Please also obtain an evaluation letter from a mental health provider that includes the following information:
- The adolescent meets the diagnostic criteria of gender incongruence.
- The experience of gender diversity/incongruence is marked and sustained over time.
- The adolescent demonstrates the emotional and cognitive maturity required to provide informed consent/assent for the treatment.
- The adolescent’s mental health concerns (if any) that may interfere with diagnostic clarity, capacity to consent, and gender-affirming medical treatments have been addressed
The provider writing the evaluation letter for gender-diverse adolescents should meet the following criteria:
- Be licensed by their statutory body and hold a postgraduate degree or its equivalent in a clinical field relevant to this role granted by a nationally accredited statutory institution.
- Receive theoretical and evidenced-based training and develop expertise in general child, adolescent, and family mental health across the developmental spectrum.
- Receive training and have expertise in gender identity development, and gender diversity in children and adolescents, have the ability to assess capacity to assent/consent, and possess general knowledge of gender diversity across the life span.
- Receive training and develop expertise in autism spectrum disorders and other neurodevelopmental presentations or collaborate with a developmental disability expert when working with autistic/neurodivergent gender-diverse adolescents.
- Continue engaging in professional development in all areas relevant to gender-diverse children, adolescents, and families.
- Facilitate the exploration and expression of gender openly and respectfully so that no one particular identity is favored.
- Undertake a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment of adolescents who present with gender identity-related concerns and seek medical/surgical transition-related care, and that this be accomplished in a collaborative and supportive manner.
Will the Gender Program schedule an appointment if we do not have an evaluation letter from a mental health professional?
If you have the pediatrician referral but not the evaluation letter as of yet, we will still be happy to see you in the clinic, but please note it will be an informational visit only. We do think it is important for adolescents to have behavioral health support during their gender journey and ask for the evaluation letter in keeping with the current World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) latest standards of care (SOC 8) guidelines before writing prescriptions. The prescriptions may include reversible medical interventions that pause current puberty (also called “puberty blockers”) or those that initiate the desired pubertal changes (such as estrogen or testosterone).
Why does the Gender Program require an evaluation letter from a mental health professional?
Mental health professionals can help those considering hormone therapy to be both psychologically prepared (for example, making a fully informed decision with clear and realistic expectations, with inclusion of family and community as appropriate) and practically prepared (for example, has considered the psychosocial implications). In addition, there should be some discussion that estrogen and testosterone may affect reproductive options.
Find a Trusted Primary Care and Mental Health Provider
The following primary care and mental health providers have committed to providing compassionate care for children and adolescents with gender dysphoria.
Bloomfield
Children’s Medical Group
Dr. Felicia Wilion
Lester Schwartz, MD
Cheshire
Pediatric Associates of Cheshire
Danbury
Center for Pediatric Medicine, PC
Pediatric Associates of Western CT
Enfield, CT & Longmeadow, MA
Farmington
Farmington Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine
Guilford
Guilford Family Practice/ProHealth
Manchester
ProHealth Physicians of Manchester
Marlborough
Marlborough Pediatrics/ProHealth
Newington
Starling Physicians Ob/Gyn
Kristina Hennessey Hill
Prospect
Pond Place Pediatrics
Southington
Sari Friedman
Branford
Jordan-Buell Hunt, LCSW
Yale New Haven Hospital, Saint Raphael Campus
Branford Adolescent Psychiatric Ambulatory Services
21 Business Park Dr. Branford, CT 06405
PHONE: (203) 488-0471
FAX: (203) 488-6479
Brookfield
Tammi Chelednik, LPC
The Child and Family Institute of Fairfield County
33 Junction Rd Brookfield, CT 06804
PHONE: (203) 740-7296
FAX: (203) 740-7696
Cheshire
Debra Horvath, LCSW
345 Highland Ave. Suite 102 Cheshire, CT 06410
PHONE: (203) 272-3055
FAX: (203) 272-3303
Jennifer Murray, Psy.D.
144 Elm St. Cheshire, CT 06410
PHONE: (203) 410-6636
Danbury
Julie Gombieski, APRN
Family & Children’s AID
80 West St. Danbury, CT 06810
PHONE: (203) 748-5689
FAX: (203) 790-8183
Selena Sawtelle, LCSW
Family & Children’s AID
80 West St. Danbury, CT 06810
PHONE: (203) 748-5689
FAX: (203) 205-2757
Derby
Dayne Bachmann, LCSW
Twin Peaks Counseling
111 New Haven Ave. #2, Derby, CT 06418
PHONE: (475) 439-9639
FAX: (203) 672-1819
Miranda (Mandy) McGuire, Ph.D., LCSW
Parent Child Resource Center
30 Elizabeth St. Derby, CT 06418
PHONE: (203) 954-0543
FAX: (203) 954-0544
Enfield
Helena Gagnon, LPC
Community Health Resources
153 Hazard Ave 1st Floor Enfield, CT 06082
PHONE: (860) 253-5020
FAX: (860) 272-3576
Karen Myers, LCSW
5 North Main St. Enfield, CT 06082
PHONE: (860) 272-3510
FAX: (860) 253-5555
**FOR ENFIELD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ONLY**
Essex
Jacquelynn Russo-Boudinot, LMFT, CFTP, NCC
Middlesex Wellness & Mediation, LLC
80 Plains Rd. Essex, CT 06426
PHONE: (860) 510-6130
Farmington
Michelle Dicorpo, LMFT
Family Resource & Development Center, LLC
270 Farmington Ave. Suite 347, Farmington, CT 06032
PHONE: (860) 838-4735
FAX: (860) 507-7480
Jennifer Laptew, LPC, LMHC
Counseling by Jennifer Laptew, LCSW, LLC
304 Main St., Farmington, CT 06032
PHONE: (860) 538-1930
Glastonbury
Claudia M. Carbonari, M.D.
Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatry
39 Hampshire Drive Glastonbury, CT 06033
PHONE: (860) 633-9522
FAX: (860) 657-3667
Crystal Morlock, LPC
Pursuing Metamorphosis, LLC
122 Naubuc Ave, Suite 104; Glastonbury, CT 06033
PHONE: (860) 375-5850
Sheryll Waring, LPC, LADC
Hopewell Health Solutions
33 Pratt St., Glastonbury, CT 06073
PHONE: (860) 946-0447
Groton
Jean Allbee-Roberson, LMFT
Alliance Counseling
333 Long Hill Rd #2, Groton, CT 06340
PHONE: (860) 861-1453
FAX: (860) 446-6918
Guilford
Ashlie Befus, LMFT, M.ED
Pathways to the Heart LLC
35 Boston St. Guilford, CT 06437
PHONE: (203) 941-1739
Hamden
Jennifer Johnston, MA, LPC
375 Mather St. Suite 2, Hamden, CT 06514
PHONE: (203) 745-0733
FAX: (203) 464-3290
Kelly Stutzman, LPC
K-Assist Home Program
196 Magee Drive Hamden, CT 06514
PHONE: (203) 464-2054
FAX: (203) 891-7629
Hartford
Marcia E. Brubeck, JD, MSW, LCSW
Marcia E. Brubeck, LLC Psychotherapy & Advocacy
674 Prospect Ave. Suite 203, Hartford, CT 06105
PHONE: (860) 231-1997
FAX: (860) 231-1960
Carol MacKenzie, LCSW
674 Prospect Ave. Hartford, CT 06105
PHONE: (860) 231-7373
Adriana McCormick, Psy.D
CHC at Connecticut Children’s
76 New Britain Ave. Hartford, CT 06106
PHONE: (860) 547-0970
FAX: (860) 547-0980
April McLean, PsyD, LADC
Mclean Wellness Group, LLC
4 Park Terrace, Hartford, 06106
112 Spencer St., Manchester, 06040
PHONE: (860) 578-4808
FAX: (866) 355-1052
Yvonne Miceli, LMFT
Pathways EAP
674 Prospect Ave. Hartford, CT 06105
PHONE: (860) 233-6220
FAX: (860) 233-2371
Jayann Pinto-Samuda, LMSW
Hartford Behavioral Health
1 Main St. Hartford, CT 06106
PHONE: (860) 548-0101
FAX: (860) 548-2045
Laura Saunders, Psy.D, ABPP
The Institute of Living
200 Retreat Ave. Hartford, CT 06106
PHONE: (860) 545-7009
Richard Stillson, Ph.D.
Hartford Psychological Services
210 Wethersfield Ave Hartford, CT 06114
PHONE: (860) 296-0094
Nicole Wilson, LCSW
The Institute of Living, Child & Adolescent Day Program
200 Retreat Ave. Hartford, CT 06106
PHONE: (860) 696-0028
FAX: (860) 696-0030
Litchfield
Eileen Manela, LCSW
134 East Chestnut Hill Road Litchfield, CT 06759
PHONE: (860) 782-9919
Manchester
Sarah Gilbert, LCSW
Transitions Therapy, LLC
642 Hilliard St. Suite 1212 Manchester, CT 06042
PHONE: (860) 884-8372
FAX: (860) 900-0032
Sandra Owens, LMFT
Community Health Resources
444 Center St. Manchester, CT 06040
PHONE: (860) 730-8696
FAX: (860) 645-4132
Mansfield
Michelle Allison, LMFT
638 Browns Rd, Storrs Mansfield, CT 06268
PHONE: (860) 933-5072
Linsey McKiernan, LCSW
354 Warrenville Rd. Mansfield, CT 06250
PHONE: (860) 896-5082
Shenandoah Pettit, LCSW
189 Storrs RD, Mansfield Center, CT 06250
PHONE: (860) 423-1016
FAX: (860) 423-1109
Hillary Stern, LCSW
Hillary Stern Therapy
134-A Conantcille Rd. Mansfield, CT 06250
PHONE: (860) 208-8519
FAX: (860) 429-2227
Middlebury
Kris Robles, LCSW
TIDES OF MIND COUNSELING
590 Middlebury Rd Suite B Middlebury, CT 06762
PHONE: (203) 819-0789
FAX: (203) 756-2521
Middletown
Liz Shulman, LMFT
Spring Street Psychiatric Group
7 Spring St. P.O BOX 1018 Middletown, CT 06457
PHONE: (860) 344-9558
FAX: (860) 347-6265
Candice Weigle-Spier, PsyD.
770 Saybrook Rd. Bldg B, Middletown, CT 06457
PHONE: (860) 349-0385
FAX: (860) 343-5391
Mystic
Crystal Morlock, LPC
Mystic Therapy LLC 41 Williams Ave, 2nd Floor; Mystic, CT 06355
PHONE: (774) 312-1629
Susanne Taylor, LMFT
12 Roosevelt Ave Mystic, CT 06355
PHONE: (860) 709-9913
Naugatuck
Victoria Scully-Oakes, LPC
Above and Beyond
305 Church St. Unit #5, Naugatuck, CT 06770
PHONE: (203) 723-7777
Michael Stokes, LPC
Stokes Counseling Services
16 Hillside Ave, Naugatuck, CT 06770
PHONE: (203) 729-0341
FAX: (203) 723-0702
New Fairfield
Helene R. Karlin, Ph.D.
88 State Rt.37 New Fairfield, CT 06812
PHONE: (203) 746-2436
FAX: (203) 746-3205
New Haven
Nancy Meyer-Lustman, Ph.D.
303 Whitney Ave. New Haven, CT 06511
PHONE: (203) 212-9369
Chrystal Shoup D’Aquila, LPC
Foundations Counseling, LLC
59 Elm St. Suite 500, New Haven, CT 06510
PHONE: (860) 987-7408
FAX: (203) 680-3851
New London
Megan Cameron, LMFT
UCFS Healthcare Behavioral Health Services
351 North Frontage Rd Suite 24 New London, CT 06320
PHONE: (860) 442-4319
FAX: (860) 437-2334
New Milford
Bethany Keck, LCSW
46 Danbury Rd. Unit#6, New Milford, CT 06776
PHONE: (860) 354-5116
Newington
Adrienne Benjamin, LCSW
1268 Main St. Suite 101 Newington, CT 06111
PHONE: (860) 748-1301
FAX: (860) 667-2408
Pam Williams, LCSW
Family & Community Ties Clinician Residences Inc.
50 Rockwell Rd Newington, CT 06111
PHONE: (860) 621-7600
FAX: (860) 621-5117
Norwich
Linda W. Stephens, MSW, LCSW
New Beginnings Behavioral Health
238 West Town St. Norwich, CT 06360
PHONE: (860) 383-2507
FAX: (860) 383-2512
Ashley Webb, LCSW
Keep an Open Mind, LLC
12 Cass St. Suite 202 Norwich, CT 06360
PHONE: (860) 387-4712
Plainville
Stephanie Gingell
Wheeler Clinic 91 Northwest Dr., Plainville, CT 06062
PHONE: (888) 793-3500
FAX: (860)793-3520
Alisa Palmer-Winston, MA, LPC
Mental Health Counseling & Consultation, LLC
49 Broad St. Suite 2, Plainville, CT 06062
PHONE: (860) 986-6049
Prospect
Traci Hodes, Ph.D.
Kindhearted Awareness
44 Waterbury Rd Suite 2C Prospect, CT 06712
PHONE: (203) 936-6593
Rockville
Diana Rosen, MFT
26 Union St Rockville, CT 06066
PHONE: (860) 313-1119
FAX: (860) 313-1449
Rocky Hill
Joan Day, LMFT
21 New Britain Ave. Suite 215, Rocky Hill, CT 06067
PHONE: (860) 529-8977
FAX: (860) 788-3616
Simsbury
Jennifer Paul, Ph.D.
St. Francis Behavioral Health Group
30 Dorset Crossing, Suite 400 Simsbury, CT 06070
PHONE: (860) 714-9030
FAX: (860) 651-9707
Southbury
Kristen Kivela, LMSW
Spectrum Behavioral PC
1287 Strongtown Rd. Southbury, CT 06488
PHONE: (203) 819-7580
FAX: (203) 819-7581
Storrs
Tamara Vertefeuille, LCSW
1066 Storrs Rd. Suite E, Storrs, CT 06268
PHONE: (860) 429-2928 ext.7
FAX: (860) 429-2949
Torrington
Victoria Palagy, LMFT
Charlotte Hungerford Hospital Center for Youth and Families
50 Litchfield St. Torrington, CT 06790
PHONE: (860) 489-3145
FAX: (860) 489-3391
Kris Robles, LCSW
Tides of Mind Counseling
990 Migeon Ave Torrington, CT 06790
PHONE: (203) 819-0789
FAX: (203) 756-2521
Waterbury
Kris Robles, LCSW
Tides of Mind Counseling
230 Frost Rd. 1st Fl. Waterbury, CT 06705
PHONE: (203) 819-0789
FAX: (203) 756-2521
Watertown
Emily Ann Reim Ifrach, ATR-BC, LPC, NCC
Lotus Counseling of Connecticut
76 Waterbury Park Rd Suite 209E Watertown, CT 06795
PHONE: (203) 707-8962
FAX: (203) 889-5381
Wauregan
Olivia Locker, MD
Wellness Locker, LLC
19 S. Walnut St, Suite D, Wauregan, CT 06387
PHONE: (860) 412-9138
West Cornwall
Mary Gates, LCSW, MDIV
61 Surdan Mountain Rd. West Cornwall, CT 06796
PHONE: (860) 672-6773
West Hartford
Stephanie Carter, LCSW
Family Resource and Development Center, LLC
41 North Main St 3rd Floor West Hartford, CT 06107
PHONE: (860) 838-4735
FAX: (860) 461-1514
Elizabeth Cestero, LCSW
2475 Albany Ave. Suite 203B, West Hartford, CT 06117
PHONE: (860) 740-2622
Joshua Cohen, LMFT
The Center for Solutions LLC
1007 Farmington Ave. Suite 5, West Hartford, CT 06107
PHONE: (860) 709-9942
Geoff Genser, MSW, LCSW
270 Farmington Ave. Suite 347 West Hartford, CT 06032
PHONE: (860) 570-0877
FAX: (888) 778-1340
Kate Keefe, LCSW
The Bridge Family Center Youth & Family Services Department
1038 Farmington Ave. West Hartford, CT 06107
PHONE: (860) 521-8035
FAX: (860) 521-8036
Elaine Knowlden, LCSW
920 Farmington Ave. Ste 202, West Hartford, CT 06107
PHONE: (860) 570-4800
FAX: (860) 570-0120
Carol Lamson, LCSW
Empower Behavioral Health
309 North Main Street West Hartford, CT 06117
PHONE: (860) 978-4727
FAX: (860) 233-3344
Jennifer Laptew, LPC, LMHC
Counseling by Jennifer Laptew, LCSW, LLC
45 South Main St. Suite 107, West Hartford, CT 06107
PHONE: (860) 538-1930
West Haven
Talitha Tramuta, LMFT
Branford Psychotherapy and Counseling, LLC
568 Washington Ave, West Haven, CT 06516
PHONE: (203) 800-1135
FAX: (203) 931-9923
Westport
Amanda Harmon, LCSW
Changing Tides Psychotherapy & Counseling LLC
8 Myrtle Ave Westport, CT 06880
PHONE: (203) 583-1257
E.Carine Lauterbach, LCSW
EC Therapy
4 Whitney St. Ext. Westport, CT 06880
PHONE: (203) 904-2163
Wethersfield
Ozlem Camli, Ph.D.
80 Garden St. Wethersfield, CT 06109
PHONE: (860) 529-5229
FAX: (860) 529-7820
Sharon Cutts, ACSW/LCSW
121 Main St./80 Garden S., Wethersfield, CT 06109
PHONE: (860) 539-4434
May Fianna, LMFT
(Previously Tuscano)
Fianna Family Therapy
61 Arrow Rd, Suite 201, Wethersfield, CT 06109
PHONE: (860) 856-9773
FAX: (860) 909-0327
Willimantic
Susan Barone, LCSW
Your Story Counseling & EFT Practice
322 Main St Bldg#2 Suite 1-U Wlllimantic, CT 06226
PHONE: (860) 208-3813
FAX: (860) 942-8800
Windsor
Sean Cronin, LCSW, MS, MPH
Spectrum Psychotherapy Centers, LLC
41 Mechanic St, Windsor, CT 06095
PHONE: (860) 246-7999
Winsted
Nicole Mulhall, LCSW
Measurable Progress Therapy, LLC
100 Whiting Street, Studio 409 Winsted, CT 06098
PHONE: (203) 598-4707
FAX: 1 (888) 453-0519
Wolcott
Laurin Franco, MS, LPC
1495 Wolcott Rd. Wolcott, CT 06716
PHONE: (203) 879-4424 / (860) 471-0877
Other resources outside of CT
Abigail Reifsnyder, LICSW
SIRACUSA ASSOCIATES
681 Simonds Rd Williamstown, MA 01267
PHONE: (413) 458-9600
FAX: (413) 458-4028
Gender Dysphoria Support Groups
- Multiple Locations – PFLAG
- Hartford – Institute of Living
- New Haven – Support groups led by Tony Ferraiolo
- Norwalk – Triangle Community Center
Gender Dysphoria Resources
- Help with school transition/safety: GLSEN.org
- Legal assistance: GLAD.org
- Nationwide source of information and inspiration: Human Rights Campaign.
- Supporting LGBTQIA Patients and Families: Connecticut Children’s
Medical Professionals
Would you like to be listed on our website as a trusted provider for gender-diverse patients? Please complete our Provider Form.
To refer a patient to the Gender Program, please submit a specialty referral.