Natalie J. Taber, MA, MSW, LICSW

natalie@affinitypsych.com

Hello and welcome! I am Natalie Taber. I have always been interested in how people make sense and meaning of their lives, interested in why and how people act and feel how they do. My practice serves a wide variety of issues and people. I often work with clients who have identities that are de-centered in the dominant culture, and I have special interest and expertise in the areas of gender and sexuality (especially transgender experiences-I am a WPATH provider), identity, complex childhood trauma, navigating higher levels of academia, and bi-cultural/mixed-race experiences.

I hold undergraduate degrees in Philosophy and Religion from Hendrix College, a Masters Degree in Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and a Masters of Social Work from the University of Minnesota. I am a licensed clinical social worker, practicing as a therapist in the Twin Cities for the last 7 years. In addition to private practice, I have worked at Hamm Memorial Psychiatric Clinic and Relate Counseling Center. I did my psychotherapy training at Kente Circle and the MPSI Psychotherapy Center. I also teach Clinical Practice to MSW students as Community Faculty at the University of Minnesota School of Social Work.

Though I take all insurances listed on the Affinity website, I prioritize working with clients who have MA. I have a contract with the state of Minnesota to insure that at least 1 out of every 4 clients I see has MA, because I know how hard it is to find a good provider with state insurance.

I also know that not everyone wants to use insurance for their mental health care. I am happy to see you without insurance through private pay.

If you feel like I am the therapist for you, and you want to work together with me please reach out to me directly at natalie@affinitypsych.comWe will either move forward to begin work together, or I will curate a short list of other therapists I believe will be a good fit for you based on what you share with me in our correspondence.

How I Work

I believe that we exist and persist in patterns of relating, behaving, thinking and feeling. I believe that people need to be really listened to by someone who can help guide them to understand and transform the patterns they struggle to change on their own. I have developed my practice from the frameworks of attachment theory, developmental theory, and psychoanalytic theory. I come to the work through these frameworks because I know that our selves, our emotional and psychological being, developed in the context of relationship and that we heal in the context of relationship as well.

Sometimes sitting with another person can be a little scary. Especially when we want to connect, we want to be known and seen. And sometimes it’s just what you’re looking for and it feels really relieving to know that you have somebody to sit with you, talk with you, be with you.

I will work with you to connect to your own strength to make your life one you want to live in, no matter what has come before. We will create a place together where you are seen, understood, believed, and supported-a place where you don’t have to pretend. I will provide a calming and supportive presence to build and grow from. I work to help people find relief in the short term while continuing on a path of long-term healing and well-being that will continue long after our work has finished.

I have an outstanding record of helping clients find success in therapy, break the patterns in which they’ve been stuck and feel the freedom of what they can achieve and experience when not beholden to limiting systems.

What Sets Me Apart As a Therapist?

I will deeply listen to you. I will remember the things you’ve told me. In so much un-seeing existence I partner with you to feel safe and be seen.

I am direct and promise to be truthful and transparent, yet gentle and supportive with you. I recognize that many systems that are supposedly set up to be helpful can do a lot of harm. I work from a place of promise for no-surprises, of believing you in your experience, and not from a place of moral superiority. I have lived experience in poverty, long-term homelessness (and all that goes with it), academia, queer community and more. I have worked in collective and community for environmental, gender, and racial and social justice for more than two decades. So you might experience my perspective as different from some others.

I truly believe that people can heal, that solace can be found, that it does not always have to be a fight. Once we have settled into a good rhythm together you’ll find that, in addition to my ever-present cup of coffee, I love to bring play, light and humor to the work. I see my work as active critical engagement with systems of power, resistance in persistence, and healing through relationships. I’m excited to meet you!

Issues I Treat:

  • Complex Childhood Trauma (C-PTSD)
  • Gender Dysphoria/Gender Identity
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • PTSD
  • Life Changes/Adjustments
  • Relationship Challenges
  • Family of Origin Complexity
  • Abuse History
  • Gender Affirming Letter Writing

Populations I Serve:

  • Adults 18+
  • Mixed Race and/or Bi-Cultural
  • Transplants to Minnesota
  • Masters and PhD Students
  • Early Career Professors
  • Trans Adults
  • Queer and Poly Relationships
  • Complex Childhood Trauma Survivors
  • Young Adults
  • Activists
  • People transitioning from student to career
  • Adults 50+
  • Artists & Creatives
  • LGBTQ2SIA+
  • BIPOC

Professional background:

Education

  • MSW in Clinical Mental Health, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
  • MA in Philosophy, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
  • BA in Philosophy, Hendrix College-Conway, Arkansas
  • BA in Religion, Hendrix College-Conway, Arkansas

Trainings

  • Minnesota Psychoanalytic Society and Institute Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy PostGraduate Training Program
  • WPATH-GEI Foundations Course
  • Narrative Exposure Therapy Training Certificate (Trauma Treatment)

Previous Employment

  • University of Minnesota-Twin Cities School of Social Work, MSW Program
  • Hamm Memorial Psychiatric Clinic
  • Relate Counseling Center
  • MPSI Psychotherapy Center
  • Kente Circle
  • Urban Research Outreach Engagement Center (UROC), University of Minnesota Researcher for Projects: Mapping the Demand for Sex with Trafficked Individuals in Minnesota and Workers’ Experiences in Strip Clubs
  • Karen Organization of Minnesota & GoodWill Easter Seals Hmong and Karen Being Well Program

Licensure

  • Minnesota, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, License #26318