Jay Jayaraman (she/they), MSW, LCSWA

My name is Jay Jayaraman (she/they) and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate (LCSWA) serving as Outpatient Therapist at Three Oaks Behavioral Health & Wellness. I received my undergraduate degree in English from Bryn Mawr College and my Master of Social Work (MSW) from the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work.

During my MSW program at UNC CH, I focused on direct practice and integrated health with children and families, completing a field placement at the Duke Child and Adolescent Gender Care Center. I have a passion for working with transgender youth and adults, as well as with anyone struggling with identity around race, gender, sexuality, disability, and more. My areas of clinical focus are life transitions, relationship issues, chronic illness, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance use, and trauma.

As a queer and trans person of color, I understand how challenging it can be to find affirming care that centers your unique experiences, challenges, and resiliency. I strive to create a warm, collaborative, and non judgemental therapeutic space where you can bring your whole self and journey toward a life worth living. I work through an intersectional, holistic, social-justice oriented lens. As an advocate for social justice, I am grounded in the understanding that institutional and social forces influence mental health. My approach welcomes clients to explore these issues in session along with everyday life issues. Together, we can create a plan for you to meet your goals, strengthen supports, and build your self-reliance, all while being gentle with yourself in the process.

In session, I use mixed modalities including Person-centered, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Motivational Interviewing (MI). A lot of these terms don’t mean much to folks who haven’t studied mental health - and that’s more than okay! Therapy does not have to be a mystery, and I’ll gladly break down these concepts for you in our work together.

I look forward to working with you!

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email | meerajay@threeoaksbehavioralhealth.com