Meet Your Licensed Sex Therapist, Amber Lavendel
Amber is a licensed therapist with a focus in all things sex. She often finds herself supporting others in exploring the most intimate and taboo parts of themselves in order to help them show up more authentically in their lives and relationships.
Her own identities inform her work and as a result she places a high importance on being sex work-, poly/CNM-, kink-, and LGBTQIA+ affirming.
As a queer, nontraditional, alternative-lifestyle human herself, she deeply understand the importance of having a therapist that can hold the most tender parts of you with care, compassion, and stand with you in solidarity.
She enjoys working with motivated people who are interested in navigating the complexities of their intimate lives with openness and honesty. She is particularly passionate about working with non traditional relationships exploring sexuality, intimacy, sexual functioning, power dynamics, and communication.
She strives to create a therapeutic space where clients will not be pathologized, where strengths will be recognized, laughter encouraged and vulnerability respected.
In her personal life you can find her walking my furry co-worker, sipping fancy coffee, tending to her almost functional garden, and connecting with chosen family over a home cooked meal.
Experience, Education, and Training
I started my own mental health journey as a kid when my parents sent me to therapy, originally resistant, I grew to love Donna’s little office. My interest in sex and sexuality education began in high school, when I launched a blog dedicated to open, honest conversations about sex and relationships.
My work is deeply shaped by my lived experience, something no classroom can teach, and strengthened by my formal education and professional training.
I began working professionally in the mental health field in 2019, beginning with case management for clients experiencing crisis. When COVID uprooted the street-based work I was doing I knew it was time to return to school. During my master's program, at William James College, I completed the Couples and Families track giving me valuable education in navigating complex systems. At this time I gained experience in residential treatment settings with both adults and adolescents (age 12-22). In 2023, after obtaining my degree I joined a group therapy practice focused on reproductive and perinatal mental health. This position and the trainings offered helped me gain valuable insight into the experience of new parents when supporting couples and reintegrating intimacy into their lives. In 2025, I became an independently licensed therapist and launched Project Passion Therapy. As a seeker of knowledge I have, and will continue, to prioritize trainings and supervision to offer the best care I can.
Massachusetts Licensed Mental Health Counselor #LMHC10004682
Connecticut Licensed Professional Counselor #LPC009073
Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Concentration in Couples and Families William James College
Completed Perinatal Mood Disorders: Components of Care through Postpartum Support International
Completed Advancing Clinical Education in Sexuality through Institute for Sexuality Education and Enlightenment
On the Committee of New England Association for Family and Systemic Therapists
Member of Social Justice Focused Peer Supervision Group
Modalities
I practice from a pleasure-focused, culturally-humble, trauma-informed, and systems lens. In sessions, I often reflect on the impact of the systems we operate within. These systems can include the family (chosen or blood), community, capitalism, and politics. Despite the harm these systems create I believe all people deserve to feel good and create pleasure in their lives.
I pull from person-centered, narrative, and emotion-focused techniques. While I utilize my training in evidence based treatment and I also believe therapy is more of an art than a science and work to center the relationship between us the mechanism of change.
I believe the therapy is a collaborative process in which the we work together to determine the best approach.
