Z. Hamilton Avery

Z. Hamilton Avery, LCSW, BC-TMH, CMT, CYT-1,000, TIYT (he/they) is a psychotherapist, clinical social worker, coach, educator, speaker, bodyworker, and integrative wellness practitioner with more than 15 years of interdisciplinary experience across mental health, healthcare, crisis services, education, and wellness. Z is the founder of Therapy with Z, LLC, where they provide affirming online psychotherapy to adolescents (13+) and adults in Oklahoma, Florida, South Carolina, and Idaho. They also provide non-clinical coaching to teens and adults nationwide.

Z's professional path has developed across disciplines rather than within a single setting or model of care. Since 2010, they have worked in outpatient psychotherapy, integrated primary care, community mental health, hospice and end-of-life care, mobile crisis services, 911 emergency communications and first response, school-based services, health education, and home- and community-based settings. Across these roles, Z has supported thousands of adolescents, adults, and older adults facing emotional distress, medical concerns, crises, trauma, loss, major transitions, and complex life circumstances.

Their interdisciplinary education spans pre-nursing, psychology, and social work. Z has continued that education through extensive professional training in behavioral health, trauma and crisis care, mindfulness, contemplative practices, bodywork, and integrative health. This background contributes to a perspective that considers mental health within the broader context of a person's life rather than treating psychological symptoms as isolated experiences.

In clinical practice, Z works with people navigating stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and PTSD, chronic illness and pain, grief and loss, burnout, suicidal thoughts, identity-related concerns, major life transitions, serious mental illness, and complex psychosocial stressors. They have extensive experience serving diverse and historically underserved communities.

Z's therapeutic approach is humanistic, person-centered, strengths-based, trauma-informed, harm-reduction oriented, inclusive, and affirming. Their work is grounded in respect for individual autonomy and the understanding that people rarely fit neatly into a single diagnosis, theory, identity, or definition of well-being. Therapy is individualized around each person's experiences, strengths, values, preferences, circumstances, and goals.

Their clinical training includes CBT, DBT, ACT, motivational interviewing, compassion-focused therapy, EMDR, trauma-focused interventions, somatic and expressive approaches, mindfulness, and mind-body practices. Z does not expect every intervention to work for every person. Therapy is collaborative. Z and their clients consider what is useful, build on what is helping, and change direction when an approach does not fit.

Z provides 2SLGBTQIA+ and neurodiversity-affirming care. They recognize that well-being can be influenced by relationships, identity, physical health, family, culture, environment, community, safety, access to resources, and experiences within healthcare and other institutions. Z also recognizes that identity does not have to become the focus of therapy simply because someone belongs to a particular community. Clients determine what is relevant to their lives and what deserves attention.

Alongside their clinical work, Z has an extensive background in bodywork, energy work, yoga, meditation, and complementary and alternative medicine. They are a Certified Massage Therapist, Certified Reiki Master trained across multiple lineages, and Certified Yoga Teacher with more than 1,000 hours of accredited training (much of which they completed in India). Their broader training includes massage therapy, Thai yoga massage, myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, Reiki and energy work, Chinese and Japanese styles of acupuncture, mindfulness, meditation, and multiple traditions of yoga, including Hatha, Kundalini, yin, restorative, and trauma-informed yoga.

Education is another significant part of Z's professional work. As an educator, speaker, writer, and curriculum developer, they create classes, workshops, professional trainings, retreats, presentations, and educational resources for individuals, organizations, and communities. Their subject areas include mental health, trauma, suicide prevention, chronic illness and pain, stress management, coping skills, mindfulness, self-compassion, meditation, yoga, complementary and alternative medicine, integrative wellness, and 2SLGBTQIA+ affirming care.

Across psychotherapy, coaching, education, and integrative wellness, Z's work is connected by an interest in the whole person. Their multidisciplinary background allows them to consider psychological, physical, relational, social, and experiential dimensions of well-being without assuming that one framework can fully explain every person. Whether working individually or with a larger audience, Z emphasizes curiosity, autonomy, practical skills, self-understanding, and approaches that people can meaningfully integrate into their own lives.