Syd LeRoy, LMSW (They/Them)

My name is Syd and I am a New York State licensed social worker (LMSW) born and raised on Long Island.

I received my B.A. in Studio Art from CUNY Hunter College, during which time I started organizing and community building. After college I continued living in NYC and directed a local branch of an organization building community and exploring popular science. I received my MSW from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College for community organizing, working alongside queer and trans immigrant asylum seekers, as well as supporting LGBTQ youth in taking space in East Harlem’s public housing community centers. As graduate school came to an end it became clear to me that I needed to return to my roots to support my community.

I came back to Long Island and worked as an organizer for the ACLU of New York advocating for civil rights at the state and local level. What I found most fulfilling about that work, and what I was best suited for, was supporting and holding space for individuals and small groups. Since then I have transitioned from the “macro” side of the social work field to the “micro”, supporting mental health through clinical and direct service work. I honed these skills providing intensive home-based mental health support to youth in crisis and their families for over two years. I have developed many creative tools to engage young people and families that have been used by other clinicians, as well as educational materials for providers on how to support LGBTQ youth and their caregivers.

I continue to organize and challenge the systems that impact mental health, and I bring that perspective into every space I’m in. I believe that being trauma-informed includes understanding systemic trauma and how it is experienced and compounded generationally. I am also passionate about collective care and the importance of being connected to community. As a therapist and a community member I am grateful for the opportunity to support you on your journey of healing and reclaiming your most authentic self.