PROVISIONALLY LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER
Beni Choiniere
Queer, Neurodivergent & Trauma-Informed Therapist in Rhode Island
Pronouns: She/They
Licensure: Provisional LCSW
Location: Rhode Island
Languages: English
Accepting New Clients: Yes
Sliding Scale: Yes
Insurance: Coming soon
About Beni
Understanding the complexity of our struggles involves recognizing internal conflicts and external pressures that shape our experiences. We make meaning of these experiences through stories. I believe that stories form the core of our existence.
I view therapy as a creative process, a space where diverse perspectives reveal new possibilities. By embracing the power of diverse narratives, we can unravel the knots of conflict and foster personal growth.
Diversity is the cornerstone of creativity. My intention is to create a safe and affirming environment where your uniqueness can flourish, where conflicts can be resolved by tapping into your creative reservoir. I believe that nurturing your creative spirit can open doors to alternative perspectives and build hope.
My study of art, philosophy, and social work, combined with experiences in activism and as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community inform my practice and therapeutic approach. Though I have resources to offer, you are the author of your story. My genuine curiosity and unwavering optimism will serve as a lantern to illuminate uncharted territories.
I believe in the collective power of change. We are not only shaped by society and culture but have the capacity to shape them. Together people can use their collective diversity to democratically shape the world, fostering connections that lead to shared liberation.
Let's embark on this journey together, where your story unfolds and new possibilities emerge. I'm here to facilitate, support, and empower you every step of the way.
Specialties
ADHD & Neurodivergence
Anxiety, Panic & OCD
Depression & Burnout
Trauma, PTSD & Dissociation
Grief, Loss & Life Transitions
Chronic Illness, Disability & Medical Trauma
Gender Identity & Transgender Support
Queer, Nonbinary & LGBTQ+ Experiences
Relationships, Couples & Family Dynamics
Intercultural & Interfaith Relationships
Body Image, Eating & Food Relationships
Substance Use & Recovery
Anger, Self-Esteem & Emotional Regulation
Climate Anxiety & Political Stress
Career, Burnout & Major Life Changes
Intimacy, Sexuality & Alternative Relationship Structures
Cultural Identity & Intergenerational Healing
Domestic Violence, Abuse & Relationship Harm
Areas of Focus
BDSM/ Kink/ Poly-Positive
Ecological
Climate & Animal Justice
Gender-Affirming Care Letter Provider for Transgender People
Gender-Affirming Care Access Advocate (TGNB),
Gender-Affirming Care Knowledgeable (TGNB)
HIV Ally
Peer Support
Sex Positive
Sex Worker Ally
Therapist or Coach for Activists
Therapist or Coach for Healthcare Workers
First Responders
Educators Therapist or Coach for Therapists
Transgender Justice
Modalities
Adlerian
Anger Management Therapy
Art Therapy
Bibliotherapy
Breathwork
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Compassion Focused
Culturally Responsive/Affirming
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy(DBT)
Discernment Counseling
Eclectic Therapy
Ego State Therapy
Existential Therapy
Experiential Therapy
Expressive Art Therapy
Family Systems
Family Therapy
Feminist Therapy
Gestalt Therapy
Gottman Method
Humanistic
Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT)
Motivational Interviewing
Narrative Therapy
Parts Work
Person-Centered Therapy
Poetry or Writing
Positive Psychology
Psychoanalytic
Psychodynamic Therapy
Solution Focused Brief (SFBT)
Somatic Therapy
Strength-Based
Trauma Informed Therapy
Lived Identity
and Experience
Person with Disability or Living with Chronic Pain/Illness
Gender Nonbinary
Non-Conforming
Queer
Expansive
Agender
LGBQ+ Sexuality
Transgender
White/European Diaspora
Woman or Femme
Why I Do This Work
“Many people carry stories that were shaped in places where survival mattered more than being fully seen. I believe healing can begin when people no longer have to translate, or defend themselves just to exist in the room. My hope is to create a space where complexity is welcomed, creativity is protected, and new ways of relating to yourself and the world can slowly emerge.”
- Beni Choiniere 
My Approach in Practice
Some people arrive in therapy carrying lives that have required constant adaptation. Learning when to stay quiet. When to mask. When to disconnect from parts of themselves just to remain safe, accepted, or understood. Over time, survival can become so familiar that it becomes difficult to tell where protection ends and where the self begins.
I approach therapy as a space where people can slowly loosen those survival patterns without pressure to become someone else. A space where creativity, contradiction, grief, humor, anger, identity, and uncertainty are all allowed to exist together. I believe healing often begins when people no longer have to defend their complexity in order to be cared for.
My work is shaped by narrative, relational, and trauma-informed approaches, alongside my background in art, philosophy, activism, and community-centered care. I am especially interested in how culture, systems, relationships, and lived experience shape the ways people understand themselves and move through the world.
Depending on your needs, our work may include conversation, reflection, parts work, creative exploration, emotional processing, or building practical ways to navigate burnout, relationships, identity shifts, chronic stress, grief, and life transitions. I value moving at a pace that feels sustainable and human. Therapy does not need to feel rushed or clinical in order to create meaningful change.
I hope to offer a space where people feel less alone with what they carry. A space where curiosity is protected, where your experiences are taken seriously, and where new ways of relating to yourself, others, and the world can gradually emerge.
What Clients Often Come to Me For
People often reach out when life feels heavy, layered, or difficult to put into words.
The stories people learned to survive inside of
Some people arrive carrying stories they never fully chose for themselves. Stories shaped by family expectations, survival, shame, silence, caregiving, religion, burnout, identity, illness, loss, or systems that taught them certain parts of themselves were “too much,” unsafe, or difficult to hold openly. Over time, those experiences can quietly shape how people relate to emotions, relationships, creativity, conflict, rest, and even their own sense of possibility.
Exhaustion from constantly adapting
Many clients come in feeling emotionally and relationally tired after years of masking, over-functioning, caretaking, navigating instability, or trying to stay understandable to others. Some are living with chronic stress, neurodivergence, disability, activism fatigue, or family and cultural pressures that left little room to slow down without consequence.
Identity, creativity, and becoming
Some people reach therapy during moments where old ways of understanding themselves no longer fit. This may involve gender, sexuality, spirituality, artistry, relationships, grief, or major life transitions. I’m especially drawn to helping people reconnect with parts of themselves that may have been hidden, interrupted, or made smaller in order to survive.
Our work focuses on making sense of what you have lived through while supporting you in building clarity, resilience, and self-trust in ways that fit your life and values.