ks Stanley, Psy.D.

The client-therapist fit is so important, so let me tell you some about me: I am a white, queer, transmasculine psychologist from Texas. I’m also a singlet, able-bodied, and was raised with socioeconomic advantages that put me through school. My Irish, English, and German ancestors colonized native land in North Carolina. I was born during the late 1970’s and am very proud to be part of Generation X. From around age 3, gender identity began trending toward the masculine end of the spectrum. That changed in the sixth grade when I started at a religious fundamentalist private school that taught me more about hate than love – and I was the hated “other.” After graduating from there, I attended Duke University planning to major in English and history. But my first psychology course evolved into a major. I also came out as queer there, but still was suppressing my truest self. I graduated (2001) with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a minor in criminology, and a certificate in the study of sexualities in hand. I moved to New York City that August for a doctoral program in forensic psychology, but it didn’t feel right. I pivoted to New York University and completed master’s in psychology (2004) and moved on to Los Angeles and earned a Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology at Pepperdine University (2009). I completed my pre-doctoral internship at the Texas Tech University Student Counseling Services (2008-2009), where I had the opportunity complete a rotation in sexual/gender identity rotation. I then completed a post-doctoral fellowship at The University of Texas at San Antonio Student Counseling Services (2009-2010). That April (2010), I invited safe people to see my true self as transgender and began masculinizing hormone replacement therapy (HRT). I have continued transitioning since. Between 2010 and 2015, I was a staff psychologist at university student counseling centers in North Carolina and Texas. I enjoy working with young adults but felt restricted by the short-term model of therapy. I also wanted to be an agent of change, but often felt more like a token in the workplace. I opened my private practice in 2015, where I work in alignment with my personal values and self-expression. Outside of work, you’ll find me eating tacos with my spouse, Riot; playing with our 3 cats and 2 dogs; exercising while listening to podcasts; putting together Lego; getting tattooed/hole punched; and attempting to write non-fiction.