About Ari

Arlene (Ari) Istar Lev, L.C.S.W., C.A.S.A.C., is a social worker, family therapist, educator, and published writer whose work addresses the unique therapeutic needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.  Ari is the founder of Choices Counseling and Consulting in Albany, New York providing family therapy for LGBT people. She is also on the adjunct faculties of S.U.N.Y. Albany, School of Social Welfare, Empire College, and Vermont College of the Union Institute and University.

Ari is the author of The Complete Lesbian and Gay Parenting Guide (Penguin Press, 2004) and Transgender Emergence: Therapeutic Guidelines for Working with Gender-Variant People and their Families (Haworth Press, 2004), winner of the American Psychological Association (Division 44) Distinguished Book Award, 2006. Her expertise is in issues related to sexual and gender identity issues and the unique therapeutic needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. The focus of her work includes traditional psychotherapeutic modalities, within a feminist and family systems framework, as well as holistic and psychospiritual approaches. Ari has worked for over twenty years addressing trauma, addictions, and recovery issues. She has dedicated her professional practice to the sensitive and respectful treatment of people dealing with sexual related concerns, including issues related to sexual orientation, gender expression, sexual functioning and performance, and "coming-out." She is especially excited to work with parents and alternative families of all kinds.

Ari is the Founder of Rainbow Access Initiative, a training program on LGBT issues for therapists and medical professionals in the Capital Region, where she currently serves as Project Manager and Consultant. She is the Clinical Supervisor for Center Support: Counseling Services, a collaborative program between the Capital District Gay and Lesbian Community Council and SUNY Albany, School of Social Welfare.  Ari serves on the editorial Boards of The Journal of GLBT Family Studies, The Journal of Lesbian Studies, and The Journal of Transgenderism. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Institute, a program of the Center on Halsted, Chicago, Illinois.

Ari is an active member of the National Association of Social Workers, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, the American Psychological Association (Division 44) and the American Family Therapy Academy. She is a member of the Standards of Care Work Group (WPATH) and the Founder of Professionals Concerned with Gender Diagnoses in the DSM (http://professionals.gidreform.org). She is a previous Board Member of Family Pride/The Family Equality Council and the previous Board Chair of the New York State NASW Lesbian and Gay Issues Committee. Ari maintains three nationally syndicated columns on LGBT parenting issues: In a Family Way, Dear Ari, and Family Matters. She has also authored many articles that have been published in professional journals and textbooks and creative writing has been published in numerous anthologies. Her writings are available here.

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