Two Torches Therapy

I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker offering online psychotherapy to residents of Connecticut. I provide affirming, trauma-informed care for folks underserved by mainstream therapy—LGBTQIA+ communities, neurodivergent people, and others who don't fit neatly into society's norms of gender, sexuality, relationships, and subcultures.I help people gain insight on their past and present, move through lingering traumas, break free of patterns that don't serve them, enjoy better relationships and greater self-worth, and step into the life they want.Let's move through the shadows together.Queer-affirming, radically relational.With availability for night owls & early risers:
5:00 AM - 1:00 PM

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what brings you here

it's time for a change

Are you navigating big feelings, big questions, or big life transitions? Struggling to make sense of who you are or what you want, or to move forward from a painful past?Maybe you're weighed down by the anxiety, the overwhelm, the disconnection and isolation. Yearning to feel safe, secure, accepted, and loved by others (and yourself). Maybe you're ready to "do the work", to get un-stuck and move toward feeling better, but whatever you've tried hasn't helped—or you don't even know where to begin.On top of it all, you're done with feeling unseen, misunderstood, or judged by therapists for who you are and how you live and love.You need a fresh approach, a safer space, and some good company for the journey.

You might find yourself reflected in one of my specialties—but you might not, or maybe you're not sure. And that's okay! These are just a few big topics I work with, and it doesn't capture how complex and individual each person's experiences are.The most important things are:
Do we connect?
And am I the right resource for your needs and goals right now?The best way to find out is to get on an intro call with me.

hope to see you soon.

my practice

why Two Torches?

The imagery of two torches has guided me through many long days and nights, both as a therapist and as a human moving through an often cruel and traumatizing world.One torch, borne by one person, can provide a light in the darkness; if it is extinguished, or if the torch-bearer cannot find their way out of the darkness, the light burns out and the torch-bearer is plunged back into darkness.Two torches is a collaborative journey. It allows the light to reach further into the darkness. One torch can re-light the other if one goes out, or carry both torches while the other torch-bearer rests from the journey. It means company in the darkness.◆                    ◆                    ◆Torches are used for light in the darkness, for ceremony and celebration and somber ritual. You'll see versions of torches carried at protests, bonfires at parties, candles atop birthday cakes—torches, fire, and flame appear all across the range of human experience and emotion. Torches can also burn everything down, creating space for something new.◆                    ◆                    ◆Two torches appear in mythology as well. The ancient Greek goddess Hecate is depicted holding two torches. Hecate was the goddess of magic, of borders and transitions, doorways and crossroads, and of what lies outside or beyond our mortal realm of understanding. A protector and guardian, Hecate was also a keeper of keys, able to lock and unlock the gates of the mortal and shadow realms.Hecate was also a guide into and out of darkness: she and her two torches accompanied Persephone on her annual journey to and from the underworld.To me, two torches represents not just your journey, or my journey, but our journey together through the sometimes very dark, very painful process of therapeutic recovery and healing. It represents bumbling through uncertainty and chaos; making mistakes, having ruptures, and losing sight of the path; facing the shadows of the past; delving into the dark depths of our emotions and returning intact. It represents the many faces and facets of our identities, our complex emotions and experiences, our relationships with others and with ourselves.In this way, two torches represents the power of relational therapy: When you doubt your ability to face heavy feelings, sharp questions, and painful experiences, when you need a rest during the journey, or when you need your torch re-lit—I will be there.

commitments

my mission & values

My mission is to provide affirming, accessible, trauma-informed mental health support to those who live or love alternatively—to the communities who are too often misunderstood, unseen, or underserved by traditional mental health professionals.My background is in community mental health—bringing psychological and social support to the people who need it the most, but struggle the most to access it. I have spent years focused on making comprehensive mental health services more accessible and relatable for people who would otherwise not be able to access care or who had had negative experiences with helping systems. I came from those communities and I remain dedicated to them.I aim to disrupt the usual therapist/client dynamics. I work holistically and relationally, not authoritatively. I prioritize human dignity, autonomy, and connection.I am driven to provide support that is queer- and trans-affirming, neuro-affirming, kink-affirming, and sex-positive. To me, being affirming is an active process. It's recognizing and respecting my clients' identities and autonomy. It's actively working to create an inviting, supportive space for them to be their full selves without judgment while gently dismantling internalized shame and stigma. It also means acknowledging systemic injustices, pathologizing, and erasure, and using my platform to advocate.Beyond just affirming care, I am committed to competent care. I have worked in many capacities with folks of diverse identities, people facing difficult life situations and systemic barriers and injustice, and I completed a clinical social work program dedicated to exactly this. I regularly pursue training and education to ensure my approach is informed, ethical, and up-to-date. Click here for an overview of my education, training, and experience, from mental health to social justice.I prioritize meeting people where they're at and valuing them as equals. I respect you and see you as the expert on your own life. I'll challenge you, while respecting your boundaries and the pace you move at. It is essential to me to work collaboratively—alongside you, not above you.While I've gained so much from my formal education and professional training, I also deeply value lived experience as a source of wisdom—yours as well as mine.

There will inevitably be "ruptures" between us (misunderstanding, misattunement, conflict, feeling angry or frustrated or let down)—and that is part of the process. We're both human! And we're doing the work when we show up again and allow for the opportunity for a "repair".I am trained psychodynamically, so I look to the past and to the unconscious for information and insight on the hows and whys. To avoid getting stuck in reflecting and ruminating, I also ground us in the here-and-now and focus on creating new experiences in the present that help your brain re-wire itself for healthy, safer relationships.Finally, relational work means joining you as a collaborator rather than an authority—and this means bringing myself and my personality into the work too. I am not a "blank slate", and I will show up more fully in session than traditional talk therapists or analysts. Laughing, crying, cursing—we're in this together!All feelings are welcome.

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FAQ: qualifications

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FAQ: counseling/therapy

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FAQ: insurance, fees, policies

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FAQ: privacy

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FAQ: how to get started

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FAQ: additional services

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fee policies

fees

SessionsMy standard fee is $175 per session*.
*Sliding fee scale may be available—read more here.

I can provide Superbills as needed.

You have the right to a Good Faith Estimate for your services.
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ConsultsConsults are billed at a pro-rated fee based on the session cost.As a counselor and trained social worker, I often work systemically. This means I may work with other people or systems my client is involved with (with their consent!). This could be a "collateral consult", like a 30-minute phone call with their doctor, for example, or a "family consult", like a 20-minute check-in with the parent of a teenage client.Consultations are generally billed in 15-minute chunks at a rate based on the session fee, and are done as-needed. We'll discuss this in advance so there are no surprises.

public notice

Good Faith Estimate

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost.Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who do not have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. For recurring services, such as weekly psychotherapy, this estimate will address the expected costs for 12 months of treatment.Please ensure that your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 1-800-985-3059.

Privacy Policy

Notice of Privacy Practices (HIPAA & GDPR)

Notice of Privacy Practices (HIPAA)

This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.Your RightsYou have the right to:
• Get a copy of your paper or electronic medical record
• Correct your paper or electronic medical record
• Request confidential communication
• Ask us to limit the information we share
• Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared your information
• Get a copy of this privacy notice
• Choose someone to act for you
• File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violatedYour ChoicesYou have some choices in the way that we use and share information as we:
• Tell family and friends about your condition
• Provide disaster relief
• Include you in a hospital directory
• Provide mental health care
• Market our services and sell your information
• Raise fundsOur Uses and DisclosuresWe may use and share your information as we:
• Treat you
• Run our organization
• Bill for your services
• Help with public health and safety issues
• Do research
• Comply with the law
• Respond to organ and tissue donation requests
• Work with a medical examiner or funeral director
• Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests
• Respond to lawsuits and legal actionsTo the extent that we have your substance use disorder patient records, subject to 42 CFR part 2, we will not share that information for investigations or legal proceedings against you without (1) your written consent or (2) a court order and a subpoena.Your RightsWhen it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record
• You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. Ask us how to do this.
• We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.Ask us to correct your medical record
• You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Ask us how to do this.
• We may say “no” to your request, but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.Request confidential communications
• You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home, office, or cell phone) or to send mail to a different address.
• We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.Ask us to limit what we use or share
• You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no,” for example, if it could affect your care. If we agree to your request, we may still share this information in the event that you need emergency treatment.
• If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer. We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information.Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared information
• You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we’ve shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why.
• We will include all the disclosures except for those about treatment, payment, and health care operations, and certain other disclosures (such as any you asked us to make). We’ll provide one accounting a year for free but will charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another one within 12 months.Get a copy of this privacy notice
You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.Choose someone to act for you
• If someone has authority to act as your personal representative, such as if someone has your medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
• We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated
• You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting us.
• You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html.
• We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.Your ChoicesFor certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, talk to us. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions.In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to:
• Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care or payment for your care
• Share information in a disaster relief situation
• Include your information in a hospital directoryIf you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may go ahead and share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.In these cases we never share your information unless you give us written permission:
• Marketing purposes
• Sale of your information
• Most sharing of psychotherapy notesIn the case of fundraising:
• We may contact you for fundraising efforts, but you can tell us not to contact you again.If we have your substance use disorder patient records, subject to 42 CFR part 2, we will give you clear and obvious notice in advance and a choice about whether to receive fundraising communications that use your Part 2 information.Our Uses and DisclosuresHow do we typically use or share your health information?We typically use or share your health information in the following ways.Treat you
We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you.
Example: A doctor treating you for an injury asks another doctor about your overall health condition.Run our organization
We can use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary.
Example: We use health information about you to manage your treatment and services.Bill for your services
We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities.
Example: We give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.How else can we use or share your health information?We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways – usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes.In all cases, including those listed below, if we have substance use disorder patient records about you, subject to 42 CFR part 2, we cannot use or share information in those records in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against you without (1) your consent or (2) a court order and a subpoena.Help with public health and safety issues
We can share health information about you for certain situations such as:
• Preventing disease
• Helping with product recalls
• Reporting adverse reactions to medications
• Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
• Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safetyDo research
We can use or share your information for health research.Comply with the law
We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.Respond to organ and tissue donation requests
We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.Work with a medical examiner or funeral director
We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests
We can use or share health information about you:
• For workers’ compensation claims
• For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official
• With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law
• For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services
Respond to lawsuits and legal actions
• We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.Our Responsibilities• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
• We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
• We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
• We will not use or share your information other than as described in this notice unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html(www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html).Changes to the Terms of this NoticeWe can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our web site.Other Instructions for Notice• Effective date of this notice: 2/18/2026
• Name of privacy contact: Molly Toomey, [email protected]
• Note specific to my practice: I will never market or sell your personal information.

Data Privacy Addendum: GDPR

As your therapist, I am a resident of the European Union/EEA. Because I am physically located in the EU while providing services, your personal and clinical data is protected under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which provides some of the highest privacy standards in the world.Regardless of your residency, as a client of this practice you are afforded the following rights (in addition to the protections provided under HIPAA):
• Lawful Basis for Processing: I process your data based on medical necessity and the therapeutic contract that we have established.
• Data Portability: You have the right to request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• The Right to be Forgotten: You may request the deletion of your data; however, please note that as a CT-licensed LCSW, I am legally required by Connecticut State Regulation (§ 19a-14-42) to retain clinical records for a minimum of 7 years from the last date of treatment. For minors, records are retained for at least 7 years after the client reaches the age of 18 (age 25). This legal retention requirement takes precedence over the GDPR right to erasure.
• International Transfer: By signing this (i.e., consenting to work with me), you consent to your data being processed by me in the EU and stored on HIPAA-compliant, secure servers (Carepatron) located in the United States.

Imprint

Legal Disclosure

Practicing as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker licensed in Connecticut, USA (license #15933).
Services provided via telehealth to residents of Connecticut only.Operator: Molly Toomey
Address: Talstr. 38, 07743 Jena, Germany
Contact: [email protected]Regulatory Authority: Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing Unit, 410 Capitol Ave., Hartford, CT 06134
License Number: 15933