We Are a Network of Queer and Trans-Identified Mental Health Professionals Who Serve the 2SLGBTQIA Community
Our team consists of highly skilled, compassionate, radical psychotherapists and social workers who have shared expertise in supporting and promoting health and wellness within a 2SLGBTQIA mental health framework.
Our therapeutic approach is grounded in values of feminism, social justice, decolonization, sex and kink-positivity and shapes how our therapists practice trauma-informed and anti- oppressive mental health care.

Acknowledgement
Tkaronto and the surrounding areas that we serve are within the Dish With One Spoon Territory. The Dish With One Spoon is a treaty between the Anishinaabe, Mississaugas and Haudenosaunee that bound them to share the territory and protect the land. Subsequent Indigenous Nations and Peoples, Europeans and all newcomers have been invited into this treaty in the spirit of peace, friendship and respect.
We at Umbrella recognize that the professions of psychology, psychotherapy, and social work have roots in colonial violence. As psychotherapists and social workers, we understand that we have a responsibility to continuously work to decolonize the practice of psychotherapy/social work and acknowledge the origins of the various healing practices we utilize.
Our therapists actively engage in regular training that emphasizes professional development, team support, and sharing the current knowledge in 2SLGBTQIA mental health, to ensure the highest level of care for our clients.
Meet Our Team
Christopher Shillington
MA, CCC, RP
(they/them)
Clinic Director/ Registered Psychotherapist
*NIHB Provider
Areas of focus:
- Couples Therapy/ ENM
- Grief/Loss & Transition
- Trauma & PTSD
Bushra Ahmed
MSW, RSW
Registered Social Worker
Areas of focus:
- 2SLGBTQIA+ Youth
- Exploring Neurodivergent Identities
- Impact of Oppression & Trauma on Mental Health
Cressida Frey
MSW, RSW
(they/them)
Registered Social Worker
Areas of focus:
- Complex & Relational Trauma
- Relationships & Attachment Strategies
- Gender & Sexual Identity
Derek Cassidy
MSW, RSW
(he/him/they/them)
Registered Social Worker
Areas of focus:
- Relationships and Attachment
- Complex, Relational Trauma
- Sexuality and Sexual Health
Gilda Pikelin
MSW, RSW
(she/her/they/them)
Registered Social Worker
Areas of focus:
- Stress, Burnout, Anxiety & Depression
- Fertility/Infertility & Queer Family Planning
- Gender-Based Violence & Trauma
Kathryn Bargis
MSc, RP (she/her) Registered PsychotherapistAreas of focus:
- Relationships
- Trauma
- Gender and Sexual Identity
Maxine Bower
MSW, RSW (she/her) Registered Social WorkerAreas of focus:
- Attachment in Individuals and in Relationships
- Complex Trauma
- Deepening Connections
Nicholas Sorg
MSc, RP
(he/him)
Registered Psychotherapist
Areas of focus:
- Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
- Sexual Identity Development
- Alternative Relationships, Relationship and Family Stress
Rae Griffin-Carlson
MSW, RSW
(she/her)
Registered Social Worker
*NIHB Provider
Areas of focus:
- 2SLGBTQIA+ Youth & Adults
- Stress, Anxiety & Depression
- Sexual & Gender-based Violence









