We Are a Network of Queer and Trans-identified Mental Health Professionals Who Serve the 2SLGBTQIA Community
LGBTQ Mental Health Counseling in Badjeros connects 2SLGBTQIA individuals and families with specialized psychotherapists who understand the distinct challenges of queer and trans life. Umbrella Mental Health Network serves Badjeros and the Greater Toronto Area with culturally competent care grounded in trauma-informed practice, feminist values, and social justice principles. Badjeros is a small community within the GTA where many people seeking mental health support face a common barrier: finding a therapist who truly understands queer and trans experience without requiring you to educate them about your own identity. Umbrella brings together registered psychotherapists and social workers with deep expertise in LGBTQ+ mental health, gender identity exploration, and the specific stressors that affect queer communities. Whether you are navigating gender questions, recovering from trauma, managing anxiety in a world not built for you, or exploring alternative relationship structures, this service offers a space designed for your needs. The practice operates from values that matter: anti-oppression work, decolonization, sex and kink positivity, and genuine commitment to social justice. This is not generic talk therapy with a rainbow flag. It is care that recognizes systemic oppression, childhood and community trauma, and the resilience required to live authentically as a 2SLGBTQIA person. Umbrella offers multiple service pathways tailored to different needs. Individual psychotherapy works with you one-to-one on trauma recovery, identity questions, depression, anxiety, and life transitions. Many clients in Badjeros and across the GTA come to address wounds from family rejection, medical trauma, discrimination, or internalized oppression that shapes how they see themselves. Couples and ethical non-monogamy counseling serves queer and trans partnerships navigating communication, boundaries, and the particular dynamics of alternative relationship structures. Youth and young adult counselling creates safety for people under 25 exploring gender and sexual identity during formative years when affirmation or rejection can have lasting impact. Gender and sexual identity exploration is a distinct service line, not a side function. Many people arrive uncertain about their identity or needing support to integrate a shift in how they understand themselves. Umbrella's therapists have the training and presence to sit with that uncertainty without pushing you toward any conclusion. Trauma and PTSD treatment uses evidence-based approaches refined specifically for LGBTQ+ survivors, recognizing that your trauma may be connected to your identity and that healing requires both clinical skill and cultural safety. What separates this work from mainstream counseling is the integration of all these dimensions at once. A trans person in Badjeros seeking support for depression will not be asked to compartmentalize identity from mood. A queer couple will not receive advice based on heterosexual relationship models. A survivor will not be treated as if their trauma exists separately from the social context in which it occurred. Research in mental health outcomes shows that therapeutic alliance and cultural competence are among the strongest predictors of treatment success. When a therapist understands the daily realities of queer and trans life, you do not spend session time explaining yourself. You spend it healing. In Badjeros and across the GTA, LGBTQ+ individuals report higher rates of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress than the general population. These outcomes are not inherent to being queer or trans. They reflect cumulative exposure to minority stress: discrimination, family rejection, barriers to accessing affirming healthcare, workplace discrimination, and the constant navigation of spaces not designed for you. A therapist grounded in social justice recognizes this and does not pathologize a reasonable response to an oppressive environment. Umbrella Mental Health Network integrates anti-oppressive practice throughout. This means understanding how racism, ableism, poverty, and other systems of oppression intersect with gender and sexual identity. A South Asian trans person in Badjeros faces different pressures than a white trans person. A disabled queer person has different needs than an able-bodied one. Care that is truly culturally competent holds these complexities and adjusts accordingly. The practice also operates from sex and kink positivity, a orientation uncommon in mainstream therapy but essential for many queer clients. Sexual expression and exploration are treated as a normal, healthy part of human experience rather than symptoms requiring correction. This is particularly important for people with histories of religious trauma, medical coercion, or messaging that pathologizes their sexuality. Umbrella Mental Health Network serves Badjeros as part of its broader GTA practice, bringing the same level of clinical expertise and values-alignment regardless of which community you are in. The therapists are registered with professional bodies in Ontario, trained in trauma-informed and evidence-based modalities, and deeply committed to the work of making mental health care genuinely accessible and affirming for 2SLGBTQIA people. If you are in Badjeros or the surrounding area and have been searching for mental health support that does not require you to educate your therapist about queer and trans experience, Umbrella is here. You can reach out to learn about availability, to discuss what you are navigating, and to explore whether this is the right fit for you. There is no obligation to decide immediately; the first step is simply connecting and talking about what you need. Yes. Umbrella Mental Health Network serves Badjeros and the Greater Toronto Area with specialized LGBTQ+ psychotherapy and counseling. You can contact them to discuss services and availability in your area. A trauma-informed therapist understands how trauma affects the nervous system and relationships, and structures sessions to avoid re-traumatization. They recognize that many LGBTQ+ people carry trauma linked to identity, rejection, or systemic oppression. General counselors may not have this specialized knowledge. Yes. Umbrella specifically offers gender and sexual identity exploration as a core service. You do not need to have answers before seeking support; the therapist will help you navigate questions in a non-directive, affirming way. Yes. Umbrella provides couples therapy and ethical non-monogamy counseling for queer and trans partnerships. They understand the unique dynamics of these relationships and do not apply heterosexual relationship models.Lgbtq Mental Health Counseling Badjeros
What LGBTQ Mental Health Counseling in Badjeros Includes
Why Culturally Specific Counseling Matters in Badjeros and Beyond
Service Type Best For Duration Individual Psychotherapy Trauma, identity questions, anxiety, depression, life transitions Ongoing, typically weekly or biweekly Couples and ENM Counselling Communication, boundary-setting, relationship navigation 6-16 sessions or ongoing Gender and Sexual Identity Exploration Understanding your identity, integrating shifts, affirmation Variable; some clients benefit from short-term, others longer-term Trauma and PTSD Treatment Survivors of abuse, assault, discrimination-related trauma, medical trauma 8-24+ sessions depending on presentation and goals Youth and Young Adult Counselling Ages under 25; identity exploration, coming out, family dynamics, school concerns Typically ongoing biweekly or weekly Frequently Asked Questions
Is there LGBTQ Mental Health Counseling available in Badjeros?
What is the difference between a trauma-informed therapist and a general counselor?
Can I access LGBTQ Mental Health Counseling in Badjeros if I am questioning my gender or sexual identity?
Does Umbrella offer couples counseling for same-sex or non-monogamous relationships?

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
Areas of focus:
- Healthy Relationships
- Intersectional Identities
- Trauma & PTSD

Andrés Gayoso Descalzi
MSW,RSW
(he/him)
Registered Social Worker
Areas of focus:
- Gender Identity & Embodiment
- Life Changes & Transitions
- 2SLGBTQIA+ Youth & Families

Aysha Natsheh
MSW, RSW
Registered Social Worker
Areas of focus:
- Food, Body, Self-Image
- Trauma
- Gender & Sexual Identity
Bushra Ahmed
MSW, RSW
Registered Social Worker
Areas of focus:
- 2SLGBTQIA+ Youth
- Exploring Neurodivergent Identities
- Impact of Oppression & Trauma on Mental Health

Clara Doucette
MA, RP (Qualifying)
(she/her)
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Areas of focus:
- Relational Styles & Attachment
- Friendships & Kinship
- Stress
Cressida Frey
MSW, RSW (she/her) Registered Social WorkerAreas of focus:
- Children, Adolescents and Adults
- Violence, Trauma and Healing
- Stress and Anxiety
Derek Cassidy
MSW, RSW
(he/him/they/them)
Registered Social Worker
Areas of focus:
- Relationships and Attachment
- Complex, Relational Trauma
- Sexuality and Sexual Health

Jesmen Mendoza
C.Psych. (he/him) Adjunct PsychologistAreas of focus:
- Complex Mental Health
- Consultation

Jett Peters
MSW Candidate
(they/them)
Student Therapist
Areas of focus:
- Gender Identity
- Relationship(s) with Food & Body
- 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
Areas of focus:
- 2SLGBTQIA+ Youth & Adults
- Stress, Anxiety & Depression
- Sexual & Gender-based Violence

Rahim Thawer
MSW, RSW
(he/him)
External Clinical Supervisor
Areas of focus:
- Identity Conflict & Shame
- Dating, Relationships, Single by Chance/Choice
- Sexualized Substance Use

Saadia Khan
BA (they/them) Administrative and Social Media Assistant
Stephanie Wu
RP, Professional Art Therapist
(they/them)
Registered Psychotherapist
Areas of focus:
- Intimate Partner Violence, Sexual Assault & Childhood Abuse
- Impacts of Oppression
- 2SLGBTQIA+ Youth & Adults







