Call/Text 647.687.6543 info@umhn.ca

We Are a Network of Queer and Trans-identified Mental Health Professionals Who Serve the 2SLGBTQIA Community

Lgbtq Mental Health Counseling Fullarton

Finding affirming mental health support as a 2SLGBTQIA person means connecting with a therapist who understands your lived experience and centers your wellbeing without judgment. Umbrella Mental Health Network offers LGBTQ Mental Health Counseling Fullarton through registered psychotherapists and social workers trained in trauma-informed, anti-oppressive practice. If you live in Fullarton or the surrounding GTA and are ready to work with someone who gets it, here is how to move forward.

Step 1: Clarify What You Need Support With

Before you reach out, spend a few minutes naming what brought you to look for help. Are you processing trauma or grief? Exploring your gender or sexual identity? Navigating a relationship or family situation? Experiencing anxiety or depression? Working through internalized shame? All of these are valid reasons to seek care, and knowing your starting point helps you have a clearer conversation with a therapist.

You don't need to have it all figured out. Many people come to counseling knowing only that something hurts or feels stuck. Umbrella's therapists specialize in working with queer and trans clients across the full range of human experience -- from identity exploration and couples work to serious trauma recovery and grief. If you're in Fullarton and searching for a practice that won't ask you to explain your pronouns or defend your identity, this is the kind of foundation that matters.

Step 2: Reach Out to Umbrella and Describe Your Situation

Contact Umbrella Mental Health Network directly through their website at umhn.ca. When you reach out, you can share as much or as little as you're comfortable with. Briefly mention what brings you in -- whether that's individual counseling, couples therapy, trauma work, identity exploration, or support for a young person. Let them know you're based in Fullarton or the GTA and ask about their availability.

The team will listen to what you need and work to match you with a therapist whose training and approach align with your situation. Because Umbrella centers feminism, social justice, decolonization, and sex-positive values, you're getting a practice that won't pathologize your identity or relationship choices. They understand that LGBTQ people in Fullarton and across the region face unique pressures and barriers, and their work is designed around that reality.

Step 3: Prepare for Your First Session and Show Up

Once you're matched with a therapist, your first session is partly about building trust and partly about them understanding your story. Bring whatever feels relevant -- a sense of what you want to work on, any questions you have, and your honest self. You don't need to perform or edit yourself. A good therapeutic relationship is built on authenticity, and Umbrella's clinicians are trained to create that safety.

Showing up is the hardest part, especially if you've been hurt by previous healthcare experiences or if you're carrying shame. Remember that seeking support is an act of self-care and resistance. You're investing in your own healing and freedom. If you're in Fullarton or nearby and ready to work with therapists who believe that queer and trans joy, sexuality, and community are worth protecting, reach out to Umbrella Mental Health Network today. They're here to walk alongside you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kinds of counseling does Umbrella Mental Health Network offer in Fullarton?

Umbrella offers individual psychotherapy for LGBTQ+ clients, couples therapy and ethical non-monogamy counselling, trauma and PTSD treatment, gender and sexual identity exploration, and youth and young adult counselling. All services are grounded in trauma-informed, anti-oppressive practice and culturally affirming values.

Is there LGBTQ mental health counseling near Fullarton?

Yes. Umbrella Mental Health Network serves Fullarton and the Greater Toronto Area with a team of registered psychotherapists and social workers specialized in 2SLGBTQIA mental health care. You can reach them through their website at umhn.ca to discuss your needs and availability.

Do I need to be out or have my identity figured out before starting therapy?

No. Umbrella works with clients at all stages of identity exploration and disclosure. Whether you're questioning, newly out, or navigating changes in how you understand yourself, their therapists create space for that process without pressure or judgment.

What does trauma-informed, anti-oppressive therapy mean?

Trauma-informed care recognizes how oppression and discrimination affect mental health and healing. Anti-oppressive practice actively works against systems of power that harm LGBTQ+ people. It means your therapist won't pathologize your identity, will center your agency, and will name the real impact of living in a world not built for you.

Can Umbrella help with couples therapy if we're in a non-traditional relationship structure?

Yes. Umbrella explicitly offers couples therapy and ethical non-monogamy counselling grounded in sex-positive values. Their therapists understand alternative relationship structures and approach them with full affirmation and expertise.

How do I get started with LGBTQ mental health counseling in Fullarton?

Visit umhn.ca and contact Umbrella Mental Health Network directly. Tell them what brings you in and that you're based in Fullarton or the GTA. They'll help match you with a therapist and discuss next steps. You can share as much or as little as you're comfortable with in that first conversation.

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

Portrait

 

Christopher Shillington

MA, CCC, RP
(they/them)

Clinic Director/ Registered Psychotherapist

 

Areas of focus:
  • Healthy Relationships
  • Intersectional Identities
  • Trauma & PTSD
Portrait

 

Andrés Gayoso Descalzi

MSW,RSW
(he/him)

Registered Social Worker

 

Areas of focus:
  • Gender Identity & Embodiment
  • Life Changes & Transitions
  • 2SLGBTQIA+ Youth & Families
Portrait

 

Aysha Natsheh

MSW, RSW

Registered Social Worker

 

Areas of focus:
  • Food, Body, Self-Image
  • Trauma
  • Gender & Sexual Identity
Portrait

 

Bushra Ahmed

MSW, RSW

Registered Social Worker

 

Areas of focus:
  • 2SLGBTQIA+ Youth
  • Exploring Neurodivergent Identities
  • Impact of Oppression & Trauma on Mental Health
Portrait

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 Worker  
Areas 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
Portrait

Jesmen Mendoza

C.Psych. (he/him) Adjunct Psychologist  
Areas of focus:
  • Complex Mental Health
  • Consultation
Portrait

Jett Peters

MSW Candidate
(they/them)

Student Therapist

 

Areas of focus:
  • Gender Identity
  • Relationship(s) with Food & Body
  • Trauma
Portrait

Kathryn Bargis

MSc, RP (she/her) Registered Psychotherapist  
Areas of focus:
  • Relationships
  • Trauma
  • Gender and Sexual Identity
Portrait

Maxine Bower

MSW, RSW (she/her) Registered Social Worker  
Areas of focus:
  • Attachment in Individuals and in Relationships
  • Complex Trauma
  • Deepening Connections
Portrait

Nicholas Sorg

MSc, RP
(he/him)

Registered Psychotherapist

 

Areas of focus:
  • Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
  • Sexual Identity Development
  • Alternative Relationships, Relationship and Family Stress
Portrait

Rae Griffin-Carlson

MSW, RSW
(she/her)

Registered Social Worker

 

Areas of focus:
  • 2SLGBTQIA+ Youth & Adults
  • Stress, Anxiety & Depression
  • Sexual & Gender-based Violence
Portrait

Rahim Thawer

MSW, RSW
(he/him)

External Clinical Supervisor

 

Areas of focus:
  • Identity Conflict & Shame
  • Dating, Relationships, Single by Chance/Choice
  • Sexualized Substance Use
Portrait

Saadia Khan

BA (they/them) Administrative and Social Media Assistant
Portrait

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