We Are a Network of Queer and Trans-identified Mental Health Professionals Who Serve the 2SLGBTQIA Community
LGBTQ Mental Health Counseling Teeterville connects queer, trans, and two-spirit individuals with therapists who understand both the clinical dimensions of mental health and the lived reality of navigating identity, community, and belonging in a heteronormative world. Umbrella Mental Health Network brings this specialized approach to Teeterville and the surrounding GTA, with registered psychotherapists and social workers trained in trauma-informed, anti-oppressive care. Mainstream mental health services often treat identity as a symptom or secondary detail. At Umbrella, affirming your identity-whether you are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, two-spirit, or asexual-is foundational to therapy itself. This matters because research shows that LGBTQ+ clients experience better outcomes and stay in treatment longer when their therapist actively affirms their identity rather than remaining neutral about it. Teeterville residents accessing this service receive therapists grounded in feminism, social justice, and decolonization-frameworks that recognize how systemic oppression, discrimination, and intergenerational trauma shape mental health. A therapist trained this way does not treat anxiety or depression in isolation; they understand how marginalization, family rejection, workplace discrimination, and healthcare barriers compound psychological distress. This context-aware approach addresses root causes rather than symptoms alone. Umbrella's clinicians bring focused expertise in five areas that matter most to the LGBTQ+ community: trauma and PTSD recovery, gender and sexual identity exploration, couples therapy and ethical non-monogamy counseling, youth and young adult support, and family planning for queer couples and individuals. This specialization is not generic-it reflects the real therapeutic needs of 2SLGBTQIA people. Someone in Teeterville exploring their gender identity works with a therapist experienced in gender-affirming care who understands that exploration takes time and looks different for every person. A couple navigating ethical non-monogamy or polyamory finds a counselor who does not pathologize consensual relationship structures. A trauma survivor accesses a clinician trained in both PTSD treatment and the specific ways systemic violence, conversion trauma, or medical trauma affects LGBTQ+ individuals. This level of specialization means you are not educating your therapist about your community; they are educating themselves continuously to serve you better. Trauma-informed care rests on understanding that many LGBTQ+ people carry the effects of violence-family rejection, peer bullying, employment discrimination, healthcare denial, sexual assault, or state violence-that is specifically directed at their identity. Recovery requires a therapist who knows this pattern and does not re-traumatize through misgendering, pathologizing identity, or dismissing the real harms of systemic oppression as individual problems. Umbrella's approach also recognizes that healing does not mean conforming to mainstream expectations. Sex-positivity and kink-positivity are embedded in the practice's values, meaning that exploring sexuality, pleasure, and alternative expressions of desire is supported rather than treated as a symptom. For residents of Teeterville and the wider region, this creates space to recover from trauma while reclaiming sexuality and agency on your own terms. Mental health care quality depends on continuity, relationship, and accessibility. Umbrella operates across Toronto and the GTA, which means residents of Teeterville can access registered psychotherapists and social workers without traveling far. The practice maintains ongoing training in queer and trans mental health, trauma recovery, and social justice frameworks-ensuring that the expertise does not stagnate. Because therapy is relational work, finding a clinician you trust matters more than any single credential. Umbrella's commitment to anti-oppressive practice, intellectual depth about queer and trans experience, and trauma-informed values creates a foundation. The next step is to reach out and have a conversation about what you need, what you have experienced, and whether this approach to care aligns with your healing. If you are searching for mental health support in Teeterville or the GTA that genuinely understands your identity and the challenges you face, Umbrella Mental Health Network invites you to get in touch. A first conversation can help you decide whether their approach and clinicians are the right fit for your journey. Trauma-informed counseling recognizes that many LGBTQ+ people carry effects of identity-based violence-family rejection, discrimination, medical trauma, or assault-and works with you to process these experiences without pathologizing your identity or sexuality. It centers your agency and safety throughout treatment. Yes. Umbrella offers specialized counseling for youth and young adults navigating gender and sexual identity. Clinicians work at a pace that honors exploration, support you in conversations with family when appropriate, and affirm your identity throughout the process. Umbrella Mental Health Network provides couples therapy and ethical non-monogamy counseling to queer, trans, and polyamorous partners in Teeterville and the GTA. Clinicians are trained to support the unique dynamics and decisions that LGBTQ+ couples navigate. Sex-positivity means affirming sexuality and consensual sexual expression as a healthy part of human experience rather than pathologizing it. Kink-positivity extends this to BDSM, alternative relationship structures, and non-conventional expressions of desire, supporting exploration without judgment. Umbrella integrates values of feminism, social justice, and decolonization into clinical work, meaning therapy addresses how systemic oppression shapes your mental health-not just individual symptoms. Clinicians affirm your identity actively rather than remaining neutral about it. Anyone in Teeterville or the GTA seeking culturally safe mental health support-including LGBTQ+ individuals, queer couples and families, trauma survivors, people exploring gender or sexual identity, and those interested in alternative relationship structures-can reach out to discuss whether this service is right for them.Lgbtq Mental Health Counseling Teeterville
1. Culturally Safe Care Means Understanding Your Full Context
2. Specialized Expertise Covers the Experiences Most LGBTQ+ People Actually Face
3. Trauma-Informed Practice Recognizes How Identity and Violence Intersect
4. Accessible, Grounded Expertise Serves Teeterville and the Greater Toronto Area
Frequently Asked Questions
What does trauma-informed LGBTQ+ counseling actually address?
Does Umbrella Mental Health Network serve youth exploring gender identity?
Is there LGBTQ+ couples therapy available in Teeterville?
What does sex-positive and kink-positive therapy mean?
How does Umbrella approach therapy differently than mainstream mental health services?
Who should contact Umbrella for counseling services?

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







