LGBT therapists in Rhode Island

You deserve to feel heard, supported, and understood—and if you’re here, you’ve already taken a meaningful step toward change.

I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master’s degree from the University of Connecticut, specializing in mental health and substance use. I’ve worked with teens, adults, and families across a range of settings, including outpatient clinics, schools, home-based care, and virtual therapy.

I work with people navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use, identity exploration, relationship stress, and major life transitions. Many of my clients feel overwhelmed, stuck in patterns they can’t seem to shift, or exhausted from trying to manage everything on their own.

My approach is collaborative, direct when helpful, and grounded in compassion. I use evidence-based practices including CBT, DBT, ACT, and trauma-informed care, but I tailor therapy to what actually fits your life—not just a model. We focus on what’s showing up for you right now, while also working toward longer-term stability and change.

Therapy with me is not about judgment or perfection. It’s a space to slow things down, understand what’s driving stress or emotional pain, and build practical tools that help you feel more steady and in control of your day-to-day life.

I’m a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner specializing in ADHD, mood disorders, and complex or unclear diagnoses. My approach is collaborative but direct - I focus on getting the diagnosis right and creating a treatment plan that truly fits your life.

I have experience across outpatient and residential settings, and I often work with patients who are looking for more clarity or haven’t found answers elsewhere.

My goal is to help you better understand your symptoms, feel more in control, and move forward with confidence.

I specialize in working with adolescents between the ages of 11-18 as well as with parents and guardians regarding parenting strategies, behavior management, depression, anxiety, grief and stress. I am solution focused, empathetic, kind and compassionate. I have my undergraduate degree in psychology and a masters degree in clinical social work from Boston University. I currently work in a middle school setting full time and love working with students and their families. I am married and have twin sons. I have a variety of interests from reading, doing puzzles, scrapbooking, playing with my puppy and spending time with my family.

Salem Black, who holds a Master’s degree in both Biomedical Anthropology and Social Work, has an extensive background in working with children and families. His academic journey began with a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, followed by a Master’s degree in Biomedical Anthropology from Binghamton University. This interdisciplinary approach provided him with a unique perspective on the intersection of behavioral patterns and public health.

I am a Pennsylvania and Rhode Island Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and received my Masters of Social Work from West Chester University, specializing in integrated care for medically vulnerable populations. I have worked in a variety of settings, including children and youth crisis intervention, mental health counseling, and LGBTQ+ specific behavioral health services.

Maybe it showed up when you became a parent, started a new relationship, went no-contact, searched for (or decided not to search for) biological family, changed careers, or hit a milestone age that cracked things open. Whatever triggered it, you’re probably asking questions like: Who am I really? Why does this hit differently for me? Why does everyone else seem fine when I’m not?

I work with adoptees who are navigating identity, belonging, and the emotional fallout that often comes with major life transitions. A lot of my clients are high-functioning, thoughtful, and exhausted from trying to hold it all together while pretending this stuff doesn’t matter.

My style is warm, direct, and very real—I swear sometimes and I don’t shy away from the hard stuff. I help you understand your nervous system and relationships so you’re not just surviving, but actually getting yourself. If you’re an adoptee in a life shift thinking “something’s off,” you’re not broken—and you don’t have to do this alone.

Healing Across the Lifespan: A Partnership in Mental Wellness

Choosing a mental health provider is a deeply personal decision. You aren’t just looking for a prescriber; you are looking for a witness to your story, an expert in the biological complexities of the brain, and a partner in your recovery.

My name is Jessica Stanley, and I am a Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC). My journey to this practice has been defined by a unique duality: the macro view of a healthcare executive and the micro focus of a dedicated clinician. Before opening the doors to this practice, I served as the Clinical Director for a large-scale healthcare organization. In that role, I was responsible for the oversight of complex systems, the mentorship of large clinical teams, and the implementation of evidence-based protocols across diverse populations.

While my time in leadership allowed me to impact mental health at a systemic level, my true passion has always remained in the quiet, transformative moments of the exam room. I have returned to full-time clinical practice to bring that high-level expertise back to where it matters most: the individual human experience.

Mental health does not exist in a vacuum, nor does it look the same at age seven as it does at seventy. I specialize in treating patients across the entire lifespan. Whether I am working with a child struggling to navigate their first years of school, an adolescent facing the pressures of identity formation, or an adult managing the heavy mantle of career and family, my approach remains the same: comprehensive, compassionate, and evidence based.

Areas of Specialization

I am trained to treat a broad spectrum of psychiatric conditions including:

ADHD & Neurodivergence

Anxiety Disorders

Depression

PTSD & Trauma Recovery

This wild, painful, beautiful human experience can be a lot to process on our own, and it can be empowering to sort it out with a compassionate mental health professional who can be a support throughout your emotional growth. I am committed to showing up with empathy and gentle curiosity in collaboration with my clients. I am licensed in and seeing clients in Colorado and Rhode Island.

I have a passion for working with visual artists, writers, poets, musicians, and designers. I am an artist who believes that creative expression can be a way to engage the healing process and help us make meaning in this tumultuous world. I love working with artists and creatives, but you do not need to identify as an artist or creative to collaborate in therapy with me. We all hold the potential for creative healing engagement with ourselves, in relationships, and in the world. I welcome the opportunity to work with clients of all backgrounds and identities.

I received my MA in Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University, my MFA in Visual Art from Rutgers University, and my BFA in Visual Studies from Iowa State University. Before I became a counselor I spent fifteen years teaching studio art and cultural studies courses at colleges and universities across the United States. As an artist, writer, former academic, and mental health counselor, I have dedicated my life to creating connection and depth in relationships.