About Us - Queer Asterisk

about queer asterisk

our story

In 2014, while studying Somatic Counseling Psychology at Naropa University, Sorin Thomas and two other graduate students envisioned Queer Asterisk. Their idea was to create a different kind of mental health organization; rooted in social justice advocacy, devoted to compassionate counseling and education, and run entirely by queer and transgender professionals.

While we are fortunate to have had many queer and transgender community resources available in Colorado for years, there was yet to exist a mental health organization where the structure and leadership was informed by queer and trans lived experience.

“The vision I hold for myself, this organization, and everyone we touch is to be brilliant; to claim and reclaim, if we have to, our gifts as queer and trans folks and to bring those gifts into the world. Though we will continue to learn and grow throughout our lifetimes, at a certain point we must allow ourselves to be ‘good enough’ and stop letting fear hold us back from putting forth something truly amazing.” -Sorin Thomas (Executive Director)

“A revolution of the heart is emerging and we are witnessing a profound shift in our worldview. Categorization and conformity no longer serve the well-being of individuals with complex and intersecting identities or communities that are expanding the collective consciousness. A brave new culture that embraces ambiguity, vulnerability, and authenticity is taking form; and Queer Asterisk is at the forefront of this inspiring movement.” Diane Israel (Board Chair)

Queer Asterisk 2018-2019 Annual Report (PDF)

Queer Asterisk 2017 Annual Report (PDF).

View our Newsletter

our vision

We envision a vibrant community that embraces authentic expression and transformation, where individuals with dynamic and intersecting identities can thrive.

our team

Nervous about receiving therapy or counseling? All of our Therapists, Counselors, and Peer Mentors are queer and trans too!

Directors

Sorin Thomas

Founding & Executive Director

Brett Adamek (Freeda Be)

Creative Director

RP Whitmore-Bard

Program Director

Chris (Maddy) Aguilar Garcia

Operations Director

Alisa Cohen

Clinical Director

Clinical Team

Alan Hale

Counseling Extern

Alexander Goodyear

Counseling Intern

Aspen Dellutri

Counseling Extern

B Palm

Counselor

Basil Ross

Counselor

Bonnie Moya

Counselor

Candice Valenzuela

Counseling Intern

Caroline Matthes

Counselor

Danny Sturtevant

Counselor

Dianna Cordero (D.L.)

Counselor & Supervisor

Dylan Vas

Counseling Intern

Eileen Pfefferle

Counselor

Eric Hansen

Counseling Extern

Eric Lucas

Substance Use Intern

Gisèle Goldwater-Feldman

Peer Mentor

Heather Newhouse

Peer Mentor

Heather Oglesby

Counseling Intern

Jack Dickey

Counseling Extern

Jake Booth

Counseling Intern

Jared McCloskey

Peer Mentor

Jennifer (Jen) Elswick

Counseling Intern

John Moletress

Counseling Intern

John Stennes

Counseling Intern

Jona Fine

Writing Group Facilitator

Jordan Brooks

Counselor

Katie Duff

Peer Mentor

Luka Broszkiewicz

Counseling Extern

Maple Colburn

Peer Mentor

Matt/Hew Paschich

Community Volunteer

Michelle Saltis

Counselor & Supervisor

Paul Montgomery

Counseling Extern

Rachel Smith

Practicum Student

Rafi Daugherty

Counselor

Ren Rojas

Client Care & Operations Coordinator

Río Amani

Peer Mentor

Sabrina Cardinal

Counseling Intern

Sam Ardoin

Counseling Extern

Shen Hollcraft

Counselor

Sierra Ackerman

Peer Mentor

Spencer/Huda Bowie

Peer Mentor

Sprout Plankton

Peer Mentor

Steve Touré

Counseling Intern

Steven Haden

Counseling Extern

Tiffany Chen

Counseling Intern

Tosha Jorden

Counselor

Unnati (Una) Upadhyay

Counseling Intern

Victoria S. Grey

Counselor & Supervisor

Xavier Bird

Counseling Intern

Administrative Team

Judith Blair

Non-Profit Consultant

Will Whalen

Fund Development Intern

Board

Diane Israel

Board Co-Chair

Shira Barchilon Frank

Board Co-Chair

Anne Marie DiGiacomo

Board Member

Robyn Chauvin

Board Member

Michael McCutcheon

Board Member

"When I founded this organization, I wanted to create a sense of home for everyone who knows the pain of looking and not finding themselves reflected in community."

Sorin Thomas, Executive Director

join our team

Are you interested in joining our team?

We are always accepting applications! Click below to find out how to get involved.

Jack Dickey

Counseling Extern

he/him/his

Jack, MA, LPCC, believes the rewarding process of repairing our connection with ourselves and others can only take place in relationships built with warmth, genuineness, open communication, consent, and compassion. Jack will work with you to create a supportive therapeutic relationship that is warmly attuned to your moment-to-moment experience, and reflects your innate goodness and human dignity. His approach recognizes that every challenging pattern in our day-to-day lives will arise in counseling as well, and he will support you to gently and compassionately explore the patterns which are no longer serving you as they arise in counseling.

He holds the view that all human behaviors and emotions have their origin in attempts to take care of ourselves and others, even the ones which challenge and frighten us. He recognizes that disturbing patterns in the present are often tied to disturbing experiences in our pasts – experiences which demanded we lose contact with ourselves and one another in order to ensure our belonging and survival. Jack uses a cutting-edge method of healing known as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), to heal the wounds of these past disturbances – liberating clients from histories of distress, and allowing them to move forward living genuine, full, and connected lives in the present. While EMDR is an individually-based healing process, Jack will not lose sight of the larger societal forces at the root of your individual distress – the dehumanizations of racism, exploitation, poverty, marginalization, injustice, inequity, exclusion, and the looming threats of climate change, disease, and societal unrest.

He brings over a decade of mindfulness practice into your counseling. This experience allows him to accompany your journey with curiosity and compassion, regardless of how frightening, challenging, or confusing your experience might be. Jack specializes in working with clients who identify as HSP’s (Highly Sensitive Persons), empaths, clients in the process of healing past trauma, and clients experiencing chronic anxiety, intergenerational trauma, and concerns around spirituality and spiritual development. When he is not practicing counseling, Jack enjoys spending time with friends, camping, hiking, practicing dance, and playing video games.

Steven Haden

Counseling Extern

he/him/his

Steven is a mental health clinician with Queer Asterisk, a nonprofit providing comprehensive behavioral health services in communities throughout Colorado’s urban corridor. Steven is responsible for providing diagnostic assessments, therapy, and counseling to a diverse caseload. He works with clients—individually and in group sessions—to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, to solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives, and to help individuals make changes to improve their well-being. Steven is trained to provide trauma-informed care. He understands and considers the pervasive nature of trauma and promotes environments of healing and recovery rather than practices and services that may inadvertently re-traumatize. Among other therapeutic interventions, Steven provides strengths-based therapy, a type of positive psychotherapy and counseling that focuses more on internal strengths and resourcefulness, and less on weaknesses, failures, and shortcomings.

Steven is also the chief executive officer and co-founder of Envision:You, a behavioral health initiative that addresses the disproportionate burden, disparity in care, and poor outcomes that LGBTQ+ individuals encounter every day. Queer folks must confront stigma and prejudice based on their sexual orientation or gender identity while also dealing with the societal bias against mental health conditions. Some people report having to hide their sexual orientation from those in the mental health system for fear of being ridiculed or rejected. Some hide their mental health conditions from their LGBTQ+ friends. Consequently, Envision:You was founded to support, educate, and empower members of the LGBTQ+ community living with mental health and substance use disorders, in addition to supporting partners and allies who are working to enhance provider training, expand research in the field, and increase available resources.

Previously, Steven worked with the Mental Health Center of Denver on an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team providing intensive, integrated community mental health care services to criminal justice involved individuals along with clients living in secured institutions. As an interdisciplinary team member assisting case workers and other clinical staff, Steven performed a variety of therapeutic tasks that included assisting clients in articulating their goals for recovery, learning, and practicing new skills, helping monitor progress, assisting them in their treatment objectives, modeling effective coping techniques and self-help strategies, and supporting them in advocating for themselves to obtain relevant services.

Steven received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, a Master of Business Administration degree from New York University, and a Master of Social Work degree summa cum laude from Simmons University. Steven is a Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner and a Mental Health First Aid instructor.

Steven lives in Denver with his rambunctious dogs Rigby and Henry and is an outdoor enthusiast.

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