Sound mind

Open discussion is key for counselor Joseph Massey and Foundation 45’s queer support group

RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
rich@dallasvoice.com

The nonprofit Foundation 45 began its mental health services in 2015 to help fill in the gap existing in local resources. Based out of Deep Ellum, the organization now provides education, resources and, ultimately, hope for those battling issues of depression, suicide ideation and substance abuse, among other issues.

The organization hosts a number of specific groups for varied demographics, and that includes the LGBTQIA+ Support Group, led by local counselor and therapist Joseph Massey. Approaching its one-year anniversary this August, the group is open to any LGBTQ+-identifying person, 18 or older, and Massey said he is excited for what the group can offer the local community.

“It’s a good fit, and it’s been a slow growth. But I’m excited about getting us out there and having this available for local people,” he said recently.

Currently, the group meets each Tuesday via Zoom, although Massey’s goal is for the group to eventually meet in person. The group skews a bit younger, he said, with the average age of members being around 25 years old. But Massey said he hopes that anyone in need of guidance will find the group.

The group’s intention is to be open to discussions and topics that many queer-identifying people face.

From Foundation45.org:

Foundations 45’s LGBTQIA+ Support Group is an open discussion support group for issues group members are currently struggling with and/or facing, including topics such as:
• Growing up Queer
• How to handle family and societal issues as they relate to coming out (gay, lesbian, bi, trans, nonbinary)
• Healthy ways of coming out
• What to expect when you come out
• The discrimination within our community
• Gender identity issues
• Expressing identity in a healthy way
• Addiction in the LGBTQIA+ community
• Sex and the risk in the community
• Living with HIV
• Non-conforming experiences
• Microaggressions the queer community faces
• Things the queer community wants you to know

“Half of our members are newly coming out, and we touch on many of those issues, along with setting boundaries and navigating these issues,” Massey said. “Just helping these folks discover themselves is great to see, and with the group, everyone gets awesome feedback.”

But in today’s environment, some issues discussed in the group are more prevalent than others.

“We have a couple of trans individuals, and they are clearly concerned about all the new laws as well as their own coming out stories and finding the support and resources they need,” Massey said.

Foundation 45 provides its services for free, and, along with this support group, the organization has up to five different groups a week essentially offering free therapy.

Massey has his own private practice, JM Counseling and Coaching Services, and identifies as gay himself. He can share his own story when necessary to connect with both his own clients and with those in the support group. His own experiences and his own practice, he said, help him work with the people who have joined in the support group.

“My experience — I grew up in a religious family and coming out was tough — has been a journey, and I connect with them in that way,” he said. “Sharing that, my husband came out to a family who was totally supportive, so I’ve seen both sides and can bring that perspective as well.”

Massey said he has been surprised to realize that discrimination within the community itself is a problem for some. He said he knew there has always been some discrimination, but to learn that it’s a such pressing issue has created a learning curve for the therapist.

“Hearing these stories and how they have been affected by their own community was surprising,” he said. “You — or maybe I — think that your own people would always be open and embracing. That’s not always the case.”

But with the full array of issues brought to the weekly group, Massey’s approach is always the same: “I meet people where they are at,” he said.

Massey’s vision for the group is to see it grow and perhaps even turn into multiple groups or spinoffs. He wants the community to know this group is an available resource, and he hopes people will take full advantage of it.

“People can come here to feel supported and loved and encouraged by our therapists and one another,” he said.

Massey said he has found that the stigma of mental health finally seems to be falling to the side. Younger generations have embraced open conversations about their own mental health issues and struggles and are seeking out support.

“I think people now are more open to discussing it and more open to therapy,” he said. And with Foundation 45 services, there’s almost no excuse not to seek counseling if one feels they need it.

And, he added, the price is definitely right. “There are a lot of individuals who want therapy but can’t afford it or don’t have the resources to support it,” he said. “Or they may be interested in it but don’t know how to go about it, or they try to handle things on their own. Our counseling helps them with all that.”

And while there is a lot today that the group talks about that may feel like doom and gloom, Massey said that part of the intention is to find the silver linings.

“We start with the highs and lows to get people talking, and that helps to get some of the positive things out into conversation,” he said. “We get the good stuff out of the bad stuff, and we always end on a positive note. Helping people see that there is hope and more to their story — that helps build that sense of worth and value. And we are here to help with that.”

Foundation 45’s LGBTQIA+ Support Group meets Tuesdays at 7 p.m. For further information, visit Foundation45.org.