LGBT therapists in Merrillville, IN

I am a BIPOC and queer-affirming licensed psychologist who is still in love with this work, 20 years in!

With 30 + years of experience as a psychotherapist, I will do everything possible to help you get the most out of your counseling sessions. Being in therapy should be a meaningful and transformative experience. It takes courage to face emotional, mental health, relationship, behavioral, abuse and addiction issues. It is necessary to feel comfortable, safe, and heard in your therapy relationship, as it is feelings of fear, anxiety, anger, guilt, and resentment that motivate us to seek change. I provide a safe, welcoming, discrete, and professional environment where you can explore your needs for personal growth and recovery.

Taking the first step toward therapy can feel vulnerable, and it is completely natural to have questions or feel uncertain about where to begin. You do not have to have everything figured out before you reach out. Therapy offers a supportive space where you can slow down, feel heard, and begin at a pace that feels comfortable for you. I believe that healing begins in a safe, compassionate, and respectful relationship. Your story, experiences, and goals matter, and I tailor therapy to meet your unique needs. Whether you are coping with anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, intimacy concerns, or other emotional struggles, we will work together to better understand what you are experiencing and create a path forward that feels meaningful and manageable.

Hello! I am glad to meet you and look forward to being part of your personal journey. First, a little about me and who you will be meeting.

I am a native of Southeastern North Carolina and graduated from Campbell University in Buies Creek, NC with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology. I transplanted to Louisville, KY in 1991 and pursued my Masters in Social Work Degree at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. Between my early education, continued training and lived experiences, I am able to guide you to explore the mind, body, spirit connection.

I have experience working with all ages but most of my career has involved working with youth and their families.

I have a lot of experience addressing anxiety, depression, ADHD, LGBTQIA issues and parent/child problems and behavior issues. I have a growing interest in the area of women's health issues.

Hi! My name is Maggie Peters and I have been a Mental Health Counselor for about 10 years. I have worked with a wide variety of populations and do my best to create a welcoming, open minded and creative environment for my clients to feel comfortable and grow. I have a Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and have worked as an outpatient therapist/mental health counselor in many settings. I am also experienced in crisis intervention, as I used to work for the 988 suicide prevention hotline. I work with a wide variety of ages and populations, including children and adults experiencing depression, anxiety, bipolar, ADHD, trauma and suicide/self harm. I enjoy exploring coping strategies, implementing healthy, daily practices and processing stressors. I am a proud member of the LGBTQ community and have a lot of experience surrounding gender identity, acceptance and positive self esteem/self worth.

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I believe that prioritizing mental health is an integral part of quality of life. Congratulations on taking the first step towards self improvement! I have been practicing for 20 years with a focus on individuals experiencing depression, anxiety, ADHD, and difficulty with life transitions. I am also passionate about working with couples who are experiencing disconnection, conflict, and communication issues.

Sometimes life changes in ways you never expected. Whether you're navigating anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, the transition into parenthood, or the emotional demands of caring for others, it's easy to lose sight of yourself while trying to keep everything together. You don't have to face those challenges alone. For more than 20 years, I've partnered with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, grief and loss, women's issues, and trauma, helping them build resilience, strengthen relationships, and rediscover hope during life's most difficult seasons. Working with children, adolescents, and adults, I strive to create a compassionate, supportive space where you feel genuinely heard, respected, and empowered to move toward lasting healing.

As a licensed mental health counselor, I believe everyone deserves a kind space to feel better and grow stronger. Taking the step to reach out is brave, so I’m proud of you for being here! I earned my master’s at Indiana State University and bring three years of caring experience to Ember Life Counseling. I specialize in helping kids with play-based support, trauma recovery, anxiety, relationships, and life changes in ways that feel right for you. I’m warm and energetic, and I’d love to welcome you!

Clients should know that I’m a real person first and a therapist second. I actually started my career in sports management, but life had other plans — and a series of lived experiences pulled me toward social work in a way that felt impossible to ignore. I went on to complete my MSW at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, IN, and I’ve spent the last ten years working in child protection, community health, and hospital social work in a Level 1 trauma facility.

I also spent years as a caregiver, which made me especially comfortable working with older adults and taught me that humor, patience, and a good cup of coffee can get you through almost anything. I’m nearing completion of my PST therapy certification, which adds a structured, problem‐solving lens to the work we do.

I take therapy seriously, but I don’t take myself too seriously — so you can expect warmth, honesty, and the occasional well‐timed laugh when life hands us something so absurd it deserves one.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with extensive experience supporting adolescents, adults, and older adults through life’s most challenging transitions. My background spans mental health therapy, crisis intervention, trauma recovery, child welfare, and geriatric care, which allows me to work with clients from a holistic, compassionate, and well-rounded perspective.

I use a strength-based, trauma-informed, and person-centered approach, meeting each client where they are and honoring their unique experiences. My clinical work integrates evidence-based modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), DBT-informed skills, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy, and mindfulness-based practices. I work collaboratively with clients to set meaningful goals, build coping skills, and create sustainable change.

I have experience helping clients navigate anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, stress, emotional regulation, self-esteem, relationship challenges, and major life transitions. I also bring a strong background in crisis support and safety planning, ensuring clients feel supported, grounded, and safe throughout the therapeutic process.

Above all, I strive to provide a warm, non-judgmental, and culturally responsive space where clients feel heard, respected, and empowered. Therapy with me is collaborative and paced to your needs, with a focus on helping you reconnect with your strengths and move forward with greater clarity and confidence.

If you find yourself in a place where, by all appearances, you should be happy or fulfilled, yet something still feels missing, you are not alone. Sometimes, understanding ourselves requires us to look beyond what is happening on the surface. The experiences we have survived often shape the ways we think, feel, and move through the world. While those patterns may have once helped protect us, they can sometimes keep us from living the life we truly want today.

Together, we will explore your past, navigate your present, and envision the future you hope to create.

When you've spent so much time trying to hold everything together, it's easy to lose sight of who you are beneath the anxiety, painful experiences, or expectations placed on you by others. Whether you're navigating trauma, relationship challenges, questions about identity, or simply feeling emotionally exhausted, you deserve a space where you can show up exactly as you are without fear of judgment. Meaningful healing is possible, and you don't have to go through it alone. I partner with clients experiencing anxiety, LGBTQIA+ concerns, women's issues, trauma, and PTSD so they can build confidence, strengthen relationships, reconnect with themselves, and move toward a life that feels more authentic and fulfilling. I work with adolescents, adults, and children because every person deserves to feel accepted, understood, and empowered.

As a mental health professional, Dr. Journey has a career working alongside predominantly people of color and people of faith who are looking for a healing space that is integrative and engaging. He has a Ph.D., in the areas of American religion, psychology, and culture which challenges him to care in a holistic manner for each person that he accompanies in the clinical space. Working with Dr. Journey means that you are invited to be your truest and most honest version of your self-in-progress!

Life is full of traumatic events and we all have been traumatized to a certain degree. We are the only ones who can define it and we are all impacted differently by it. For many of us, our trauma negatively impacts our beliefs about ourselves and our worth. Having a negative core belief system often leads to substance abuse and other maladaptive behavior as a means to numb our pain and drown our shame. I have spent years working with individuals who struggle with substance use and addiction and have come to learn that the majority of them have suffered from trauma. You do not have to continue to suffer. I am here to help.