We’re extremely proud to share that San Diego Magazine featured Element Q in their 2026 Faces of San Diego series.
The SD Magazine piece highlights our founding team—Dr. Shannon Franklin, Kat Grassetti, LCSW, Dr. Max Doshay, Nicole Simpson, Molly Maddocks, and TJ Woodward—and what we set out to do when we created Element Q: build a safe space for LGBTQIA+ individuals to begin healing from mental health challenges, substance use, and trauma.
When we started, we all knew the same frustrating reality. Too many people in our community had sat across from providers who didn’t get it—who made them explain their identities, or worse, treated queerness or transness as something to work around instead of something to honor. We wanted to build something different. A place where your identity isn’t an afterthought in your care—it’s one piece of a full picture. Where the people supporting you understand what it’s like to navigate the world as an LGBTQIA+ person because they live it too.
That’s what Element Q is. It’s a space where lived experience meets clinical expertise. Where trauma-informed care isn’t a buzzword, it’s how we show up every day. Where healing happens without having to explain or edit yourself.
Being recognized within our community means the world to us, but what matters most is the trust people have placed in us—the clients who’ve shared their stories, the friends and family who’ve made referrals, the community members who’ve reached out to ask questions. That trust is what this work is really about.
You can read the full feature here on San Diego Magazine’s website.
If you’re looking for affirming mental health or substance use support, or if you just want to talk through what LGBTQIA+ specific treatment might look like, we’re here. You can reach us at 858-422-1860.