Contact Us
Contact Us

Pride Month & LGBTQ+ Mental Health: Element Q on Fox 5 San Diego

Dr. Shannon Franklin, Co-founder and Director of Clinical Training at Element Q Healing Center, during her Good Business San Diego segment on Fox 5 for Pride Month

Table of Contents

Picture of Element Q Healing Center
Element Q Healing Center
Share:

Published: June 24, 2026

Watch the segment on Fox 5 San Diego →

Pride is a season of joy and visibility, but for many in the queer community it can also surface anxiety, depression, and isolation. During Pride Month, Element Q Healing Center Co-founder and Director of Clinical Training Dr. Shannon Franklin joined Good Business San Diego to talk about why those harder feelings show up, what separates truly affirming care from being merely “friendly,” and how Element Q integrates holistic and clinical treatment for LGBTQIA+ individuals. A central thread was minority stress, the chronic toll of moving through the world hypervigilant about safety and acceptance.

“It’s not anything inherent about the LGBTQ individual. Queer folks have experienced a lot of stress from the outside world. We call that minority stress.”
— Dr. Shannon Franklin

Dr. Franklin drew a clear line between a provider being friendly, which often just means not homophobic, and one genuinely equipped to treat the community, where clinicians share lived experience, know the language so clients never have to translate their lives, and integrate family and community into care. She also described Element Q’s blend of group and individual therapy with holistic modalities like acupuncture and sound healing, and noted that while Pride can deepen feelings of loneliness for those without family support, San Diego offers a wealth of resources for anyone who needs extra support.

If you or someone you love is part of the queer community and looking for affirming care, Element Q is here when you’re ready. Reach out to find out if Element Q is the right fit, or call us at 858-422-1860.

Clinically Reviewed By:
Element Q Healing Center

Dr. Shannon Franklin is a black and queer-identified licensed psychologist specializing in working with the LGBTQIA+ population,  gender identity/gender affirming care, multiculturalism/anti-racism, and trauma.  Dr. Shannon is deeply committed to serving historically marginalized communities. Dr. Shannon aims to work collaboratively with clients to empower them in various capacities —including individual therapy work and group therapy. She believes a person’s unique identity profoundly impacts how they interpret and experience the world. Dr. Shannon has found the exploration of social structures, power dynamics, and how these issues relate to and influence relationships beneficial to therapy work. 

Dr. Shannon is a licensed psychologist in the State of California. She received her Bachelors (BA) in Psychology, minor in business, from Clark University in Worcester, MA as well as Master’s (MA) and Doctoral (PsyD) degree in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Family Psychology from Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California. Dr. Shannon was also one of the co-founders of Solve for X Mutual Aid, which served QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) impacted by COVID-19.

Dr. Shannon is passionate not only about providing therapy but also about training.  She creates spaces for learning in various capacities, including formalized supervision, leading didactic training and seminars, facilitating consultation groups, and more, ensuring all staff maintain a rich and up-to-date knowledge base to support clients.

Featured Articles