Palm Springs, CA — As Mental Health Awareness Month begins, The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert is urging LGBTQ+ individuals experiencing loneliness or isolation to connect with its Scott Hines Behavioral Health Clinic, which offers a wide range of affirming mental‑health services designed to build connection, resilience, and community.
Loneliness and social isolation continue to rise nationwide, with one in three adults reporting feelings of loneliness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research consistently shows that LGBTQ+ people experience even higher rates of isolation due to stigma, discrimination, and reduced access to supportive networks.
The Center’s Scott Hines Behavioral Health Clinic provides individual, couples, and family therapy on a sliding‑scale basis, along with no‑cost and low‑cost support groups covering topics such as bereavement, sleep support, healthy boundaries, and transgender experiences. These programs are designed to help clients feel seen, supported, and connected.
Survey data from support‑group participants demonstrates the clinic’s impact:
- 75% reported feeling lonely or isolated when they first joined
- After participating, 83% felt less lonely or isolated
- 91% felt more connected to their community
As one participant shared, “It’s a great way for me to get to know people.”
Dr. Sean Ferri, licensed clinical psychologist and Senior Manager of Clinical Support, emphasized the importance of LGBTQ‑affirming care. “The services at the Scott Hines Behavioral Health Clinic are critical to The Center’s effort to end isolation and loneliness in the LGBTQ+ community,” he said. “All of our clinicians are trained in LGBTQ+-affirming care that helps clients feel less alone, build healthy relationships, and gain an overall greater quality of life.”
Each client undergoes an assessment using the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (RULS‑6), which measures loneliness on a scale of 6 to 24. Clinicians use these results to create individualized treatment plans tailored to each person’s needs.
Among therapy clients, the average intake score is 18, indicating high levels of loneliness across gender identities, racial and ethnic groups, and socioeconomic backgrounds. After treatment, average scores drop to 7, and 82% of clients report an improved quality of life.
Anyone interested in learning more about therapy or support groups at the Scott Hines Behavioral Health Clinic can visit thecentercv.org or call 760‑281‑2613.