In this Voyage Utah feature, Joselyn Romero, LCSW and founder of Arches Healing & Growth, shares their journey of building an inclusive mental health practice supporting LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and immigrant communities, and their commitment to creating accessible, affirming spaces for healing.

In this piece, we share data and insights on immigration in Utah, the potential consequences of this facility, and the broader implications for human dignity, safety, and belonging. These issues extend beyond any one community; they affect all of us. Grounded in both data and lived experience, we aim to challenge misinformation and advocate for a future where all individuals have the opportunity to heal, grow, and thrive.

Joselyn Romero, founder of Arches Healing & Growth, shared concerns about proposed legislation limiting gender-affirming care for minors, emphasizing that access to supportive, evidence-based care is critical for the mental health and well-being of transgender youth. Romero noted that treatment decisions should remain between families and qualified healthcare providers.

“Protecting mental health, staying connected to affirming people, keeping routines, and anchoring in places where kids are seen and loved exactly as they are,” are all critical, Romero says. And for those not directly affected, but who have every reason to fear what Utah will do next, connection remains paramount. “Isolation is what these policies rely on,” they note, community doing what governments and health systems fail to do.

Joselyn Romero of Arches Healing & Growth joined KRCL’s RadioACTive to discuss options for LGBTQ+ Utahns seeking therapy after an exodus of therapists from Encircle, as well as details about what the queer community needs in therapy settings and how Arches can help folks live their most authentic lives.

“We are filled with joy. And on top of that, when we talk about our experiences, I look at this day as a day to celebrate us. The people who are living our truth. Showing up for ourselves and each other and making our presence known in this world. We are not going anywhere,”

The Utah Pride Center recently featured Joselyn Romero, Executive Director of Arches Healing & Growth, during Hispanic Heritage Month.