We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Az del Pino and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Az, how does your business help the community?
I am the co-founder of Peacock Mental Health, a queer-operated business. As Arizona’s Affirming Virtual Mental Health Clinic, Peacock Mental Health cultivates a safe space for the LGBTQIA2S+ community. We specialize in the intersection between neurodiversity and queerness, referred to as “neuroqueer.” We specialize in individually-tailored mental health prescribing, where our clients are active decision-makers in their care and treatment. Additionally, we strive to collaborate with other care providers within our client’s team to ensure we are working towards the same goals. We provide a judgment-free space this is also sexually health-aware and sex-positive.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Great question; let’s start with some context! The LGBTQIA+ community is more likely to experience stigma, prejudice, and discrimination in healthcare than the general population. The impact of this is seen as a barrier to entering and continuing care. Peacock Mental Health strives to change people’s perceptions and interactions when seeking mental health care through specialist healthcare practitioners who continue education and training to provide the most up-to-date care. We provide extended appointment times and have an open communication channel with our clients between appointments. I am also an educator who offers specialized training to fill the knowledge gap with other clinicians.

So how did we get to where we are today? My co-founder and wife, AJ del Pino, and I decided to create this business after a series of events;
1) I developed a strong interest in queer mental health matters and neurodiversity.

2) In Pride of 2022, I openly came out as bisexual. Shortly after, I realized there was not enough queer representation or training in healthcare.

3) AJ and I started grassroots research by meeting with affirming therapists and identified a significant gap in who therapists could appropriately refer clients to for medication management who specialized in queer mental health and neurodiversity.

4) We signed up for a specialized course to receive mentorship and training to open our practice. We worked hard, and our business was launched after two months!

Certainly, we encountered various challenges along the way! Most notably, the biggest challenge to overcome was imposter syndrome. This was the feeling of inadequacy and needing the correct skill set or clinical experience required for the role. The best way to overcome this was to immerse me in like-minded professionals, attend conferences/training/workshops and fill educational gaps. Fast-forward a few months, I was invited back to my grad school as a subject expert to deliver training on affirming care to nurse practitioner students.

Our goal is to continue providing high-quality, affirming care and continue educating others through presentations, workshops, and conferences.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite spots in the city… this is tough! There are so many options but here’s what I’ve got;

– Breakfast at Café à La C’Art.
– Check out Mercado San Agustin (plus Mercado San Agustin Annex) and grab a burrito at Seis for lunch.
– See if there are any queer pop-up markets in town.
– Take a trial hike at any of the amazing trails Tucson offers!
– Sunset at Gates Pass.
– Head downtown, choose from one of the many amazing restaurants, and see what live entertainment is on, including watching a drag show at IBTs!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Mindy Robbins (they/them)

Mindy has an incredible practice in Phoenix which specializes in affirming care! They have been a great resource and support to me, and I would love this opportunity to showcase what they are doing!

More details about Mindy:

E: mindy@affirmingyoutherapy.com

W: https://www.ayoutherapy.com

Website: https://www.peacockmentalhealth.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peacock_mh/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/peacockmentalhealth

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