Nielle Milinazzo, LMHC, ATR

Hey beautiful souls!

My name is Nielle (she/her), pronounced "knee-EL”, and I am a Licensed Mental Health Clinician, Registered Art Therapist, and Adjunct Professor at Lesley University’s Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences.

As a Black, queer, femme, I dedicate my work to the empowerment and liberation of Black Womxn. I actively seek continuing education and supervision for the most current anti-racist and anti-oppressive frameworks, all while trying to practice what I preach!

I received a dual Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Art Therapy from Lesley University and have expertise in treating trauma survivors, women, LGBTQIA+, and BIPOC communities. One of my biggest accomplishments has been creating and opening the first BIPOC Partial Hospitalization Programs in the state of MA in 2021.

Outside of my career, I am a firstborn, a sister, a wife, a friend, and a fur mama. You might catch me creating, singing, reading, rollerskating, traveling, binge-watching anime, tending to my plants or my hair, or even sailing! Some of my biggest inspirations and teachers are Audre Lorde, bell hooks, Michelle Obama, and Issa Rae.

In the psych world, my therapeutic approach would be described as “strengths-based” and “culture-centered”. With my clients, we explore intersecting identities and the impact of pervasive race-related stress including, but not limited to:

Micro and Macro Aggressions

Racial and/or Ethnic Isolation

Generational Trauma

Masking and Code Switching

Tone Policing

Adultification and Dehumanization

Colorism and Texturism

Unrealistic Expectations

Mental Health as a Stigma/Taboo

Religious Trauma

Burnout

Death and Grief

Work with Me

My journey with Art Therapy

I had never heard about art therapy until I made it to college. I realized that I had been practicing art therapy on myself my entire life. It was never about the product or how it looked, but rather, how I felt making it and the meaning I attached to it. My art was my release; where I could quiet my worries, breathe, and just be ME.

There are no ways of editing or masking yourself with art therapy. Limiting behavior patterns, belief systems, bias, expectations, and more naturally reveal themselves, leading to deeper more meaningful conversations than your average talk therapy. Art is freeing; it can be anything you want it to be. All you need is something to create with, something to create on, and something to create from.

Year Of Renewal (2022) 9” x 7”, collaged magazines on heavy weight paper

Black Is Beautiful Revolution (2022) 9.5” x 7", collaged magazines on heavy weight paper

Breathe (2019) 18” x 24”, oil pastels, chalk, colored pencils, and oil paint on prestretched canvas

Innocence (2015) 27”x 29”, oil paint on stretched canvas

Metaphor (2016) 17” x 4” x 40” Recycled makeup remover wipes, mannequin bust