Nielle Milinazzo, LMHC, LPC, ATR

Hey

beautiful

souls!

My name is Nielle (she/her), pronounced "knee-EL”, and I am a Licensed Mental Health Clinician (MA 12718), Licensed Professional Counselor (GA LPC 016618), Registered Art Therapist (22-240), and Clinical Supervisor.

From Boston, MA, I relocated to Atlanta, GA, in 2025. I moved with the goal of finding a more diverse and creative city with room for growth. As a Black, bisexual, femme, I dedicate my work to the empowerment and liberation of marginalized communities.

I received a dual Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Art Therapy from Lesley University in 2019 and have expertise in treating trauma survivors, women, LGBTQIA+, and BIPOC communities. I actively seek continuing education for the most current anti-racist and anti-oppressive frameworks, all while trying to practice what I preach!

I taught several semesters of Examining Power, Privilege & Oppression in Clinical Practice at the Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences at Lesley University (Cambridge, MA). 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
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.

  • "Untitled Vision Board" (2025), 8" x 11", mixed media on heavyweight paper

  • "Your Best Life" (2023) 7" x 5", collaged magazine on heavyweight paper

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

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

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

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

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

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