Boca Raton is making moves to help out the LGBT community.

The Faulk Center for Counseling in Boca Raton has started a new support group for LGBT individuals looking to build a supportive community in Boca and surrounding areas.

“Our community saw that there was a need and we took action,” Alison Rubin, the Faulk Center Development and Marketing manager said in a phone call. “This is a support group that doesn’t discriminate against anybody. This is not a counseling group — this is a support group.”

The group is facilitated by three psychologist counselors.

“Mental health services are provided by graduate students pursuing master’s degrees or doctoral degrees in psychology, social work or mental health counseling, as well as clinical volunteers who hold advanced degrees in a mental health field” reads the Faulk Center about page. “All graduate students and volunteers are supervised by the Center’s staff of licensed psychologists.”

According to Rubin, the Faulk Center has never turned away a patient in 43 years. The center strives to be a safe space for anyone who needs it, and they have now created a designated space for anyone who specifically seek support on LGBT issues.

“I’ve read that the community suffers a high rate of depression and we want to be there to help as best we can,” Rubin said. “I think that hopefully there will be a great response to this opportunity.”

The group is for LGBT individuals and allies 18 years and older, and is currently meeting every Friday from 11:45 am to 1:15 p.m. Coffee is served in the first 15 minutes of the meeting.

Anyone interested in attending needs to call 561-483-5300 before attending their first session.

“At the Faulk Center for Counseling, we provide a warm, accepting and confidential environment where people who are dealing with life’s problems are helped to make changes or to cope more efficiently with things that they cannot change.”

For people seeking individual counseling, counselors are available per appointment.

The Faulk Center was founded in 1973 by Dr. Elizabeth H. Faulk, and since then has provided counseling services to people of all ages. In 1970 Faulk founded the Elizabeth H. Faulk Foundation, a nonprofit with the goal of providing “free and low-cost psychological and mental health consultation services to the needy.”

Visit FaulkCenterForCounseling.org for more information.