Today we’d like to introduce you to Gregory Noel.
Hi Gregory, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My journey began in Miami, Florida, in 1990 – a first-generation Haitian-American entering a Eurocentric, hetero-patriarchal society with a rich ancestral foundation already in my blood. My values are shaped by my Haitian heritage and the legacy of African-American forefathers and foremothers who came before me.
Growing up between Miami and Las Vegas, my lived experiences taught me something critical: the difference between altruistic intentions and actual impact. As someone who benefits from heterosexual male and Christian privilege, I hold myself accountable to that awareness every day.
Today, I proudly carry the mantle of husband and father to three beautiful daughters – a role I consider my greatest privilege. That same spirit of service extends into my community work as a licensed marriage and family therapist, and through partnerships with non-profit organizations like Project Success Coalition, the Black Physicians of Utah Mental Wellness Alliance, and Youth Impact.
My story is one of perseverance, restoration, and transformation.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Growing up as a Black man in America shaped me in ways both beautiful and brutal. Low socioeconomic neighborhoods in Miami and Las Vegas built my resilience – and wired a hypervigilance into me that I carry to this day.
The road through higher education brought its own weight. The repeated incidents of degradation and devaluation I experienced during my postgraduate studies at Utah State University from 2018 to 2020 left marks that no degree could erase. Then, on November 23rd, 2022 – the day before Thanksgiving – Weber State University fired me for speaking truth to power. That moment crystallized something in me.
Each of those experiences drove me deeper into liberated pedagogy and praxis, sharpening the tools I bring to my work as a mental health professional. I know firsthand what it feels like to be devalued by someone who sees your Blackness as a deficit. That knowledge fuels my commitment to every client who walks through my door.
I return often to Uncle Ben’s words to a young Peter Parker: “With great power comes even greater responsibility.” Sitting in a position of power and privilege, I carry those words as both a charge and a compass.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I bring evidence-based tools – Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Narrative Therapy – to help clients heal from anxiety, depression, burnout, anger, grief, trauma, and everything in between. My specializations in trauma-informed, culturally affirming, and gender-affirming care reflect my deep commitment to meeting every client where they are.
My clinical experience spans university settings and private practice, where I have had the honor of serving a richly diverse population – Black, Indigenous, Latinè, Pacific Islander, Asian, gender-queer, neurodivergent, non-religious, disabled, and low-socioeconomic communities. Every one of those relationships expanded my practice and deepened my purpose.
I carry the identity of a social justice and liberation-oriented mental health professional with full intention. The grassroots work I do alongside organizations like Project Success Coalition, the Black Physicians of Utah Mental Wellness Alliance, and Youth Impact represents some of my proudest contributions – because healing happens in community, not just in a therapy room.
What sets me apart is a decolonized, humanistic approach woven into every aspect of my work – from the language I use to the frameworks I trust to the space I create for clients who have rarely felt safe enough to exhale.
My motto says it plainly: “I stand ten toes down in solidarity with my community.”
How do you think about happiness?
My deepest happiness lives in meaningful, transformative conversation – the kind that only flows with the people I trust most, my closest friends and confidants.
I believe in the village. I believe in the tribe. Staying deeply rooted and plugged into community keeps me restored, grounded, and alive to my purpose. Community is where transformation actually happens – not in isolation, but in relationship.
I do my best to live by the African proverb Ubuntu: “I am because we are.”
Pricing:
- Here is the direct link to our sponsorship website for our Inaugural event: https://bpou.org/mwa-health-wellness-summit-expo-sponsorship-info/
- Summit Registration Page: https://bpou.org/health-wellness-summit-and-expo/
- Donate to BPOU-MWA: https://bpou.org/gift-donate/
- Donate to Project Success Coalition: https://projectsuccessinc.org/donate/
- Donate to Youth Impact: https://collectcheckout.com/collect-checkout/fields?cartId=19eb8703-fa3f-44ba-9e2b-8963cd999671
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bpou.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bpou_mwa/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Greg-Noel/pfbid0aKSLL2y2ACwD4Nrubhi7RDzZDCPamXhZ7GwP3UPN2CdnweCUdBTApzYPMVr2VMF2l/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-noel-lmft-53b02b342?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BTf1w%2Bl7bQ0mliqBxMvJcxw%3D%3D
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@blackphysiciansofutah3091
- Other: https://www.doingtheworkconsulting.com/
