Listening With Love expands, Govan recognized

State Sen. Jake Oliviera’s district director, Jennifer Pickering, and State Sen. Adam Gomez’s communications director, Chris Gongora, presented City Councilor Zaida Govan with a citation from the Senate.
Reminer Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen

SPRINGFIELD — There is more love available to Springfield area residents looking for someone to listen, since the expansion of Listening With Love, a counseling and mental health care business in Indian Orchard.

Zaida Govan, a social worker and therapist, opened Listening With Love in January 2022 when she saw wait times of six to 12 months to see mental health clinicians.

“Within six months, I had a waitlist,” she said. Listening With Love now has 10 clinicians. Govan said the practice had outgrown its space at 54½ Main St., so when the storefront next door at 54 Main St. became available, she decided to expand.

With the added space, Listening With Love can now accommodate five patients at a time in individual therapy rooms, with space downstairs for group therapy, Govan said. She plans to hire five more clinicians.

Listening With Love offers several forms of therapy, including narrative, cognitive behavioral, dialectical behavioral and art therapies. “I specialize in trauma and addiction, particularly with women,” Govan said, but other clinicians at Listening With Love have their own specialties, and treat adults, teens and children.

At the grand opening of Listening With Love’s new space on March 27, City Council President Tracye Whitfield delivered two proclamations. In reading the City Council’s proclamation, she quoted Dr. Cornell West, who said, “Justice is what love looks like in public.” Whitfield further spoke about how Govan, who is also the Ward 8 City Councilor, has worked to support Springfield residents, particularly those in Indian Orchard. She also shared that Govan helped her become comfortable with seeking a therapist.

The second proclamation was from Mayor Domenic Sarno, who proclaimed March 27, 2026, to be Listening With Love Day in the city of Springfield.

State Sen. Jake Oliveira’s district director, Jennifer Pickering, and State Sen. Adam Gomez’s communications director, Chris Gongora, presented Govan with a citation from the Senate. A citation from the state House of Representatives was presented to Govan on behalf of state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez by his district director, Lisandra Rosario, and state Rep. Orlando Ramos by Chief of Staff Ayanna Crawford.

“Spaces like this are what we need in Springfield,” School Committee member Rosa Valentin said.

Sherrod Johnson, a clinician who works at Listening With Love, said he joined Govan because he could not meet the needs of the community in his previous job. Like Whitfield, he said Govan “gives back to the community selflessly.”

In her remarks, Govan thanked her husband for his support. “Anytime I want to do something, he says, ‘Okay,’ and then we figure out how to do it,” she said. Govan candidly referred to her own history of substance use disorder, but said she has been in recovery and pursuing a path in mental health care since 1989.

The name Listening With Love was suggested by a friend who told Govan, “That’s what you do. You listen with love.” Govan said, “You don’t realize people are watching you.”