I work with adults across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum: gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, trans, non-binary, asexual, intersex, questioning, and identities that don't fit neatly inside any of those words. There's no expectation here that you'll educate me on your identity, justify it, or translate yourself into something more palatable.
What this work involves
LGBTQIA+ affirming therapy isn't a separate kind of therapy. It's therapy without the obstacles that mainstream therapy still sometimes presents, without the silent assumptions, the misnamings, the moments where you have to teach the therapist before you can actually use the session.
You might come to therapy because of something specifically related to your identity:
- Coming out (to yourself, to others, at different stages of life)
- Identity exploration, including non-linear, fluid, or evolving identities
- Minority stress, the chronic cost of navigating a world not built for you
- Internalised stigma and self-acceptance
- Family reactions and rebuilding family of choice
- Religious or cultural conflict around identity
- Trans-specific work: transition, dysphoria, navigating healthcare, family and workplace
- Relationships, sex, intimacy
- Chemsex, exploration, complication, or recovery
You might also come for something that has nothing to do with your identity, anxiety, OCD, depression, work stress, grief. The fact that you're LGBTQIA+ doesn't mean every session has to be about it. But you'll be in a space where it can be when it needs to be.
How I work
I work integratively, drawing on evidence-based modalities, ACT, CBT, psychodynamic, person-centred, and adapting to what fits for you. The approaches aren't unique to LGBTQIA+ clients. What's unique is the foundation: you don't have to do the labour of making yourself understood before therapy can begin.
I have experience working with chemsex-related concerns specifically, including exploring chemsex without shame, navigating its complications, and working through dependency or its aftermath. This is an area where stigma still does significant damage. Therapy here is non-judgmental, harm-reduction-informed, and honest.
A note on identity-first language: I'll follow your lead on language, pronouns, and how you describe yourself. If something I say doesn't fit, please tell me, I'd rather get corrected and adjust than continue using language that doesn't work for you.
What therapy with me looks like
You don't have to be in crisis to come to therapy. You don't have to have a clear “issue” to work on. Many LGBTQIA+ clients describe the value of having a space that is just for them, a regular hour each week where they don't have to mask, manage, or explain.
If you do come with something specific, we'll work on it. If what's most pressing changes over time, the focus changes with you. The work is yours.