LGBTQ2+ Counselling
Are you a member of the LGBTQ2+ community and need some support for your mental health and wellbeing? Or perhaps you are looking for a queer-friendly, comfortable and accepting place you can talk through questions you have about your own sexual orientation and/or gender identity. I warmly welcome all members of the LGBTQ2+ community: queer, trans, gay, 2spirit, non-binary, lesbian, bisexual, and other expressions of sexuality or gender identity.
​
Counselling for LGBTQ2+ clients can include talking about sexual orientation and /or gender identity; your experience of coming out; the reactions of family of origin, acknowledgment of systemic oppression and minority stress; and personal experiences of discrimination. It often also includes work around establishing a sense of self and finding ways to connect to and create community. Also, in many cases when folk came out in younger years there may have been hurt and distress that has been kept at arms length, so there may be some younger versions of ourselves that need to be heard and helped to feel safe.
​
​
Areas of Support for LGBTQ2+ folk:
-
Cultural/faith-based issues
-
Exploring the impact of previous negative experiences towards your sexuality/gender identity (read about minority stress here)
-
Working through trauma related to your coming out experience
-
Traumatic experiences of rejection, discrimination, or abuse
-
Questioning your sexuality/gender identity
-
LGBTQ+ Relationship challenges
-
Depression and anxiety
-
Feelings of shame and low self worth
Queer-Friendly counselling
There are many barriers that already exist to getting mental health support. For the queer and trans community there are additional barriers, such as fear of prejudice from mental health professionals, fear of stigma, rejection, fear of misgendering, or experiences of heteronormativity. This is also relevant for relationship counselling, as it can be challenging for people in non-heterosexual/cis relationships to reach out for help. Whether it be a gay couple wanting marriage counselling, someone in a poly-amorous relationship needing help with communication, or a trans/cis couple dealing with family conflict. Everyone should be able to get the support they need without fear of being judged or treated in any way other than with care, respect and with empathy.
​
If you are LGBTQ2+ and are wanting to explore the option of counselling, or are starting to question your identity and would like to talk it through with a counsellor, I am there for you. My office is based in North Vancouver and I also offer telephone or online counselling to people across British Columbia. As a member of the community myself, I am dedicated to supporting other LGBTQ2+ folks in whatever struggle you are going through.
