LGBTQIA+ Affirming Counselling in Bayside, Melbourne

Seeking counselling as an LGBTQIA+ person can come with extra layers concerns about being misunderstood, having to educate your therapist, or wondering whether your identity will truly be respected.

This is an LGBTQIA+ affirming counselling space.

I work with adults who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, and gender diverse, as well as those exploring identity in ways that don’t fit neat labels.

You don’t need to explain or justify who you are here.

What brings people to LGBTQIA+ affirming counselling

People seek support for many reasons, including:

  • identity exploration or questioning

  • coming out or living more openly

  • internalised shame or self-criticism

  • relationship and family challenges

  • minority stress, discrimination, or microaggressions

  • anxiety, burnout, or low mood

  • navigating work, community, or healthcare systems

  • intersecting experiences of neurodivergence, trauma, or grief

Counselling offers a space where these experiences are understood in context — not pathologised.

What “affirming” means in practice

An affirming approach means:

  • your gender identity and sexuality are respected and validated

  • your lived experience is centred, not debated

  • therapy does not assume heteronormative or cisnormative norms

  • identity is not treated as the problem

  • the impact of stigma, discrimination, and minority stress is acknowledged

You set the language, pace, and focus of therapy.

How counselling can help

LGBTQIA+ affirming counselling can support you to:

  • explore identity safely and at your own pace

  • build self-acceptance and self-trust

  • process experiences of rejection, discrimination, or invisibility

  • navigate relationships, boundaries, and communication

  • work with anxiety, depression, or trauma

  • integrate different parts of your identity with compassion

This work is collaborative, respectful, and grounded in your values.

My approach

My work is:

  • client-centred and trauma-aware

  • LGBTQIA+ affirming and inclusive

  • neurodiversity-affirming

  • grounded in evidence-based psychotherapy

You won’t be asked to educate me or defend your identity. Counselling is a space where you can be fully yourself — or explore who you’re becoming.

Who I work with

I support adults who are:

  • LGBTQIA+ or questioning

  • at any stage of identity exploration or transition

  • navigating relationships, family, or community dynamics

  • experiencing anxiety, burnout, grief, or low self-worth

  • holding intersecting identities and experiences

You don’t need to have everything figured out to begin.

Practical details

  • Individual counselling for adults

  • In-person sessions in Bayside, Melbourne

  • Online sessions available

  • Confidential, respectful environment

  • No referral required

The first session is an opportunity to talk about what you’re looking for and see whether working together feels right.

Grief & Loss Counselling Frequently Asked Questions

  • Grief and loss counselling provides a safe, supportive space to explore emotions after any type of loss. It helps you understand and live with grief, rather than trying to “get over” it, at a pace that feels manageable for you.

  • Adults experiencing recent or long-term bereavement, complex or prolonged grief, loss that is unrecognised by others, or grief layered with anxiety, depression, or trauma can benefit from counselling. Support is also valuable for those unsure how to live alongside loss.

  • No. Grief can arise from many types of loss, including miscarriage, infertility, relationship breakdown, loss of health, identity, or life direction, or major life transitions. Any loss that matters to you is valid and can be explored in counselling.

  • Counselling helps you:

    • Make space for grief in all its forms

    • Explore conflicting or confusing emotions

    • Reduce isolation and self-judgement

    • Process complicated or unfinished feelings

    • Gradually reconnect with meaning, identity, and purpose

    The work is paced to your needs and respects your emotional readiness.

  • No. Grief is highly individual, and there is no timeline or prescribed way to process it. Counselling focuses on supporting your unique experience rather than imposing expectations or outcomes.

  • Sessions provide a confidential, supportive environment where you can express your emotions freely. The counsellor works in a gentle, trauma-aware, and client-centred way, allowing space for reflection, silence, and processing without pressure.

  • Yes. Many adults experience grief that resurfaces unexpectedly, is layered with other emotions, or is linked to ambiguous or unacknowledged loss. Counselling supports navigating these complexities safely and compassionately.

  • Yes. Sessions are available in-person in Bayside, Melbourne, and online. You don’t need a referral or to know exactly what you want from counselling — only the willingness to explore and process your grief with support.