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Therapy Uncategorized

Therapeutic Bypassing

You may be familiar with the concept of spiritual bypassing. If you are not, it can be summarised as using spiritual practices and beliefs to avoid dealing with emotional wounds or psychological issues in one’s life. In addition to this well-known way of coping with or avoiding emotional pain, I am also seeing a different […]

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Fandom and online spaces LGBTQIA+ Neurodiversity Queer Relationship Diversity

Are friends electric? Online disinhibition and NRE

Most of what you read about online safety is, understandably, about protecting your personal data and not getting scammed. But what about your mental and emotional safety? People from some atomised minority groups who are geographically distant from their peers—LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, disabled and other identities that are dispersed and struggle to access in-person community—often find […]

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LGBTQIA+ Therapy

The importance of gender, sex and relationship diversity in counselling training

I’ve recently had a piece published in Counselling Matters, the journal of my professional membership body the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society. It’s a reflection on my training to become a therapist and how important it’s been for me to get advanced specialist training in working with people who are gender-expansive, have a range of […]

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Accessibility Therapy Trans

Trans healthcare, Britishness and the NHS

I’ve been thinking about something since watching this video recently and reading people’s comments about it. If you have an hour and a half and a relatively strong constitution for emotional turmoil, I recommend watching it. It’s pretty heart-wrenching, and it has some interesting philosophical points about the nature of large institutions and some of […]

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LGBTQIA+ Trans

Trans Awareness Week 2022

13-19th November is Transgender Awareness Week – an opportunity to raise the profile of trans people and better understand the issues surrounding being trans at this moment in time. It will not come as a surprise to many that being trans is, now apparently more than ever, a battleground. The UK and US appear to […]

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LGBTQIA+ Queer Relationship Diversity Uncategorized

Understanding Ace

Asexuality is a relatively newly recognised identity. Although it was first recognised in the 1890s by a clinical sexologist writing at the time, Magnus Hirschfeld, it wasn’t until 2001 that the Asexuality Visibility and Education Network (AVEN) started to bring together asexual people from around the world. 23-29 October is Ace Week – a week […]

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LGBTQIA+ Queer Relationship Diversity

Not homosexual as in Charlie & Ben, but gay as in Charlie ❤ Nick

Somewhat late to the party, I’ve recently caught up with Heartstopper, the Netflix queer teen drama based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novels and original Tumblr comic series. The show is a glorious love story, with all the highs and lows of teenage drama and a wonderfully wholesome ending. I could review the show, but there […]

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LGBTQIA+ Mental Health

World Mental Health Day 2022

10th October every year is World Mental Health Day; a day during which we can acknowledge the struggles of millions of people around the world with their mental health and bring understanding and compassion to their suffering. Much of what you will see about mental health today will focus on anxiety and depression, and the […]

Categories
Body politics LGBTQIA+ Neurodiversity Relationship Diversity

Minority stress: major impact

Being a member of a minority group – whether that is sexuality, gender, relationship style, neurotype, disability, body size, race or ethnicity – can sometimes feel like living beneath a cloud. Even for those of us proud to live under the rainbow banner, it can feel like a storm is brewing, ready to rain on […]

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LGBTQIA+ Uncategorized

(Un)real friends – parasocial relationships and mental health

In the mid-1950s, TV host Dave Garroway noticed something strange when he was walking around the town where he lived. After beginning his stint as presenter of NBC’s Today show, Garroway noticed that complete strangers would approach him in the street, greeting him warmly as though they knew him and asking after his wife. He […]