When we don’t trust ourselves, other people’s opinions can begin to carry enormous weight. A compliment may feel difficult to accept, while criticism can feel devastating. Even minor disagreements can trigger anxiety, self doubt, or a sense that we’ve somehow got something wrong. Many LGBTQ+ people become so accustomed to judgement that criticism starts to feel familiar, while kindness, encouragement, or praise can feel surprisingly uncomfortable because they don’t fit with the story we’ve learned to tell ourselves about who we are.
LGBTQ+ THERAPY & MENTAL HEALTH
Articles exploring LGBTQ affirming therapy, emotional wellbeing, identity, healing, self awareness, therapy for LGBTQ+ people, and mental health support in Manchester.
Why Do I Assume People Won’t Like Me?
Have you ever walked into a room and immediately wondered what other people think of you? Perhaps you've replayed a conversation in your head long after it ended, analysing every word you said and searching for signs that you got something wrong. Maybe a friend takes...
Conversion Practices, Therapist Bias, and the Importance of LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy
Conversion practices are often spoken about as though they belong to the past. Yet attempts to suppress, discourage, or deny LGBTQ+ identities can still appear in subtle ways, including within therapy itself. Understanding the difference between conversion practices and affirming therapy can help LGBTQ+ people find safer, more ethical support.
Advanced Accredited GSRD Therapist With Pink Therapy
What Advanced Accreditation with Pink Therapy Means As an Advanced Accredited GSRD Therapist with Pink Therapy, I provide LGBTQ+ affirming therapy online and in person from my practice in Manchester city centre. Pink Therapy is one of the UK’s leading organisations...
LGBTQ+ Shame: The Hidden Pain Of Growing Up Feeling Wrong
For many of us, LGBTQ+ shame begins quietly and early. It often isn’t one dramatic event. It’s the small comments, the loaded silences, the jokes, the tension in the room, the things that are mocked, avoided, or treated differently. Children absorb these messages long before they fully understand sexuality or gender.
Trauma, Shame, and Survival: Why Being Trauma Informed Matters in LGBTQ+ Therapy
A couple of years ago, I overheard two people talking and one of them said something very simple: “Trauma’s trauma.” That sentence stayed with me because it completely shifted how I understood my own experiences. It helped me realise trauma doesn’t need to be ranked, justified, or compared in order to matter. Trauma isn’t a competition. What matters is the impact experiences have on the nervous system, our sense of safety, and the ways we learn to survive emotionally.
LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapist in Manchester: Why Finding the Right Therapist Matters
Finding the right therapist can feel especially important for LGBTQ+ people, particularly if past experiences have involved judgement, misunderstanding, shame, or feeling like you had to hide parts of yourself just to feel accepted. Many queer people come into therapy carrying years of minority stress, hypervigilance, rejection, bullying, conditional acceptance, or the feeling that they’ve spent their lives adapting to fit into a world that wasn’t built with them in mind.
LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapist in Manchester: Finding Therapy Where You Feel Truly Seen
Finding the right therapist can feel particularly important for LGBTQ+ people, especially if previous experiences have involved judgement, misunderstanding, shame, or feeling like you’ve had to explain or defend who you are. Many queer people want more than just a...
How Therapy Can Increase Self Awareness and Change Your Life
One of the most powerful things therapy can offer is greater self awareness. Many people move through life on autopilot, repeating the same emotional patterns, relationship dynamics, coping strategies, or beliefs without fully understanding where they came from or how...
Trans Affirming Therapy in Manchester: Creating a Safe Space for Trans & Non-Binary Clients
Many trans, non binary, and gender non conforming people are currently navigating increasing levels of hostility, misunderstanding, and political debate around their identities. Experiences of discrimination, invalidation, rejection, or feeling unsafe can have a...