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Welcome to my remote counselling services. I’m Gavin Reid MBACP, a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and I’m here to offer you compassionate and professional support, wherever you are.

domestic abuse

Domestic Abuse

🔴 Talking about domestic abuse is never easy, and if you’re LGBTQ+ it can feel even more complicated.

🔴 I know from my own life that silence and shame can weigh heavily. Abuse doesn’t just leave bruises — it chips away at your confidence, your trust, and your sense of who you are.

🔴 In LGBTQ+ relationships, abuse can take many forms:

🚩 A partner controlling who you see or speak to

🚩 Humiliation or constant criticism

🚩 Threats of outing your sexuality or gender identity

🚩 Violence, intimidation, or sexual coercion

🚩 Control of money or resources

🔴 And the impact doesn’t simply fade when the relationship ends. It can linger, shaping how you see yourself and how safe you feel with others:

🚩 Doubting your own judgement

🚩 Feeling ashamed or isolated

🚩 Struggling to trust again

🚩 Carrying a heavy sense of invisibility

🔴 What makes this even harder is when you do reach out for support and aren’t taken seriously.

🔴 I’ve spoken to people who went to the police or to medical professionals and felt dismissed, because those services couldn’t imagine abuse happening in LGBTQ+ relationships. That kind of response is a microaggression in itself, and it can deepen the sense of being unseen.

✅ That’s why I work the way I do. In therapy, you don’t have to explain your sexuality or prove your experiences are real. You’ll be heard, believed, and supported.

✅ Together we can start to unpack what’s happened, explore the lasting impact, and move towards rebuilding confidence, trust, and self-worth. Healing is possible, even if it feels out of reach right now.

✅ If any of this resonates with you, maybe now is the time to reach out and begin your own healing journey.

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