Meet Gavin
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.
Personal Statement
Thanks for visiting my page. If you are here, I expect you are thinking of having therapy and perhaps considering me to be your therapist, looking for gay counselling in Manchester.
My name is Gavin, I use he/him pronouns, and I am a white, neuro typical, able bodied, gay cis man. I’ve been in recovery from addiction for over 5 years. I volunteer with a local LGBTQ+ charity and I sing with the Manchester Proud Chorus. I’m single and live in Manchester with my dog and cat.
Community involvement
In addition to my private practice, gay counselling in Manchester, I volunteer at two local LGBTQ+ charities. This work keeps me deeply connected to the community and informed about the current challenges facing LGBTQ+ individuals.
Social Justice
As a gay man who grew up in the 1980s, I carry the weight of both the struggles and the resilience that shaped my journey. In a time marked by significant discrimination, especially under laws like Section 28, and the devastation of the AIDS epidemic, I witnessed firsthand what it means to be marginalized, ostracized, and denied basic rights.
I want to acknowledge the unique discrimination trans individuals face today, which can often feel like an echo of the struggles I experienced in my youth. In the fight for equality, it is crucial to listen, learn, and amplify the voices of trans folks, understanding their experiences with empathy and respect.
Taking the first step towards counselling can be daunting. I offer a free 15-minute online consultation to discuss your needs and see if we’re a good fit.
Specialisations
Recovery from Chemsex: Drawing on from my own lived experience, I provide compassionate, non-judgmental support for gay men looking to overcome challenges related to sexualized drug use.
Trans and Gender Diverse Support: I embrace a social justice perspective and offer a safe space to explore and affirm gender identity.
Professional Burnout: Drawing from my corporate background, I help clients navigate work-related stress and find balance.
Boundary Setting: Establishing healthy boundaries is essential for fostering self-esteem, improving relationships, and promoting overall well-being. My goal is to empower you to establish and uphold boundaries that reflect your values and contribute to healthier, more fulfilling connections in your life.
Why Choose Me
LGBTQ+ affirming practice
Lived experience within the community
Unique blend of corporate and counselling expertise
Commitment to social justice and equality
Convenient online sessions via Zoom
Active involvement in the LGBTQ+ community through volunteer work
Inspiration
I want to share with you a quote by Christina Richards which I find inspiring.
“This one is for all of the kids on their own in the corner of the playground. Scuffed knees, purple bruises, and other pains less visible. The lonely; the ‘strange’; and the ‘weird’. For those who are ‘different’ or ‘odd’ or other, less kind, terms—maybe different in gender, maybe so in other ways. Stay strong. You are more beautiful than you know. It’s hard to understand when the world keeps beating you down, but inside of you is the fire of change that allowed us to rise up over millennia, away from the blood and terror of prehistory and towards the stars. You see, change absolutely requires the difference which is inside of you—for if we all think the same, all act the same, we will be the same. With difference comes the possibility of change, and so hope, and so every moment of progress. The difference inside of you is every revolution that felled a dictator; every cure for disease found where no one else was looking; every new word that allowed connection between separate souls; and every beautiful, profound, new idea. As you huddle in the corner with your saviour book, or your sparkling dreams, or your talisman (they come in different forms); And the cold in your stomach twists again from the loneliness or the fear; My arm is around you, my heart is with you—and so are those of a thousand, a million, others who have been there too. Look up. The world is waiting for us. It is awash with beauty and there is still much to do”.