transition focused therapy
Transitioning for Transgender, Non-Binary and Gender Diverse individuals is not only life-saving but an affirming experience. However, this journey can be difficult to navigate from documentation, to shared care, being misgendered, bodily changes, losing relationships or gaining one, experiencing cis-assuming privilege, with the feelings and emotions of self and others. Therefore, for many gender diverse people, it is important to have affirming therapeutic support. Transition Focused therapy is not about ''making'' a person transition or ''convincing'' a person who is questioning that they are gender diverse (See GSRD), that would be unethical as is Conversion Therapy. But rather, it is about exploring and affirming a gender diverse person about what they have already discovered and realised about themselves at whatever stage of their transition. Journeying and supporting them through becoming authentically themselves. This may involve preparation for diagnosis or pausing and exploring more in therapy for if, when or if at all ready for transition. Whatever it is, we explore and make sense of what emerges.
Bereavement,trauma,
grief
grief
Experiencing Bereavement, Trauma and Grief are not linear, nor is there a time-frame of processing. With these challenging and stressful experiences comes a whole host of emotions and feelings. Being stuck in the sympathetic nervous system of fight, flight, freeze, fawn, can have detrimental effects on your mental health, physical health and general wellbeing. Anxiety, Depression, Disordered Eating, Headaches, Insomnia and many other symptoms can be all enmeshed within the process, needing it to be untangled. You may not know where or how to begin, feeling confused stuck and maybe even at the point of crisis breakdown. Whatever it is, I am here to help you process these feelings and experiences in a confidential and safe space.
gsrd
GSRD refers to Gender, Sexuality and Relationship Diversity.
Gender: Individuals exploring gender identity, gender expression, sex assigned at birth including but not limited to intersex people and those who have discovered they are intersex at a later stage in life. This also includes 2 spirit indigenous people.
Sexuality: There is over 72 sexualities to date and this can cover clients who identify as LGBTQIA+ but also gives space for exploration of all experiences, including those who sit within the norm. This includes people who are curious to explore. People who identify as straight-but are men who sleep with men, or women who sleep with women.
Relationship Diversity: including but not limited to polyamory, open relationships, cis gender partners of trans, non-binary and gender diverse individuals, just to name a few.
Working with neurodiversity and chronic illness
The most common types of neurodiversity are:
- Autism/Autism Spectrum Conditions.
- ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity (Disorder)Difficulty.
- Dyscalculia.
- Dyslexia.
- Dyspraxia, or Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)
Sometimes these come with co-morbidities such as EDS, Auto-immune conditions and other invisible disabilities. So whether early, late or questioning, I work through with you the most therapeutic ways for you to process during therapy. We may remain silent during some sessions and communicate via artwork, story telling, games, sitting, standing, moving around or a mixture. We will work together through your therapeutic process.
recovery from Spiritual Abuse and coversion therapy
Spiritual abuse happens when someone uses spiritual or religious beliefs to hurt, scare or control you. It can involve someone forcing you or your children to participate in spiritual or religious practices (1800respect). It involves, spiritual manipulation, gaslighting, physical and sexual abuse all in the name of the spirituality and/or religion. It may be institutional or individual. ''Conversion therapy'' is not far behind, as there are a large number of religious institutions that still practice it today. "Conversion therapy" is an umbrella term for attempts to change the sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression of individuals who are LGBTQIA+. ''Conversion therapy'' focuses on ''changing'' transgender or non-binary people to cisgender (gender that is congruent with sex assigned at birth). These abusive efforts lack scientific credibility and can harm LGBTQIA+ individuals significantly. Especially some who have been subjected to it suffering trauma and flashbacks.
The American Psychological Association (APA) does not recognise ''conversion therapy'' as an effective or legitimate form of therapy. Conversion therapies are not researched-based behavioural health treatments nor psychiatric treatments (betterhelp).
Initial consultations
- Preparation for Gender Affirming Care Diagnostic Assessment.
- Private Full Assessment for Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) for Adults (18+).
- Screening Reports for ASC in Adults (18+)
- Screening Reports for ASC in young people (13+).
Screening reports provide support whilst a young person waits for a full diagnosis from the NHS, or to provide a 'bridging' for SENCOs, schools and teaching staff to supply appropriate adaptive teaching alternatives for a young person. Especially if the young person is being labelled as having 'disruptive behaviour' due to undiagnosed Autism. These screenings last 1.5 hrs and are the same type of robust measures used within the NHS. Which have been tested for validity and reliability. This screening report may speed up the process of receiving a full diagnostic assessment from within the NHS.
Alternatively, screening may be all you want or need for yourself and/or your young person, just to affirm, confirm and begin understanding neurodivergence.
Alternatively, screening may be all you want or need for yourself and/or your young person, just to affirm, confirm and begin understanding neurodivergence.
