Gender Dysphoria

Understanding Gender Dysphoria

Gender dysphoria is the distress that arises when an individual’s gender identity does not align with their assigned gender at birth. This mismatch can lead to feelings of discomfort, anxiety, and emotional pain, often making it difficult for individuals to navigate social and personal relationships. Gender dysphoria can affect individuals of all ages and may require medical, social, and psychological support.

The Role of Counselling in Supporting Gender Dysphoria

Counselling offers a safe, affirming space for individuals experiencing gender dysphoria to explore their identity, understand their feelings, and receive support. Therapy helps individuals navigate the emotional and practical challenges of transitioning or living authentically in their gender identity.

Building Self-Acceptance

Through therapy, individuals work on building self-acceptance and developing the confidence to express their true selves. Counselling supports individuals in managing the emotional impact of societal pressures and stigma, helping them find empowerment in their identity.

Navigating Relationships and Support Systems

Therapists help individuals with gender dysphoria communicate with family, friends, and loved ones about their identity, fostering understanding and support. Counselling provides tools for building healthy relationships and developing strong support systems.

Exploring gender identity
Building self-acceptance
Navigating relationships and support
Managing emotional challenges of transitioning

Find Gender Dysphoria therapists in Brighton & Hove

Therapists in Brighton & Hove

Browse our verified therapists — many work across a wide range of issues and may be able to help.

Brighton

Gabrielle Lake Mitchell

Integrative Counsellor

Thinking about starting counselling and looking for a counsellor, can feel daunting. So I warmly welcome you to my profile and hope that you get in touch to see if I am the right counsellor for you. There are many reasons why people seek counselling. Perhaps you are feeling lonely or disconnected from the people around you? Perhaps you would like to talk to someone about making changes in your life? Maybe you are feeling stuck, anxious or depressed, and would like a little extra support to help you through a difficult time? Perhaps you can't quite put your finger on what is wrong, and would like somewhere to express yourself and make sense of your thoughts and feelings?Whatever brings you to counselling, I will endeavour to offer you a confidential and safe space, where you can talk and explore all of your thoughts and feelings, and express them freely without judgement or opinion. Counselling can be useful in helping you to gain insight and a fresh perspective. It can help you to gain understanding about yourself and others, or help to make sense of a problematic situation. It can help you move towards acceptance, emotional freedom and healthy psychological growth.

BACPRegistered

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Brighton

Jaz Stroe

Therapist / Counsellor

A Registered Member of the BACP, I've trained extensively in psychodynamic psychotherapy and counselling, working with the past, memories, dreams and the unconscious. I also volunteer with two leading mental health organisations and benefit from bi-weekly supervision to deepen my knowledge and approach.I’m also a third-culture person. I grew up in the UK with mixed Romanian and Serbian heritage. I know what it's like to perform versions of yourself while quietly feeling like someone else. Cultural identity, migration, belonging and othering are all woven into my psychology and therapeutic practice.I aim to maintain a genuinely inclusive space across culture, identity, sexual orientation, relationship structure, faith, and background. I don't work from a single script of what a person, a relationship, or a life should look like. I work within an ethic of non-harm, to self and to others, and I ask the same of the therapeutic space we share.Ultimately, I came into this work wanting to understand and aid my own mental wellbeing. I've had personal therapy for over a decade. I can only take you as far as I've gone myself, and I've gone deep. In other words, you're in safe hands, and you will be held week after week, for as long as you keep showing up.

BACPRegistered

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Brighton

Claire Baker

Humanistic Psychotherapeutic Counsellor

At Clarity Counselling you will be warmly welcomed by me, Claire Baker, a fully qualified, insured and BACP-registered Psychotherapeutic Counsellor. If you are aged 18+ and are interested in starting therapy, I offer a half price, 50-minute introductory session which gives us an opportunity to meet, discuss what brings you to counselling and see how we feel about working together, with no obligation for you to commit to further sessions if you do not wish. Please visit: www.claritycounselling.co.uk for more details.

BACPAccredited

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Brighton

Andy Wolage

Therapeutic Counsellor

Sometimes life is really hard. Everything feels like too much. We can get overwhelmed with guilt for not coping, shame for having failed in the past and sometimes we can end up not really liking ourselves very much. We might self medicate with substances or other behaviours which we know don't really help, but they seem better than nothing. But they just perpetuate the cycle. I can offer you a safe, non-judgemental and confidential space to organise and reframe those overwhelming feelings and see the wood for the trees. I can help you understand yourself better and to begin to look in the mirror and like what you see.

BACPRegisteredNCPSAccredited

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Brighton

Tessa Williams

Integrative Counsellor

I’m a warm, thoughtful and genuine therapist, working with individual adults in person in Brighton & Hove and online.I see therapy as something we build together, with the relationship between us at the heart of the work. I aim to offer a space where you can feel accepted as you are, while also supporting you to consider different perspectives when that may be helpful.My way of working is flexible and shaped around you. We might explore emotions, relationships and recurring patterns, pay attention to how experiences are felt in your body, or use more creative ways of working where that feels useful.I offer an affirming and inclusive space, including for LGBTQ+, neurodivergent and disabled identities and experiences.

BACPRegistered

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Brighton

Joanna Miller

Integrative Psychotherapist

I’m an accredited psychotherapist with 15 years experience.I believe that the counselling relationship should be a creative space for both parties. It should feel comfortable and open enough to be free from anxiety and pressure in which new perspectives can emerge. In my view most mental activity takes place below the level of conscious awareness and my role is to help people gain access to it and insights from it.As an accredited therapist I am affiliated with several private healthcare companies including BUPA and AXA. I have an up-to-date DBS certificate which is registered on the update service. As well as working with individual adults, including trainee therapists, I have many years' experience working with children, couples and families. I have been a university counsellor so have a lot of experience working with students and young people and have also worked in secondary schools.

BACPAccredited

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Gender Dysphoria

Understanding Gender Dysphoria

The Role of Counselling in Supporting Gender Dysphoria

Building Self-Acceptance

Navigating Relationships and Support Systems

Therapists in Brighton & Hove

Gabrielle Lake Mitchell

Jaz Stroe

Claire Baker

Andy Wolage

Tessa Williams

Joanna Miller

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