LGBTQ2S+ Affirming Counselling
At Rising Tides, you can expect counselling where you feel respected, understood, and free to be yourself. We offer LGBTQ2S+ affirming counselling in Saint John for people navigating mental health, relationships, identity, life transitions, or the effects of discrimination and minority stress.
Counselling That Affirms Who You Are
Being LGBTQ2S+ is not a mental health issue. However, experiences such as discrimination, rejection, isolation, stress, or pressure to hide parts of yourself can affect your well-being.
Affirming counselling provides space to explore what matters to you without assumptions or judgment. You may want support related to your identity, or you may be seeking help with anxiety, trauma, relationships, grief, stress, or other concerns that are not directly connected to being LGBTQ2S+.
Reasons People Seek LGBTQ2S+ Affirming Counselling
People come to counselling for many different reasons. Support may focus on identity and lived experience, broader mental health concerns, or both.
Identity and Self-Understanding
Exploring sexual orientation, gender identity, self-expression, or what feels authentic to you.
Coming Out or Choosing Not To
Thinking through when, how, and whether to share parts of your identity with others.
Discrimination and Stress
Coping with prejudice, exclusion, misgendering, microaggressions, or the pressure to hide who you are.
Relationships and Connection
Navigating dating, intimacy, communication, chosen family, or changes within important relationships.
Family & Community
Managing family reactions, cultural or religious expectations, belonging, and boundaries.
Mental Health and Trauma
Receiving affirming help with anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, burnout, or other concerns affecting your well-being..
What LGBTQ2S+ Affirming Counselling Might Look Like
1. Beginning With What Matters to You
Your therapist will take time to understand what brings you to counselling, what you hope will change, and the experiences and relationships that have shaped you. You decide how much you want to share and when.
2. Exploring Without Assumptions
Counselling can provide space to explore identity, relationships, emotions, or difficult experiences without pressure to explain, defend, or label yourself. Your therapist will follow your goals rather than making assumptions about what matters most.
3. Building Support and Moving Forward
Together, you may work on coping with stress, processing trauma, strengthening relationships, setting boundaries, building self-trust, or connecting more fully with supportive people and communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
We respect the privacy of our therapists and do not make assumptions about or disclose anyone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Some therapists may choose to share aspects of their identity in their individual profiles, but others may not. The therapists featured on this page have identified an interest in providing affirming support to LGBTQ2S+ clients. If shared lived experience is important to you, let us know when requesting counselling. We can help you explore available options without asking a therapist to disclose personal information.
Not at all. You might want support with anxiety, trauma, grief, stress, relationships, or another concern that has little or nothing to do with your identity. You decide what you want counselling to focus on.
Affirming counselling welcomes and respects people across all sexual orientations, gender identities, relationships, and family structures. Your therapist will seek to understand your experiences without treating your identity as a problem or assuming it is the reason you have come to counselling.
Several members of our team have completed additional training in gender-affirming care and can support clients exploring gender identity, expression, transition, relationships, and related mental health concerns. Rising Tides provides counselling support rather than medical gender-affirming care.
Yes. We welcome couples and families of diverse identities and structures. Support may focus on communication, relationships, identity-related changes, family reactions, boundaries, or strengthening understanding and connection.
Yes. Your privacy is protected within the legal and ethical limits of confidentiality. Your therapist will explain those limits at the beginning of counselling and answer any questions you have about your information.
Meet Some of Our Therapists Who Support LGBTQ2S+ Clients
Caitlin Iles, LTC-C
Counselling Therapist
Caitlin provides affirming counselling for LGBTQ2S+ individuals and couples. She supports clients with identity exploration, relationships, grief, chronic illness, stress, trauma, and mind-body wellness. Caitlin uses a collaborative, compassionate approach and is trained in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART).
Alex Hitchcock, LCT-C
Counselling Therapist
Alex offers affirming support to LGBTQ2S+ teens and adults navigating identity, mental health, relationships, trauma, and life transitions. Alex brings a warm, collaborative approach and incorporates EMDR when appropriate.
Kaeli McGraw (Crozier), LCT-C
Counselling Therapist
Kaeli provides affirming counselling for LGBTQ2S+ clients experiencing trauma, anxiety, relationship concerns, identity-related stress, or the effects of sexual violence. She offers a compassionate, individualized approach and is trained in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART).
Find Affirming Support At Rising Tides
Connect with a therapist who will respect your identity, listen to what matters to you, and support the goals you bring to counselling.