LGBTQ+

You deserve a therapist who genuinely understands your experience.

Affirming LGBTQ+ therapy in Northern Ireland. We provide a genuinely inclusive, knowledgeable space where your identity and experience are fully respected and where you can focus on what you actually came to therapy for.

Meet our team

Begin your journey

Calm counselling room with two armchairs for therapy sessions in Northern Ireland

Therapy That Understands the LGBTQ+ Experience

The Impact of Minority Stress and Discrimination

LGBTQ+ people experience elevated rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health difficulties, not because of their identity but because of the minority stress that comes with navigating a world that is not always welcoming or safe. In Northern Ireland, the particular cultural and political landscape adds further layers of complexity. Our therapists understand these specific pressures and work with them explicitly rather than treating LGBTQ+ identity as incidental.

Identity, Coming Out and Family Dynamics

Questions of identity, the process of coming out, managing family rejection or conditional acceptance, and navigating relationships within and outside the LGBTQ+ community are all areas our therapists work with extensively. Whether you are early in your journey or navigating longstanding challenges, therapy provides a space that meets you exactly where you are.

Support in Northern Ireland

NI Counselling provides affirming LGBTQ+ therapy across Northern Ireland. Our therapists are specifically trained in LGBTQ+ affirming practice and all sessions are completely confidential and genuinely welcoming. In-person and online sessions are available.

Our Service Areas:

Belfast City

Co. Antrim

Co. Down

Derry/L'Derry

Remote NI

UK-wide Online

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Expert Methodologies for Lasting Relief

We don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. We utilize the gold standard of evidence-based psychological interventions.

Genuinely Affirming Practice

Affirming practice is not simply about being polite. It means having genuine knowledge of LGBTQ+ experiences, understanding minority stress, using correct language without prompting, and approaching your identity as a strength rather than a presenting problem to be managed.

Working with Minority Stress

We explicitly address the impact of minority stress on mental health, helping you understand the external origins of many of the difficulties you may be experiencing and develop resilience strategies that are grounded in the reality of your life.

Identity and Community

Questions of identity, belonging and community are central to many LGBTQ+ therapeutic journeys. We provide a space to explore these questions at your own pace, without pressure towards any particular conclusion about how you identify or how you choose to live.

Meet our Team

Browse our therapy team

Our team is hand-selected not just for their clinical excellence, but for their empathetic, editorial approach to modern mental health.

Tory Stirling

Integrative Adult Counsellor

Tory is a BACP registered integrative counsellor with specialist experience in complex trauma, bereavement and neurodiversity, including over ten years working in the field of autism. Flexible, relational and neuroaffirming in approach, she supports adults across a wide range of emotional and psychological difficulties.

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Raymond McLean

Adult Counsellor

Raymond is a dually registered integrative counsellor with extensive experience across community and private mental health settings. Person-centred, warm and adaptable, he supports adults through anxiety, bereavement, trauma, low mood and workplace stress from his Antrim practice.

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Steven Montgomery

Adult Integrative Counsellor

Steven is a NCPS registered integrative counsellor offering a safe, non-judgmental space for adults navigating anxiety, low mood, grief, identity and relationship difficulties. Warm, accessible and person-centred at his core, he works collaboratively to build self-understanding and resilience.

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Orla McFadden

Adult Integrative Counsellor

Orla is a BACP registered integrative counsellor offering online and telephone sessions. Drawing on person-centred, CBT and psychodynamic approaches, she creates a safe, collaborative space for adults working through depression, anxiety, bereavement, low self-esteem and relationship difficulties.

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Sarah Etheridge

Adult Counsellor

Sarah is a BACP registered counsellor with specialist training in IFS, trauma and attachment. Working through a person-centred and psychodynamic lens, she offers a warm, trusting therapeutic relationship to support adults with anxiety, grief, trauma, PTSD and a wide range of personal difficulties.

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Orla Cogill

Adult Psychotherapist

Orla Cogill is a qualified Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist supporting adults with anxiety, depression, trauma, low mood and stress. Orla integrates CBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) and EMDR, tailoring sessions to individual sensory and processing needs. She offers a warm, evidence-based approach, helping clients build self-understanding, self-compassion and practical coping skills.

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Robyn Lough

Integrative Adult Counsellor

Robyn is a BACP registered integrative counsellor based in Banbridge. Warm, collaborative and solution-aware in her approach, she supports adults through anxiety, bereavement, trauma, neurodivergence and a wide range of life challenges, offering in-person, online and telephone sessions.

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Michelle Duffy

Adult Counsellor

Michelle Duffy is an MBACP Accredited Counsellor and Psychotherapist with over 11 years' clinical experience. Michelle works with adults, young people and children experiencing trauma, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and relationship difficulties. She offers an integrative, creative approach, including EMDR, helping clients heal and move forward with confidence.

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