Wes Woodland
Counsellor
LGBTQIA+ Counselling Support in Dorset
As an LGBTQIA+ person, you may carry feelings of shame, isolation, or uncertainty—even if you’re proud of who you are. Many clients I work with have grown up in environments where their identity was questioned, ignored, or judged. That silence and pressure can leave lasting scars, shaping the way we see ourselves and connect with others. Sometimes, the messages we’ve internalised are even so insidious and covert, we might not even notice how much we’ve been impacted by them. We can grow up feeling like we’re always at an inherent “deficit,” like our identity is something we constantly have to “make up for.”
Why Being Queer Deserves Space
It’s not always easy to talk about identity, relationships, or what it’s like to carry years of feeling “other.” Especially if you’re used to keeping things to yourself, or if you’ve never had anyone reflect back that your experiences make sense.
Therapy can offer a space to be fully yourself without having to explain the basics, soften your story, or make it easier for someone else to hear.
This might be the first time you’ll be able to talk about:
- Feeling “not queer enough,” “too queer,” or like you don’t fit anywhere
- The pressure to act a certain way (more masc, more femme, more likeable, more acceptable)
- The long-term effects of being closeted, isolated, or made to feel ashamed
- Internal conflicts around sex, desire, or relationships
- The intersectionality within your identity
- Feeling disconnected from your body, your voice, or your sense of self
- Difficult family dynamics or painful experiences you’ve never really unpacked
You don’t have to be in crisis to come to therapy. You might just want to feel more at ease, more connected, or more able to live in a way that feels real.
How Counselling Can Help
As a person-centred counsellor in Blandford Forum, I provide:
- A safe space where you don’t have to explain or minimise your experience
- Respectful, non-judgemental support for your identity and relationships
- Time to talk honestly, explore gently, and connect with your authentic self
- Practical tools and new perspectives to help you move forward
Whether you’re out, closeted, questioning, or somewhere in between, you deserve support that respects the whole of who you are.
I am a gay counsellor with lived experience of the challenges many LGBTQIA+ people face. This work is deeply personal to me, and I offer a therapeutic relationship grounded in warmth, understanding, and acceptance.
Book your free consultation today and experience a space where you don’t have to hide.
Or if you’d like to read more about my own journey and why I do this work, you can explore my blog post here.
