LGBTQ+ Affirming Couples Therapy in Mississauga
Couples therapy for gay, lesbian, bi, trans and queer couples with a Registered Psychotherapist and Certified Emotionally Focused Therapist. In person in Port Credit or online anywhere in Ontario.
What Brings Gay, Lesbian and Queer Couples to Counselling
A lot of it looks like any relationship. The same argument keeps coming back, one of you shuts down, and you end up feeling more like housemates than partners.
Some of it is harder to explain to people outside the relationship. One of you is out to family and the other isn't, or a parent still won't say your partner's name. Small things, like whether you hold hands in certain places, can turn into arguments about much bigger things.
When stress comes from outside, it usually lands between the two of you, and the person you most need on your side starts to feel like the problem.
WORKING WITH ME
Couples Work That Starts From Your Relationship as It Is
I'm Sherriden Brown. LGBTQ+ couples come to me for the same reasons any couple does, and you won't spend your sessions explaining your relationship before we can work on it.
My work is emotionally focused therapy, which looks at the bond between two people and what happens to it under stress. It fits any couple, and I take into account the pressures from outside your relationship that other couples don't carry.
MY PROCESS
What Happens in Our Sessions
We start with what's happening between you, the pattern your arguments follow and what each of you feels when it starts.
Then we slow it down. You each practise saying what you need without it landing as blame, and hearing your partner without getting defensive.
If you'd like support on your own as well, I also offer
emotionally focused individual therapy.
What The Future Could look Like
Feeling Secure in a Same-Sex Relationship
When a family visit goes badly, you come home and talk it through instead of turning on each other. You know where your partner stands on being out, and you've worked out together how much to share and with whom. It stops being the thing you fight about and becomes something you handle as a team.
The everyday things get easier too. You can bring up what's bothering you without it turning into a fight about who cares more, and when one of you pulls back, the other knows to ask what's going on before assuming the worst. Disagreements still happen, and they don't shake you the way they used to, because you both feel secure in what you've built together.
THE PRACTICAL DETAILS
Seeing an LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapist in Mississauga
What to know before you book.
Fees and Insurance
Each 50-minute session is $230. OHIP doesn't cover psychotherapy, but extended health plans usually do, and I bill them directly.
In Person or Online
My office is in Port Credit, a few minutes' walk from the GO station. Online sessions are open to couples anywhere in Ontario.
Session Times
Weekdays between 9 and 6. You can book a time that works for you both online.
Wondering If We're a Good Match?
That's a fair thing to ask any therapist. Book a free call, ask what you need to ask, and decide from there. If only one of you is ready to call, that's fine. Start the conversation and your partner can join when they're ready.
FAQs
Questions About LGBTQ+ Couples Therapy
Questions LGBTQ+ couples often ask before booking.
What does LGBTQ+ affirming mean in couples therapy?
It means your relationship is treated as just as real as any other, and you won't be asked to justify it. We work on what you came in for, and your identities are respected throughout.
Do you work with trans and non-binary partners?
Yes. I use the names and pronouns you each use, and I'll ask rather than assume.
What if one of us isn't out?
Many couples bring this in. We look at how it affects each of you and the relationship, at a pace that works for both of you. What's said in session stays confidential, within the usual legal limits.
Should we look for a therapist who is LGBTQ+ too?
Some couples prefer that, and it's worth asking any therapist about. What matters most is feeling that your relationship is understood and taken seriously, and the free call is a good way to find out whether that's true with me.