Feedback: What People Say about LGBT Couple Counselling…
You're considering this counselling service: but what have others said about LGBT Couple Counselling?Feedback and Comments made about Counsellor Dean Richardson & LGBT Couple Counselling as a therapy service for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, aroace and other fine clients.Feedback on the Counselling Service
You’re looking for feedback: what others have said about LGBT Couple Counselling.
Protecting other’s privacy who came into counselling is important. It may matter less whether you are seeking counselling as gay couples, lesbian couples, mixed-sexuality couples or groups. It may matter more to you to know that LGBT Couple Counselling is the distinctly better help for your distinct LGBT relationship.
Why distinct? It’s a service that’s significantly more focussed upon LGBT Couples & Groups than, say, other more generic “marriage” therapy services. It’s certainly a more appropriate service to you than the services whose marketing includes phrases like: “the Biblical definition of marriage” (yup, those services are still running today).
I help LGBT couples and groups decide on counselling for their relationship, so that they make an informed decision. The above links high highlight some pages for your interest.
If you have questions not covered above (or on my Frequently Asked Questions Page) please get in contact directly so that we can discuss options together.
What Clients Say (Feedback)
Over 24 years worth of cases (over 2,000 people) ~ many clients have spoken about their experience with Dean as their therapist.
Offering an effective approach to counselling with LGBT /QIA+ couples and groups isn’t always straightforward, but it is a rewarding experience.
Here are some summaries of what’s been said about/to Dean…
I discovered that we were in a open relationship… I hadn’t known!
We came into counselling to talk about what our relationship needed, and what we couldn’t give to each other.
We though we wanted to separate (and we didn’t want to). We learned what we really wanted was to learn how to do some things separately, and we stayed together.
We were ready to have children, but both of our upbringing was a bad experience. We wanted to make sure we’d tidied up our history before we welcomed in our first kid.
Neither one of us was listening to the other, so we just kept upping the ante & shouting more. We learned with Dean how to rollback this behaviour and we can hear each other much better now.
I discovered my bf was having an affair (he said “open relationship”, but I hadn’t agreed to that). I needed to talk through my thoughts and feelings privately before I made a decision.
I needed to talk with my partner about Lesbian Bed Death. I’d been with an individual counsellor she kind-of put me off.
Dean had no problems talking with me about sexuality, sex and intimacy, and what was happening (or wasn’t happening!) in my relationship.
When my husband came out as gay, we wanted to stay together but didn’t know how (wife).
We met in a a pub and started going out. It was a year before we realised this wasn’t enough to keep us together: we didn’t really know each other and hadn’t learned very much in that year.
Sexually we have physical problems that make what others consider “normal” impossible for us. We learned about “non-goal orientated sex” and this helped.
We thought we were separating. With some discussions with Dean we realised we wanted to do some more things separately. Our partnership hadn’t included space for that. We made it happen and we’re still together.
We had fallen out of love. We wanted to get back the relationship we used to have.
As couple counselling progressed we gave up the idea of recapturing the past (that was lost). Instead we created a newer relationship together.
Our local GU clinic recommended we seek counselling because of one sus being unfaithful.
We argued over sex. During our counselling we both discovered that arguments were covering up fear. Once we addressed our fears the arguments went away.
We have an age-gap of around 20 years. Mostly it’s not a problem, but as I (elder) grow older unexpected problems won’t go away in our relationship.
High Acceptance, Low Dissatisfaction Rates
Our counselling relationship begins with an initial evaluation session (you evaluate me, and I evaluate if you might work well with my approach). In our first session, we will have some conversations and decide whether this early experience appears to have been beneficial enough to continue working together. Sometimes, extra evaluation sessions are agreed upon to help make a more informed decision, but this has been regularly unnecessary.
Two measurements highlight how people respond overall to my style of counselling: Acceptance Rate*2 and Dissatisfaction Rate*3.
During the previous twelve months (April 2023 to March 2024) my Case Measurement Rates have been:-
*1) measuring over the last twelve full months.
*2) the percentage of clients who continued to attend sessions (for at least one month) after their initial session(s). NB: some clients complete their work in a shorter time than one month; others find that a longer path benefits them.
*3) the percentage of clients who, from their experience of the initial session, felt that the service was not what they were looking for.
The average number of sessions per case is not included here. Because one client's needs differ greatly from another's, a fair comparison cannot be made. No figures are included where the clients were satisfied with the initial session and decided that this was sufficient.
About Dean Richardson MNCPS (Accred/Reg)
You could choose any couple / group counsellor…
Given that this will be the most intimate and vulnerable you could feel alongside your partner(s), you would want a skilled professional whose experience and specialism you could trust; whose focus would be upon your distinct relationship. Your couple, throuple or group relationship will be in good hands with Dean. He works from Great Britain, is Independent of "box 'em/shift 'em" therapy services, and identifies as a gay couple counsellor. He's also easily payable in pounds sterling! Dean already had an impressive 16 years actual video "webcam" experience - way before the first British emergency began (when suddenly many counsellors added a Video option to their portfolio, having not practised so previously! 🤔).
What makes Dean Distinct
- Dean is sensitive and effective to your sexuality / gender-identity and intimate ways of relating to each other. You'll discover quickly that Dean is an informed member of your own community.
- Dean demonstrates adept skills with lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, fluid, mixed sexuality and same-or-mixed gender relationships having over 24 years' experience as a counsellor.
- Dean avoids taking a the role of "all-knowing expert" (whether requested or projected onto him by the clients). "Experts" tell you what to do, do not learn very well from others, and struggle to adapt to new situations. A couple counsellor must be curious, adaptive, and ask questions from a "not knowing" position so that the relationship in counselling benefits from re-examination.
- Dean speaks plain English (and can swear like a virtuoso if you like, or not at all if you prefer). He works cooperatively with your relationship (no unnecessary silence, or just "hmms...").
- Dean was originally accredited by his first professional body 15 years ago; he is now an accredited registrant with The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society. Accreditation is a valued recognition of a counsellor's substantial experience. Dean is also a member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Union of Great Britain.
- Dean is a British Counsellor working from the South of England. Unlike other counselling services operating from abroad Dean is registered, accredited, insured & supervised from within England (not from abroad).
If any of this resonates with you and your partner(s), you should probably meet with the Gay Relationship Counsellor: Dean Richardson MNCPS (Accred/Reg) via Zoom, Skype, Whatsapp and other secure, reliable video conferencing media.
Dean focuses on LGBT/QIA+ relationships as a specialty in therapy. He works with individuals, couples and small groups. Plus, he's qualified to a postgraduate level (Chichester PG Diploma in Psychodynamic / Systemic Couple Counselling, IGA National Foundation in Group Counselling), and works as a private practice counsellor employing 24+ years experience*.
(*Very Important: not all counsellors have such specific skills for working with couples nor groups. Those who are initially trained to use common "Individual" Counselling skills have no experience in working therapeutically with relationships. Such counsellors may try, perhaps out of misplaced goodwill, to employ "individual" techniques (multiplied by 2) but the couple or group will find that the approach is ineffective. Simply put: it's the wrong approach; your relationship is not part of the counsellor's primary theoretical framework. Remember always to ask your potential counsellor: "what qualifies you to work with our relationship?" and trust your instincts based on what you hear.
Further information to inform you…
Got a Question about LGBT/QIA+ Counselling?
Come and ask... whatever question you have about couple and/or group counselling for gay, lesbian, bisexual, aromatic, asexual and mixed-orientation relationships you might have, get in touch today to discuss your needs…
Private Counselling Services Designed for the LGBTQ+ Community. Available Exclusively to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, ASexual, ARomantic, Mixed & Queer Couples, and Established Polyamorous Groups - serving the UK Nationwide over Zoom & Skype, plus locations in and around central Havant, Petersfield to Waterlooville, Cosham to Portsmouth & Southsea, Southampton to Chichester, Fareham to Gosport, Hayling Island, Emsworth, Westbourne, Rowland's Castle, stretching westwards to Bournemouth, eastwards towards Brighton & Hove and northwards towards Liverpool, Manchester and Hull. For local residents anywhere in between, across the whole UK, and regularly further afield abroad!