At Social Sense Allied Health, we recognise that gender, sexuality and identity are deeply personal and integral to mental health, connection and wholeness. We offer therapy, assessment, supervision and training specifically attuned to the needs and experiences of people who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Gender Diverse, Intersex, Queer and Asexual (LGBTIQA+). We help you understand where you are now, what supports might help, and how you can build resilience, connection and self-compassion in your relationships, community and life.

Why Affirming Care Matters

• Many LGBTIQA+ people face discrimination, stigma, internalised shame or family rejection. Without safe and affirming support, these experiences can worsen anxiety, depression, trauma and identity conflicts.

• Therapy and services that ignore or pathologise gender, sexuality or identity risk further harm. At Social Sense, every aspect of who you are is welcomed.

• We believe that everyone deserves to live authentically, to be known and affirmed, and to access mental health and social care free from prejudice.

What We Offer

We apply a holistic lens by combining psychotherapy, social work, assessments, systemic and relational approaches and to meet you where you are. Some of our key services within an LGBTIQA+ context:

• Individual therapy
  Support for gender identity exploration, coming out/inviting in, acceptance, internalised transphobia or biphobia, shame transference, relationship difficulties, grief or identity curiosity.

• Couples & family work
  Helping partners and families understand, negotiate boundaries, support transition or identity journeys, communication around identity, and relational repair.

• Assessment & diagnosis support
  For example, assessments around gender dysphoria, coexisting mental health conditions, or intersectional stress (e.g. minority stress, trauma).

• Transition planning & navigation
  Psychological support during social, medical or legal transitions; navigating healthcare, insurance, workplaces, name changes, pronouns, and other systems.

• Training, consultation & supervision
  Educating clinicians, workplaces, schools and organisations about gender diversity, queer inclusion, trauma-informed practice, and responsive care.

• Group & peer-support facilitation
  Where feasible, creating safe spaces for connection, validation and shared learning among LGBTIQA+ clients.

Our Approach

• Client-centred & strengths-based
  You are the expert in your life. We collaborate to co-design goals and pathways grounded in your values, hopes and identity.

• Trauma-informed & minority stress aware
  We understand how repeated micro-aggressions, rejection, internalised stigma or violence impact mental health, and we prioritise safety, pacing and agency.

• Affirmative and non-pathologising
  We do not view queerness, gender diversity or intersex traits as “problems” to be fixed. Rather, we explore how discrimination, shame or systemic barriers affect your wellbeing.

• Intersectional lens
  We consider how culture, race, disability, faith, socio-economic status and other identities intersect with sexuality and gender in your life.

• Evidence informed & relational
  We draw on therapies (e.g. ACT, Schema, CBT, family systems) adapted for queer and trans populations, within a relational and systemic frame.

When Clients Seek Us

You might consider reaching out if you are:

• Questioning or exploring your gender identity or sexuality

• Planning or undergoing a social or medical transition

• Struggling with shame, anxiety, depression or self-worth in relation to your identity

• Experiencing family rejection or relationship conflict tied to coming out

• Working in a caring role or profession and want better capacity to support queer clients

• A workplace, school or service needing training on inclusion, pronouns, policies, and cultural safety

How We Support You

• We begin by hearing your story, your fears, your hopes.

• Together we map out a path that honours your pace and priorities.

• We hold both the emotional work (healing shame, grief, identity) and the practical work (liaison with services, transition planning, advocacy)

• We monitor progress, adjust strategies, and celebrate growth, however small.

• We always review consent, identity language, pronouns and boundaries where your autonomy is central.

Celebrating Diversity and Authenticity

• Every person’s story, journey and identity is valid and worthy of respect.

• We celebrate the richness of diversity across the LGBTIQA+ spectrum and affirm strengths as much as addressing challenges.

• Our practice creates spaces where you can be fully yourself without fear of judgement, explanation or justification.

• Many queer and trans people carry the weight of systemic discrimination and family rejection, and we acknowledge the pain this can bring.

• We also highlight the extraordinary creativity, humour, leadership and solidarity that thrive within LGBTIQA+ communities.

• Authentic living can sometimes require courage, support and community, and we make space for both the struggles and the celebrations.

Safe and Culturally Responsive Practice

• Accessing mental health or social care can feel daunting if you have faced discrimination or exclusion in the past.

• Our practice prioritises cultural safety, reflection on power and privilege, and responsiveness to lived experience.

• Respectful language, affirming pronouns and identity terms are used consistently and reviewed in collaboration with you.

• Confidentiality and trust are central so you can safely explore personal challenges and identity without fear of stigma.

• Clinicians at Social Sense engage in regular professional development, supervision and reflective practice.

• Our services remain accountable to LGBTIQA+ people not just in theory but in the lived reality of every session.

Advocacy and System Navigation

• Many LGBTIQA+ people face barriers in schools, workplaces, healthcare, housing and community services.

• These barriers can include discriminatory policies, ignorance about gender or sexuality, or outright exclusion.

• Advocacy is an essential part of our service and we help you have your rights upheld and your needs respected.

• We support students through school policies to ensure safe and affirming educational environments.

• We assist families to engage with inclusive healthcare and service providers.

• We liaise with employers and medical professionals during social or medical transition processes.

• Our advocacy amplifies your voice in complex systems to ensure you feel supported, understood and empowered.

Building Connection

• Healing and growth often happen in safe and supportive relationships.

• For some people this means strengthening family connections or repairing bonds after rejection or misunderstanding.

• For others this means building chosen family, joining queer networks or engaging in peer communities.

• Belonging, recognition and visibility are central to wellbeing and we encourage pathways to connection.

• We support you to develop communication strategies that enhance understanding and empathy with loved ones.

• We help you identify inclusive groups, services and networks that align with your identity.

• We recognise that connection looks different for everyone, including friendships, activism, creative groups and spiritual spaces.

• Whatever connection means to you, we will support and strengthen those pathways to belonging.

Sex Positive Support

• We embrace a sex-positive approach that affirms sexuality, pleasure and intimacy as natural and healthy parts of life.

• Our practice supports people to explore their sexual identity, desires and boundaries without shame or judgement.

• We provide therapy for challenges such as shame, guilt, fear of intimacy, or difficulties negotiating consent.

• We can help you navigate diverse expressions of sexuality, including kink, polyamory, non-monogamy, or asexuality, in a supportive and non-pathologising way.

• We work with couples or partners to strengthen communication around intimacy, expectations, sexual wellbeing and trust.

• We understand the impact of stigma, cultural or religious beliefs, and internalised narratives on sexual confidence, and we support you to develop body confidence and self-acceptance.

• Our services always centre your safety, autonomy and consent, while affirming your right to explore sexuality in ways that align with your values and identity.

HIV+ Support

• We provide a confidential and non-judgemental space for people living with HIV to explore emotional, relational and identity concerns.

• Our support addresses stigma, disclosure worries, internalised shame, fear of rejection and social isolation, with a focus on building self-compassion and resilience.

• We offer counselling around body image, intimacy, relationships, fear of judgement and navigating changing health or treatment dynamics.

• We support disclosure decisions, helping you decide if, when and how to tell partners, family, friends or workplaces — always at your pace and with your consent.

• We assist with managing treatment concerns, adherence strategies, dealing with side effects and the emotional impacts of long-term health care.

• We connect you with opportunities for peer support, community groups and safe social spaces that reduce isolation and strengthen belonging.

• We also support partners, family and friends, helping them understand HIV, respect confidentiality and provide meaningful support without overstepping boundaries.

• We help you maintain privacy and control over your personal information, recognising that HIV is a deeply individual matter.

• We acknowledge the intersectional contexts of HIV and work with you to address the ways gender, sexuality, culture, race, disability or financial stressors may affect your experience.

Ongoing Training and CPD

Our commitment to safe and inclusive practice is backed by professional training. Don Mackenzie, Director of Social Sense Allied Health, has completed specialised LGBTIQA+ inclusion training such as ACON’s Pride Training (https://www.pridetraining.org.au/). This equips us with up-to-date knowledge and practical strategies to deliver affirming, culturally safe care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender diverse, intersex, queer and asexual people across all of our services. We recognise that the queer community has unique strengths as well as specific challenges, and ongoing professional development ensures our practice remains responsive to both. Training in this area also strengthens our advocacy, helping us to educate families, workplaces and service systems on how to create affirming environments where LGBTIQA+ people can thrive.

Supporting local LGBTIQA+ businesses and services

We are proud to be active members of Melbourne’s LGBTIQA+ community and business networks. We believe in supporting other queer businesses in our local area. These partnerships strengthen our commitment to inclusion and ensure our practice remains connected with community voices:

• Business Member of GLOBE – Gay and Lesbian Organisation of Business and Enterprise (https://globemelbourne.com.au/)

• Business Partner of Pride Media Australia (https://pridemediaaustralia.com.au/)

• Member of Melbourne Bisexual Network (https://www.melbournedinetwork.com/)