2SLGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy in Guelph, Ontario

Counselling for 2SLGBTQ+ teens and adults

A rainbow over two houses for LGBTQ+ affirming therapy in Guelph and Alberta

At Golden Horizons Therapy Collective, 2SLGBTQ+ affirming therapy means counselling that validates, accepts, and actively centres the experiences, identities, and challenges that LGBTQ+ individuals face.

We focus on who you are and how your experiences have influenced you.

Sometimes 2SLGBTQ+ affirming therapy focuses on identity work. Maybe you’ve just come out (at 17 or at 45), maybe you want to explore your gender or sexuality, or maybe you want to explore what this means for you in relationships.

Affirming therapy might focus on:
- Anxiety or low mood, whether or not it connects to your identity
- Coming out at any age
- Family, when acceptance could be stronger or just isn’t there
- Relationships of every shape
- Faith and culture when they’re tangled up with identity
- Gender and/or sexuality
- Shame that started as other people’s opinions
Affirming counselling simply means we educate ourselves on the unique experiences of 2SLGBTQ+ people. Our sessions are like any other individual therapy sessions, but with a focus on inclusivity.

Our goal is to create a non-judgmental space where identities are respected without needing to educate us, where you get help processing the impacts of minority stress (discrimination, stigma, and systemic barriers), and and where you can navigate coming out, questioning, or transitioning through an inclusive framework.
Maybe you came out years ago and expected to feel lighter than you do. Maybe you’re out in some parts of your life and not others, and keeping track of which version goes where has turned into its own job. Or maybe you’re tired or anxious in a way that you just can’t seem to fix.
None of what we do has to be about being queer. Plenty of people here are working on a breakup, or a job, or a low stretch with no connection to identity at all. If you’d like to work that way, of course we can.

A bench and record player in a Guelph therapy office providing therapy for students in Alberta

No. You set the agenda. Plenty of people mention their gender or sexuality once and get on with it.
This page exists so LGBTQ+ and two-spirit clients can find us more easily on the web, but the same approach runs through everything we do. Book a free fifteen-minute call before you commit to anything and see how it feels.
No. Some people come in with a plan already made and want help carrying it out with the people in their lives. Others are just practicing saying “I’m queer.” Everyone is equally welcome.
Yes, family is a common thing to work on here. We can work together on what you want your relationships to look like, or on where else in your life you can find the sense of belonging you’re looking for.
Let’s talk. Shame you picked up from other people can last for years. For a lot of clients, it’s what we deal with first. You might also be interested in reading about therapy rooted in self-compassion.
We use narrative therapy a lot, so we can look at the labels other people have handed you as stories rather than facts, and work toward a version you prefer. For relationship struggles, including couples work, we use Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), which gets at the needs sitting under the argument.
Yes, from age 11 up. Read more about therapy for teens.
Sessions are 50 minutes. We book the full hour, and the last ten minutes are for the practical stuff, like payment and booking your next session.
Both. Our office is at 15 Surrey Street West in Guelph, and video sessions reach anyone in Ontario or Alberta. You can also mix the two depending on your week.