Brighton Academic Launches City’s First Dedicated Queer Therapy Hub

LGBTQIA+ people in Brighton can now access specialist psychotherapy thanks to the city’s new Queer Therapy Hub.

The new service was set up by University of Brighton lecturer and researcher Charlotte Wilcox to help bridge the gap between traditional psychotherapy and queer-specific support.

The Queer Therapy Hub provides a safe and inclusive space where clients can work with therapists who truly understand their lived experiences.

The project recognises the barriers queer people often face in accessing affirming mental health support.

It assembles qualified LGBTQIA+ counsellors and psychotherapists in Brighton, including recent University of Brighton graduates, to offer therapy that is rooted in LGBTQIA+ identities and challenges, tackling issues such as minority stress, gender dysphoria, and discrimination-related trauma in an empathetic and informed way.

Launched ahead of University Mental Health Day, the project highlights the importance of accessible and inclusive mental health support.

As well as offering one-to-one therapy, the hub fosters a community-driven approach to mental wellbeing, working with local LGBTQIA+ organisations and advocacy groups to improve access to mental health resources.

Through peer support, training, and social events, the hub is designed to create a strong professional community while tackling the isolation often faced by professional therapists working outside the NHS.

Charlotte said:

“When I first trained as a psychotherapist, people would come up to me looking for a queer therapist.

"Starting as simply matching people with therapists that I know, I quickly realised there was something bigger at play.

"Tailoring therapeutic relationships to the specific needs of queer individuals is important.

"This initiative ensures that LGBTQIA+ people have access to therapists who understand their lived experiences, fostering a sense of safety, support, and belonging.

“And while connecting people who needed the service, I figured there was a lot more fantastic queer-identified therapists in our city and beyond who aren’t engaged. So, I wanted to get them together.

“These things have been happening informally for many years. But as a community psychologist, I'm keen to support people who support queer people.

"The therapists are all qualified and would otherwise be renting rooms by the hour and working in what could be quite an isolated way. And so, another rationale was to create a space for queer therapists to come together in community.”

The model at the Queer Therapy Hub, which includes recent graduates from the University of Brighton, not only strengthens the local mental health support network but also helps emerging therapists build sustainable careers in an often-overlooked area of psychotherapy.

The University of Brighton offers a range of psychotherapy courses including Psychology with Counselling  BSc(Hons) and other courses designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and practical experience needed to support diverse communities in a real-world setting.

Persephone Pearl graduated from with Humanistic Counselling and Psychotherapy PGDip from the University of Brighton in 2024.

She said:

“My time at the University of Brighton gave me a strong foundation in understanding the complexities of mental health, but stepping into practice as a queer therapist has shown me just how vital it is to have dedicated spaces like this.

"The Queer Therapy Hub is more than just a workplace—it’s a supportive community where we can grow as professionals while providing affirming care to those who need it most.

"Being part of a team that truly understands the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ people makes a huge difference, both for us as therapists and for the clients we work with.”

The Queer Therapy Hub can be accessed in-person at their multi-room clinic facility at the Brighthelm Centre, North Laine, or online via their website.