INTRODUCING THE RAINBOW PROJECT COUNSELLING AND FAMILY SUPPORT

The Rainbow Project provides the only Co-cultural LGBTQIA+ specific counselling service in Northern Ireland. Co Cultural counselling simply means LGBTQIA+ counsellors for LGBTQI+ people.

Counselling offers an opportunity to talk in confidence about any challenges, losses, problems or issues that concern you.

Presenting issues may include difficulties with sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, relationships as well as self-esteem, family dynamics, unhealthy coping mechanisms and much more.

All of our counsellors are accredited or working towards accreditation by the British/Irish Associations for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP/IACP).

Our counselling services currently include:

• One-to-one counselling for anyone who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or people who are questioning their sexual orientation and or gender.

• Counselling for young LGBTQIA+ people as well as adults

• Couple counselling for partners attempting to resolve relationship issues and conflict.

The Rainbow Project also offers counselling support for parents/ carers/family members of LGBTQIA+ children, young people and adults.

All counselling provided by The Rainbow Project is funded and is free to clients.

Further support for parents/carers/family members of LGBTQIA+ children, young people and adults is provided through our Family Ties Peer Social and Support group. For more information please email: info@rainbow-project.org

For more information on how to access our counselling support and or to arrange counselling support, you can make an appointment by calling our Belfast Office on 028 9031 9030 or by emailing counselling@rainbow-project.org

Feedback from counselling clients:

• “Reduced feelings of isolation, made coming out much easier to accept”

• “It gave me the ability to start accepting myself”

• “Feeling more confident discussing my identity with the people around me”

• “Being able to speak my mind and open up in a nonjudgemental environment. I have gained a lot of valuable coping mechanisms which I am currently putting into effect on a day to day basis”

• “How to cope with some of my anxieties – finding an outlet, etc. Most important though – having someone to talk to, to listen and feel validated”

• “The counselling helped me a lot in the different struggles; domestic abuse, the passing of my mother and within myself. I couldn’t be more thankful and appreciative of everything my counselling has done for me.”

• “Reframing situations, seeing things from another perspective, a safe space to chat about emotions”

• “Somebody listened to me”

• “Self-confidence, believing in myself and others to make friends I thought I never had.”

• “I felt that during this process I have been able to get permission to think and say the things in my head without feeling condemned. I have learned to be more accepting of myself and worry less what others might think”