I’m Max (he/him), a Gestalt counsellor (MBACP) working with adults, young people, creative professionals, and members of the queer community. My background includes several years in LGBTQ+ mental health, supporting refugees and people seeking asylum, and others facing systemic barriers, alongside experience working with young people in further and higher education.

These experiences have shaped how I understand resilience, identity, and belonging, and how wider social and political forces influence our wellbeing.

My approach is trauma-informed and relational, grounded in empathy, curiosity, and collaboration. I aim to create a space where you feel safe, seen, and understood.

Alongside my therapy practice, I have designed and delivered training on mental health, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and trauma-informed practice. Working with professionals and community organisations has deepened my understanding of how social, cultural, and political factors shape mental health. I bring this systemic awareness into the therapy room, recognising that our personal experiences are often shaped by broader contexts of power, identity, and belonging.

Common areas of focus in my practice include anxiety, depression, burnout, perfectionism, relationship patterns, self-esteem, identity, bereavement, and LGBTQ+ concerns.

I am a registered member of BACP and committed to upholding their Ethical Framework throughout my practice.

Issues I often work with:

• Anxiety, depression, stress, and burnout (especially linked to identity or discrimination)

• Coming out, gender exploration, feeling between worlds

• LGBTQ+ specific challenges and experiences

• Relationship patterns: people-pleasing, trust issues, repeating dynamics

• Self-esteem, shame, perfectionism, and self-criticism

• Identity questions: cultural, racial, sexual, relational - who you are and where you belong

• Class identity, working-class experience, and the complexity of social mobility

• The impact of difficult or overwhelming experiences on the body, relationships, and sense of self

• Neurodivergence - including ADHD and autism, and the experience of navigating a world not designed for how your mind works

• Life transitions and periods of uncertainty

• Loneliness, isolation, and difficulty connecting with others

• Refugee and asylum experiences

• Working with creative practitioners and artists