Carole Diane Carter, GMBPsS. (Reading)

Hi there, I'm Carole (they/them) and I am an LGBTQ+ coaching psychologist who works with people who are LGBTQIA+, polyamorous, ethically or consensually non-monogamous (ENM/CNM), relationship anarchists and kinky/into BDSM. They are unhappy with one or more aspects of their lives and ready to make some positive changes, even if they don’t know what those changes might be.

They may be:

• Burntout,

• Feeling like they’re buried by the demands of life and like they’ve lost the spark for life,

• Struggling with stress,

• Unsure about their identity,

• Feeling like they don’t know themselves,

• Wrestling with self critical thoughts and a lack of self acceptance,

• Dealing with gender dysphoria,

• Unsure about coming out to people,

• Facing some tough reactions from others,

• Wanting some support in adopting a new relationship structure or philosophy towards relationships,

• Struggling with insecurities,

• Experiencing difficult emotions like jealousy, anger and resentment.

Using the forward-focus of coaching combined with evidence-based psychological models, theories and tools, my clients make genuine, positive and lasting changes. I am developing my competence in working anti-oppressively so that I am best able to hold space for the full diversity of human experience. My approach is personalised and adapted to the people I’m working with and I encourage them to bring their whole person to our sessions. I want to celebrate your wins with you as well as supporting you through the lows.

Coaching focuses in on: where you are now, where you want to be and how you can get there. Within this it is able to examine and explore the impact of wider social issues on you. Sometimes the difficult feelings you’re experiencing are natural and healthy reactions to existing in a world that denies, denigrates, discriminates and victimises you as a member of a non-dominant group. If this is the case for you, learning better ways to manage your feelings is valid but it’s not enough as you’re likely to encounter these things over and over again. Coaching allows you to explore how you want to handle, engage with or disengage from things like this.

I love focusing on working with people from the LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, polyamorous, ethically non-monogamous (ENM) / consensually non-monogamous (CNM) and BDSM / kink communities. These communities are still a mystery to many, ignored by plenty and expected to just fit into and blend into the same structures and services provided for the straight, cisgender, monogamous and vanilla majority. A lot of the time people from these communities don’t need “special” or “different” support but they do need the services they are accessing to be inclusive and aware of relevant issues. That's where people like me come in. Being a part of most of these communities myself helps me to be able to provide a safe, supportive and accepting service to you.