Transgender issues

Transgender people feel a mismatch between their internal sense of gender and the sex of their body.

Gender can be described as our sense of maleness or femaleness, or we may not feel particularly aligned with either. 

Trans people sometimes sometimes struggle with being treated as a different gender to the one they know they are. This can be extremely confusing and distressing, particularly in children who don’t yet have the knowledge or language to make sense of what they are experiencing.

Gender identity is separate from sexual orientation.

Living as a trans person

Living as a transgender person can be challenging. Before coming out they may experience:

  • confusion
  • hatred of their appearance
  • self-disgust
  • particular distress around bodily changes in puberty.

Coming out as trans may be a relief, but it also opens them up to:

  • bullying and abuse
  • discrimination at work
  • rejection by family or friends.

Some transgender people use hormones or surgery to alter their bodies to match their gender. Some do not, and some choose to change some parts of their bodies but not others. This is a personal choice.

For those who do wish to transition, the process can be long and distressing. Before being offered surgery, trans people are required to live as their true gender. NHS waiting lists for medical treatment are very long.

Our clients have reported great results!

Mr K
“I was attending sessions at One Therapy practice for about 1 1/2 years. I am very happy with the result, sessions there really helped me. I am really grateful to my therapist. Someone recommended him to me as a high professional and it proved right, thank you.”
Mrs M
“I can only provide positive comments on my sessions with (my therapist). This was my first experience with a therapist, and she managed to make me feel comfortable. And I must say that the sessions were helpful and efficient.”
Mrs E
“My therapist was extremely helpful, considerate and understanding. I felt she properly understood what the issues I had were, and their underlying causes, and I feel I benefited considerably from the sessions with her.”
Mrs N
“I immediately felt completely at ease as they were very professional while showing genuine care and interest in helping me. I was able to confront many issues which I had so far chosen to ignore despite their negative effects on my personal relationships and happiness. I would have no hesitation in recommending (One Therapy) to anyone looking to improve their relationships and self-esteem.”
Mrs L
“I learned a lot about myself and about the relationships I make with other people. I was able to see where I was going wrong and I now make better personal choices. Thank you, again.”
Mrs R
“I can’t thank you enough for the help and support I got from my appointments. I would highly recommend therapy to anyone now. Therapy helped me in more ways than I could have imagined. Please tell (my therapist) how grateful I am for her help.”

Counselling needs to be trans-aware

Awareness of trans issues in society is fairly low; many people don’t understand what’s involved or what language is appropriate. Understandably, many trans clients don’t want to spend their therapy sessions educating their therapist; they want to work with therapists who already understand trans issues. 

Many of our therapists are experienced in this area, and we have held internal training on working with trans clients. 

We also understand that trans people aren’t just trans! The issues that you bring to therapy may have nothing to do with being trans.

It shouldn’t need saying, but no therapist should ever try to change a trans client’s gender identity. None of ours would.

Getting started with trans counselling

Your first appointment will provide an opportunity to speak with a therapist about your concerns. Your therapist will help determine how we might best support you and you will have an opportunity to ask any questions you may have.

If you are looking for a therapist experienced in working with trans clients, take a look through our profiles or contact us.

Appointments are usually available within one week of your initial contact.

What to expect in counselling

When I trained as a psychotherapist, me and my fellow students were given the assignment of doing something we’d never done before. The course tutors wanted us to get in touch with how scary it can be to do something new, to feel the fear of the unknown. I chose to …

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How does therapy help?

Over the years that I’ve worked as a therapist, I’ve been asked numerous times by prospective clients, “How does counselling help?”  And I’ve yet to come up with a satisfactory answer. Not because I’m in any doubt that it helps, but because the ‘how’ bit is so hard to articulate concisely…

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Counselling for individuals

Personal counselling can be about anything that is on your mind.

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Couples counselling

Couples counselling provides space for couples to discuss problems in their relationship and find solutions.

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Our therapists

We have over 30 qualified and experienced therapists to choose from.

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One Therapy London

Counselling, psychotherapy, couples counselling in London since 2006

Rebecca Kendall - Therapist
Rebecca Kendall

Rebecca is a psychodynamic psychotherapist offering short-term and long-term individual therapy She works with a wide range of issues including anxiety, depression, identity and feelings of difference, eating disorders and bereavement Rebecca works non-judgementally and compassionately to build a therapeutic relationship with her clients She has considerable experience...

Oxford Circus

Geraldine Abberton - Therapist
Geraldine Abberton

Geraldine is an integrative therapist who draws on a range of therapeutic approaches including person-centred, CBT and psychodynamic modalities, to meet each client’s unique needs She believes in her clients’ innate resilience and capacity for growth, and helps them make sense of current challenges and past experiences, to gain the insight and self-understanding...

Oxford Circus

Annabelle Hird - Therapist
Annabelle Hird

Annabelle is a skilled and compassionate therapist offering support for individuals and couples in Kensington/Notting Hill Her approach is centred around creating a non-judgemental space for clients to explore their thoughts, feelings and relationships It is her belief that with greater understanding comes agency, and this is when powerful change occurs Annabelle works...

Kensington / Notting Hill

Christine Andreasen - Therapist
Christine Andreasen

Christine (she/her) is an integrative counsellor, relationship therapist and psychosexual therapist She offers a warm and safe space to individuals and couples, with room for both tears and laughter Her approach is relational, curious and personal, focusing on understanding what makes each individual unique She works alongside her clients as they explore their...

Oxford Circus

Melinda Shalet - Therapist
Melinda Shalet

Melinda offers both short-term and long-term therapy in a calm, attuned environment where clients can speak freely, make meaningful connections and gently explore the areas of life that feel stuck With a warm, collaborative approach, she encourages clients to slow down, listen inwardly and begin the process of healing Drawing from humanistic, Gestalt and psychodynamic...

Oxford Circus

Prachi Vij - Therapist
Prachi Vij

As a psychodynamic therapist, Prachi provides a warm and secure space for her clients to explore their world She works collaboratively with clients to uncover the unconscious patterns that shape their feelings, thoughts, and behaviours By making connections between past experiences and current life, clients can gain valuable insights and develop more authentic ways of...

Oxford Circus

Annabel Lear - Therapist
Annabel Lear

Annabel is an integrative therapist offering both short- and long-term therapy Acknowledging that beginning therapy can feel daunting, Annabel establishes a secure and collaborative therapeutic relationship grounded in trust, empathy and genuine understanding Working from a humanistic-integrative perspective, Annabel believes every person has an innate capacity for...

Oxford Circus

Therapist Stamatia Lorentzou
Stamatia Lorentzou

A senior therapist, Stamatia has been with One Therapy London for many years She holds a doctorate in counselling psychology and is a registered psychotherapist Stamatia knows it can be difficult to understand or cope with the strong feelings that life’s experiences can sometimes bring Talking with an experienced therapist is a way of thinking things through and...

Bloomsbury

Therapist Tom Deitch
Tom Deitch

Tom is a popular and approachable psychotherapist who has extensive experience working with people from a variety of social and cultural backgrounds He brings a wealth of life experience, training and understanding to his work, offering help with depression, trauma, anxiety, abuse, sexual problems, addiction, relationship difficulties and many of the other obstacles life...

Oxford Circus

Therapist Yussef Ferguson
Yussef Ferguson

Yussef offers a warm and confidential space to explore life’s challenges He is a psychodynamic therapist and works in a way that explores how past experiences and hidden patterns may shape your present thoughts, feelings and relationships In meetings with Yussef, you can speak freely about whatever feelings, memories or experiences are important to you You will begin...

Oxford Circus