Virtual and In-Person 2SLGBTQ+ / Queer Counselling

Your First Step Towards Change

You deserve therapy that feels affirming, respectful, and genuinely supportive of who you are. At Calm Harbour Counselling, we recognize that queer and trans experiences don’t exist in isolation - they’re shaped by relationships, identity, community, safety, stress, and the environments you’ve had to navigate.

Therapy should feel like a space where you don’t have to explain, justify, or shrink parts of yourself to be understood. Whether you’re dipping your toe into therapy for the first time or you’ve been to therapy before, choosing a new therapist is an important step.

We offer a collaborative, queer-affirming space where you can explore what’s been difficult, reconnect with yourself, and build a life and relationships that feel more authentic and sustainable. Real change takes time, effort, and openness. It’s okay to feel unsure or hesitant. We’ll move forward together, at your pace, one step at a time.

Start with a Free Initial Consultation

Is This How You Feel? Common Experiences within the 2SLGBTQ+ Community

Finding the right therapist can feel especially important when your experiences haven’t always been understood or respected. We get it, and we’re here to not just accept but to celebrate every aspect of your true self.

You might be carrying things like:

Stress around identity exploration, coming out, or navigating relationships
Feeling like you have to “edit” or mask parts of yourself in certain spaces
Past experiences of bullying, rejection, or not feeling accepted
Feeling misunderstood in past therapy or support systems
Navigating queer relationships, including ENM or non-traditional relationship dynamics
Anxiety, burnout, or hypervigilance from constantly assessing whether spaces feel safe

It’s not that you aren’t trying - you’re doing your best. But things can still feel overwhelming, lonely, confusing, or stuck.

Over time, these experiences can shape how safe it feels to open up, trust others, or fully be yourself. At Calm Harbour Counselling, we’re a queer-owned practice, and our therapists are queer themselves or strong allies. We aim to create a space where you don’t have to educate, justify, or shrink parts of yourself to be understood. We’re here to not just accept but to celebrate every aspect of your true self.

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Common Therapy Goals for 2SLGBTQ+ Clients

Building Self-Understanding

Exploring identity, lived experiences, and the impact of environments, relationships, or past experiences with greater compassion and clarity.

Healing from Invalidating Experiences

Creating space to work through rejection, shame, discrimination, masking, or experiences of not feeling fully accepted or safe.

Strengthrning Connection

Building healthier relationships with yourself and others through communication, boundaries, authenticity, and emotional safety.

Living More Authentically

Moving toward a life that feels more aligned, sustainable, and connected to who you are rather than who you’ve felt pressure to be.

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Discover 2SLGBTQ+ / Queer Counselling in Calgary

If you’re navigating challenges related to identity, relationships, belonging, or emotional wellbeing, you already know it’s not just about one issue. These experiences can affect your thoughts, relationships, emotions, nervous system, and daily life.

At Calm Harbour, we take a personalized and collaborative approach. We focus on understanding your experiences, strengths, identity, and what’s been hardest for you.

Unlike one-size-fits-all approaches, we work with you to create strategies and support that actually fit your life.

You deserve support that feels safe, respectful, affirming, and empowering — not judgmental.

Queer Relationships, Identity, and Neurodivergence

Many members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community are also navigating neurodivergence, burnout, anxiety, trauma, or relationship stress at the same time. Experiences like masking, people-pleasing, rejection sensitivity, or feeling pressure to constantly assess for safety can leave people feeling emotionally exhausted and disconnected from themselves.

We take a neuroaffirming and queer-affirming approach that focuses on understanding your experience rather than trying to force you into one “right” way of functioning, relating, or expressing yourself.

Navigating Queer Relationships and ENM

Queer relationships don’t always fit into traditional expectations, and therapy should reflect that. We support individuals and couples navigating communication challenges, attachment patterns, identity shifts, conflict, intimacy, ENM/polyamory, and non-traditional relationship structures.

Therapy can help people better understand what’s happening underneath the surface and work toward greater honesty, connection, and emotional safety within their relationships.

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Our Guiding Values in 2SLGBTQ+ Counselling

Affirmation

Your identity, relationships, and lived experiences are valid and deserving of respect. You do not need to justify who you are here.

Safety

We aim to create a space where you can show up more fully as yourself without fear of judgment, shame, or pressure to fit into a certain box.

Choice

You have control over what you share, the pace we move at, and the goals we focus on in therapy.

Respect

Your experiences, relationships, boundaries, and identity are honoured as they are.

We Welcome Everyone

At Calm Harbour Counselling, we are committed to creating a space where you feel respected, understood, and safe to show up as yourself.

We work with individuals and couples from diverse backgrounds, including those who are part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, neurodivergent (ADHD/ASD) folks, and people navigating complex life experiences.

You don’t need to have the “right words” or a clear starting point. We’ll figure that out together.

2SLGBTQ+ Therapy: Our 5-Step Process

What Getting Started Looks Like

Step One:

Book a free consultation. If that feels like a lot, or you have questions, you can also reach out through our contact form.

Step Two:

Use the no-pressure call to ask questions and share what you’re hoping for from therapy.

Step Three:

Book your first session if it feels like a fit. We’ll get to know you and what feels most important to focus on.

Step Four:

Give feedback along the way so we can tailor therapy to what actually feels supportive and helpful.

Step Five:

Notice the shifts. Over time, it can feel easier to show up as yourself and move through life with more confidence and self-understanding.

Meet Our Therapists: You’re in Good Hands

Our team includes therapists who are part of the queer community or strong allies, with experience supporting identity exploration, relationships, trauma, anxiety, burnout, and emotional well-being in affirming ways

We focus on building real connection because therapy works best when you feel safe, understood, and supported.

Angela Dore (she/her)

Specializing in neurodivergence (ADHD/ASD), relationship challenges, 2SLGBTQ+/queer folks & identity, trauma, anxiety, and self-esteem.

I'm Ready to book with Angela D (Waitlist)

Angela McGrath (she/her)

Specializing in neurodivergence and relationship challenges, burnout, anxiety, stress, major life transitions, and substance use. 2SLGBTQ+ Affirming.

I'm ready to book with Angela M

Frances Bucknor (she/her)

Specializing in neurodivergence (ADHD), trauma, anxiety, stress, identity, burnout, self-esteem, and depression. 2SLGBTQ+ Affirming.

I'm ready to book with Frances

Stacey Squires (they/them)

Specializing in neurodivergence (ADHD/ASD), couples & relationship challenges, 2SLGBTQ+/queer folks & identity, anxiety & stress, burnout, depression, self-esteem, and substance use.

i'm ready to book with Stacey

Booking an 2SLGBTQ+ Counselling Consultation

Your journey starts with your choice of a phone or video consultation, giving you an opportunity to share more about your hopes and concerns, ask questions, and explore what meaningful change could look like for you in 2SLGBTQ+ counselling.

We encourage you to share as much of your experience and expectations as you're comfortable with. Our therapists will meet you where you're at and match your stage of change. You'll finish with a clear picture of your tailored 2SLGBTQ+ counselling journey, whether in-person or remotely.

The fit between the counsellor and the client is the most important part of success on your 2SLGBTQ+ therapy journey. There's no risk to a consultation – if by the end of our call, you decide you'd like a different therapeutic approach or if your therapist thinks you may be better matched with someone else, even a trusted colleague outside of our practice, our priority is finding you the best possible fit.

I'm ready to book

I have questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What Most People Want to Know Before Starting Counselling.

There’s no set timeline for 2SLGBTQ+ counselling—everyone’s goals, challenges, and pace are different. Some clients come for a few months to build practical tools and clarity, while others choose longer-term support to work through emotional patterns, self-esteem, or relationship dynamics tied to 2SLGBTQ+.

In the early sessions, we’ll talk about what matters most to you and set a direction that feels manageable and meaningful. Whether you’re looking for short-term strategies or deeper personal growth, we’ll move at a pace that works for you. You’re not locked into a fixed number of sessions—we’ll check in regularly to make sure the process is helpful and aligned with your needs.

We use a range of approaches to support 2SLGBTQ+, depending on your needs and goals. These may include:

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Helps you work with difficult thoughts and emotions while building habits aligned with your values.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Focuses on developing practical skills for time management, organization, and managing unhelpful thought patterns.
Narrative Therapy: Supports you in separating yourself from the problem and exploring how 2SLGBTQ+ has shaped your story—and how you want to reshape it.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART): An evidence-based approach that can help address trauma or emotional experiences that often layer on top of 2SLGBTQ+.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT): Especially helpful in 2SLGBTQ+ couples counselling, EFT supports partners in understanding emotional cycles, strengthening connection, and improving communication.

We also integrate tools from mindfulness and somatic practices to support emotional regulation and nervous system awareness. Therapy is always adapted to your specific needs—our goal is to find what works best for your life and your brain.

Progress in 2SLGBTQ+ therapy can look different for everyone—but over time, you might start to notice a few key shifts:

You’re catching unhelpful patterns sooner and feeling more in control of your reactions.
Daily tasks feel a little more manageable, even if they’re still hard sometimes.
You’re being kinder to yourself and carrying less shame around your struggles.
Communication in your relationships feels clearer or less reactive.
You feel more understood, more equipped, and more confident in how you move through the world.

Therapy isn’t about fixing everything overnight. It’s about a better understanding of yourself, and small, meaningful changes that build over time. We’ll check in regularly to reflect on what’s shifting and what still feels stuck—so you always know where you are in the process, and where we’re headed next.

Both formats can work well for 2SLGBTQ+, depending on what helps you stay most engaged and comfortable. In-person sessions can offer a distraction-free space and a stronger sense of structure, which some people with 2SLGBTQ+ find grounding. Virtual sessions provide more flexibility and reduce barriers like transportation or scheduling, sometimes making it easier to follow through.

Research, including studies published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, shows that virtual therapy can be just as effective as in-person therapy for many mental health concerns, including 2SLGBTQ+. The key is choosing the setting that fits best with your focus, energy, and routine. One note: Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), a trauma-focused approach we may use in 2SLGBTQ+ treatment, is generally more effective in person.

If you're not sure which is right for you, we're happy to talk it through and find the best fit for your needs.

2SLGBTQ+ counselling works best when you feel safer to share, comfortable, and feels like a collaboration. Here are a few ways to get the most out of the process:

Show up as you are—even if you're feeling scattered, or unsure what to say. Therapy is a space where you don’t have to have it all together.
Practice small changes between sessions. Progress often comes from testing out strategies in real life—not doing them perfectly, but seeing what helps.
Be honest about what’s working and what’s not. We’ll adjust the approach as needed so it fits your style and goals.
Ask questions and take breaks when needed. 2SLGBTQ+ brains sometimes need time to process or movement to stay focused. That’s completely okay. We have baskets of fidget tools in the office!
Be kind to yourself. Healing, learning new habits, and understanding yourself takes time. We’re here to support you through all of it.

There’s no right way to do therapy—just your way. And we’ll work together to make it meaningful and manageable for you.

Our therapy sessions are typically $200 per 50 minutes for individuals, and $220 for couples. Some therapists on our team may offer slightly different rates depending on their training and experience.

We recognize that cost can be a barrier, and we’re happy to talk with you about options. If you're covered by insurance, check to see if your counsellor’s designation (Psychologist, Social Worker, or CCC) is included in your benefit plan to avoid any surprises. Often, we can direct bill, and if your benefits don’t allow for us to direct bill, we can always provide receipts to submit for reimbursement.

We also offer a limited number of sliding scale spots based on financial need. If cost is a concern, please reach out—we want therapy to be as accessible as possible.

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Start 2SLGBTQ+ Counselling in Calgary

Starting therapy can feel vulnerable, especially if past experiences haven’t always felt safe, affirming, or understanding.

We aim to make the process simple, respectful, low-pressure, and human.

Book a free 15-minute meet & greet, and we’ll take it from there. We’ll help you understand your options, answer your questions, and figure out what feels like the right next step for you.

I have questions

Virtual and In-Person 2SLGBTQ+ / Queer Counselling

Your First Step Towards Change

Start with a Free Initial Consultation

Is This How You Feel? Common Experiences within the 2SLGBTQ+ Community

Common Therapy Goals for 2SLGBTQ+ Clients

Discover 2SLGBTQ+ / Queer Counselling in Calgary

Queer Relationships, Identity, and Neurodivergence

Navigating Queer Relationships and ENM

Our Guiding Values in 2SLGBTQ+ Counselling

Affirmation

Safety

Choice

Respect

We Welcome Everyone

2SLGBTQ+ Therapy: Our 5-Step Process

Step One:

Step Two:

Step Three:

Step Four:

Step Five:

Meet Our Therapists: You’re in Good Hands

Angela Dore (she/her)

Angela McGrath (she/her)

Frances Bucknor (she/her)

Stacey Squires (they/them)

Booking an 2SLGBTQ+ Counselling Consultation

Frequently Asked Questions

Start 2SLGBTQ+ Counselling in Calgary

Start with a Free Initial Consultation

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