Welcome to The Queer Therapy Hub – a new therapy clinic space for LGBTQIA+ people and their allies in the centre of Brighton!
The Hub is born out of a need for a physical space for therapy in Brighton & Hove for LGBTQIA+ people and their allies.
This project is also born out of a need for queer therapists to share a practice space and to build community.
The ethos of our space is intersectional, recognising that the structures of oppression impact each of us differently, according to how we are positioned in the social world. And we hold an awareness that this is true in the therapy space as well.
This means not only holding queerness in mind, but also being aware of the impacts of racism, ableism, gender, neurodivergence, migration status, culture/faith as well as age on our clients, and on our developing therapeutic relationships. Our therapists are committed to working in a way that is sensitive to – and which is acknowledging of – issues of sameness and difference in the therapeutic relationship.
Where is the Hub?
The Hub is based up on the 3rd floor (there is a lift, as well as stairs) at the Brighthelm Centre, right in the North Laine (on North Road). It is a landmark building in the Brutalist architectural style, which favours concrete and harsh lines – so yes, it is supposed to look so ugly!
What do the rooms look like?
The rooms are sensitively designed to be welcoming and calming spaces to support you in your therapy work. They have a mix of comfortable furnishings, queer inspired artworks made by local LGTQIA+ artists and plant life.
Rooms can be adapted with neurodiversity in mind. Remember that you can ask your therapist to remove anything that could be disruptive to your therapy session, e.g. smells, lights, decor can be adapted to suit your needs.
Finding a therapist at the Hub:
If you like the sound of how we practice at the Hub, and would like to meet one of our therapists, head to the Our Therapists page where you can find out more. Choosing a therapist is a very personal decision, and an important one. It is not uncommon that you might want to have an introductory meeting with a couple of different therapists to find the right person for you.
Accessibility info:
While there is a lift and a disabled toilet, the Brighthelm is an old building and the corridors are narrow, so it is not optimal for accessibility. The lift is also relatively small. A1 Access will produce a more detailed report in autumn 2024, to enable us to understand better how we can meet the needs of our wheelchair disabled clients. For hard of hearing clients, announcements are made for each floor when the lift arrives.
Other things to know:
The building is a busy community centre, with many comings and goings. It can occasionally be noisy (for example, there are 2 zumba classes each week in the main hall).
There is a small waiting area on the first floor where you can sit in a quieter area. There is also a toilet next door to the waiting area.
The Brighthelm building is in fact owned by a Christian church, whose leadership several decades ago decided to dedicate the space to community projects that meet a social need in Brighton and Hove. The church does maintain some links to the building, and recently has appointed an LGBTQIA+ chaplain to do outreach work in the city. Despite this, there are zero links between the church and the Queer Therapy Hub, and the two endeavours are entirely unrelated. Community life at the Brighthelm has a long history, the build hosts recovery projects, therapy spaces, the Afrori book shop, art and music projects, and the ethos of the building is non judgemental.
How to get in touch:
If you are looking for therapy, go to the Our Therapists page where you can see all our profiles. You can contact our therapists directly there.
If you have a general enquiry about the clinic, email [email protected]
If you would like to join the clinic as a therapist email [email protected]