How we help LGBTQ+ LGBTQ+ Support For all LGBTQ support (including BeeHIVE), please make a referral here. Here at The What? Centre we specialise in providing a range of mental health and wellbeing support for young people in the Borough. Thanks to the new National Lottery funding, we are pleased to announce the return of the Fusion project. Through this project, we can offer one-on-one counselling to individuals aged 13-18 who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, family support and run group support, which is run twice a week. Support on offer Who this group is for When it runs Where it runs One-to-one counselling 13 to 18 years old By appointment only Stourbridge or Dudley Branch or online support Family Support 13 to 18 year olds as well as any family/partner etc. By appointment only Stourbridge or Dudley Branch, online support also available LGBTQ+ 13-18 Groups 13 to 18 years olds Dudley: Tuesdays 5-6pm Stourbridge: Mondays 6-7pm Dudley and Stourbridge *Please note that The What? Centre also provides LGBTQ & Transgender support (18 years and over) as well as counselling via our BeeHIVe project. Details on the adult groups can be found on the BeeHIVe website One-to-one counselling Individual counselling is available for anyone aged 13 -18 years who is part of the LGBTQ+ community. Counselling will provide a non-judgmental, safe environment where young people can explore feelings and emotions around worries or issues they may be experiencing. To embrace changes and empower the young person to move forward with their lives. The young person will work closely with a trained counsellor over an agreed number of sessions. Together, they will explore goals and topics that the young person wants to focus on. This can be done in a variety of different ways, such as talking, doing creative activities, or using worksheets. The approach will be discussed and agreed on during the first session. Family work Parents, families and carers may also be impacted by struggles and changes around new situations while supporting the young person. We offer family sessions to enable exploration, reassurance and support for everyone involved. Our family support aims to aid the family and young person explore dynamics within their family system, which may be impacting the young person’s ability to thrive. LGBTQ+ issues may impact family members, so full support often enables better communication and a more settled home environment. The process enables all family members to express and explore emotions and difficulties safely, whilst allowing each member to understand and consider different perspectives whilst appreciating the needs of others. Members can speak openly, individually and together about any difficult or distressing issues in respect of their own experiences. Our 13-18 LGBTQ+ Groups As part of our focus on LGBTQ+ support, we hold a 13-18 support group once a week in both our Dudley and Stourbridge branches (times can be found in the table above). These groups are aimed at providing a safe space for young people to share experiences and meet new people. Each week, the group will engage in activities such as games, quizzes, arts and crafts, and we love listening to suggestions for things we can do from the group directly! How do I refer? This project operates on a self-referral basis, which is accessible on our website. To start this, if you scroll to the top of this page, to the right, you should see a ‘make a referral’ button in between the emergency contact and donate tabs. If you click on the ‘make a referral’, you will be redirected to our referral form. Once you have completed each section on the form, click the submit button, and we will be in touch to organise an assessment. Or You can click here. Other groups on offer... The What? Centre also provides LGBTQ & Transgender support (18 yrs and over) as well as counselling via our BeeHIVe project. Details on the adult groups can be found on the BeeHIVe website - please check as there may be changes. Group name Who this group is for When it runs Where it runs Gay Men's Group (18+) Men's group for 18 years and over. Every second and fourth Saturday of the month, 11am-2pm Dudley Library, St James Road, Dudley DY1 1HR LGBTQ+ Support Group (18+) LGBTQ+ group for 18 years and over. Every Wednesday 5.00pm to 6.30pm The What Centre, 31 Priory Street, Dudley, DY1 1HA Frequently Asked Questions: Is counselling private? Yes. Before your first session, you should be sent The What? Centre counselling contact. This outlines all of the boundaries we work with in counselling. Here you will see something called ‘confidentiality’. This means that the counsellor won't tell family or friends about anything that is said during the session. It is important to understand that there are limits to our confidentiality. This means that if something is shared and the counsellor identifies a risk of harm to yourself or others, then we legally have to break confidentiality and let a parent or caregiver know, as well as our manager. Our confidentiality limits also apply to illegal activity, terrorism and ethical or legal obligations. What happens if I don’t like my counsellor? We are all human, and we all have different personalities. Sometimes these personalities don't match, or we just don't feel comfortable/well-suited to that person. This is nothing to feel ashamed or embarrassed about. If you feel comfortable, bring up these worries to the counsellor directly. They will explore these worries with you and help create a plan moving forward. This may be the current counsellor trying a different approach or reallocating you to a new counsellor. If you don't feel comfortable approaching this with your counsellor, you are able to call or email the centre directly, and we will work with you to find a counsellor you feel better matched to. If the project is 13-18, what happens when I turn 18? Counselling- if you turn 18 during your allocated counselling session, then you will continue with your sessions until the agreed-upon end. Should you feel like you still need more counselling support, then we may be able to internally refer you to another project that can offer more counselling sessions. Or we will be able to provide some advice/direction to other organisations which may be able to help. Group- through the fusion project, our group runs from the age of 13-18. During the time leading up to your 18th birthday, the group facilitator may check in to see how you are feeling and if attending a group is something you would like to continue with. If group is something that still interests you, we will work collaboratively with the BeeHIVe team, who run an over-18 LGBTQ+ group, and you to ensure a smooth and comfortable transition. Partner With Us We're always looking to connect with schools, charities and health services to widen access to LGBTQ+ support. Please get in touch—we’d love to hear from you Useful Information: Papyrus: https://www.papyrus-uk.org/ LGBT Foundation: https://lgbt.foundation/training-with-lgbt-foundation/ What’s Up (app)- Uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) methods to help you cope with depression, anxiety, stress, and more. For 2020 to April 2020 this is some information on how our LGBTQ+ groups have performed: For all LGBTQ support (including BeeHIVE), please make a referral here.