Sexuality

I have worked with coming out, sexual health, relationships with parents and mental health. Also with work place issues-

Serves You Right also found that nearly one in five gay people say they have experienced bullying from their colleagues because of their sexual orientation. Discrimination in the workplace can lead to people leaving their jobs and becoming unemployed. Lesbian, gay and bisexual people in occupational groups C2DE (working class) are 50 per cent more likely to experience bullying than those in occupational groups ABC1 (middle class).

Coming out and being brave doesn't mean that you're not scared. It means that if you are scared, you do the thing you're afraid of anyway. Coming out and living openly as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender person is an act of bravery and authenticity. Whether it's for the first time ever, or for the first time today - coming out may be most important thing you will do all day. When someone chooses to 'come out' may depend on some of the factors listed below:

• If the individual feels comfortable about their sexuality and how happy they are to talk about it.
• How well the person knows their parents and how close they are as a family.
• Whether the timing seems right or not.
• The support available from friends.
• Family issues such as religion.
• How dependent someone is on his or her parents.
• Safety at home.
• How much the person knows about the issue.
• If an individual is uncertain for many years they may choose to wait.

I strongly believe that everybody at some point in their lives, needs to speak to a professional. Having someone who is unbiased, trained, and intelligent to offer feedback and insight is very important. James is a very laid-back, professional listener. He guides conversation quite skilfully, and really gives you time to express yourself, but also reflect on the things you've expressed. I would highly recommend counselling to anyone, in any walk of life.

Good mental health means you can cope with the normal stresses of life, you realise your abilities, you can work productively and are able to make a contribution to your community. Your mental health is an important part of you; it's an important part of everyone. It's about how we see and feel about ourselves and those around us - our family, our friends, classmates and colleague - people we see every day. When our mental health is good we can enjoy day to day life and we can get the best out of things. Good mental health also helps us deal with problems and tough times in our lives. We're all different, but the one thing we have in common is that none of us are perfect. We all have a mix of strengths and weaknesses and that's part of what makes us human. Be nice and take good care of yourself. Going easy on yourself will help you feel better and is good for your mental health. Accepting yourself as Lesbian, gay, Bisexual or Transgendered can sometimes be made more difficult because of a fear of how people will react to you, or because of experiences of homophobia or transphobia. Try not to be too hard on yourself, and if you are finding things difficult come for counselling.