West Vancouver LGBTQ+ Family Counselling
Support for Families That Get You
Your kid just came out and you don't know what to say. Or you're a same-sex couple raising kids and facing judgment from other parents at school. Maybe your teen's questioning their gender and extended family isn't accepting. Or you're in a queer relationship dealing with family issues but tired of explaining your relationship to therapists who don't get it. West Vancouver LGBTQ+ family counselling provides support from someone who actually understands the specific challenges queer families face - from coming out processes to dealing with discrimination to building families that don't fit the traditional mold.
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We work with LGBTQ+ families throughout West Vancouver & North Vancouver - from Horseshoe Bay to Blue Ridge - who need therapy that doesn't require educating your therapist about basic queer stuff before you can even address your actual problems. Whether you're dealing with a child's coming out, parenting as a same-sex couple, or family conflict around identity, LGBTQ+ family counselling meets you with understanding, not judgment.
Benefits of LGBTQ+ Family Counselling
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The biggest benefit? You don't have to explain the basics. You won't waste session time teaching me what "non-binary" means or defending why your relationship is just as valid as straight couples. We can jump straight into your actual issues instead of spending half the session on LGBTQ 101.
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LGBTQ+ family counselling addresses the unique stressors queer families face. Same-sex couples dealing with judgmental in-laws or other parents at school who make assumptions. Parents supporting a trans kid while grandparents refuse to use the right name and pronouns. Kids with two moms or two dads handling questions and sometimes bullying about their family structure. Bi or pan folks in mixed-orientation relationships where family dynamics get complicated.
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For families dealing with a member's coming out, LGBTQ+ affirming therapy helps everyone process it in healthy ways. Maybe your teen just came out as gay or trans and you're worried about their safety, their future, how to support them. Maybe you're the one who came out and your family's struggling to accept it. We help families work through the fear, grief, confusion, and eventually build stronger connections based on acceptance.
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LGBTQ+ family counselling also addresses internalized homophobia or transphobia that affects family relationships. When you grew up hearing that being queer was wrong, those messages don't just disappear once you come out. They affect how you parent, how you relate to partners, how you see yourself. Working through that internalized stuff helps your whole family dynamic improve.
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We work with the specific challenges queer parents face that straight parents don't deal with. Explaining to your kids about having two moms or two dads when other kids ask invasive questions. Handling situations where one parent has no legal relationship to the kids. Dealing with schools, daycares, and organizations that assume families have a mom and a dad. Managing relationships with ex-partners when you used to be in a straight marriage before coming out.
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For trans and non-binary folks, family counselling helps relatives adjust and support through gender exploration or medical treatment. Parents who want to be supportive but don't know how. Siblings who are confused or resentful about changes. Partners who love you but are struggling with their own feelings about the journey. LGBTQ+ affirming therapy holds space for everyone's experience without sacrificing the trans person's needs.
Creekside Counselling's Approach to LGBTQ+ Family Counselling
We start where you are, not where society thinks you should be. If you're parents struggling with your kid's coming out, we don't shame you for having complicated feelings. If you're a queer person dealing with non-accepting family, we validate your pain while helping figure out next steps. No judgment, just support for your actual situation.
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First session, we talk about your family structure and what brought you in. Are you dealing with a recent coming out? Ongoing discrimination affecting your family? Parent-child conflict around identity? Extended family rejection? School or community challenges? We identify the specific issues and create a plan that works for your family.
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LGBTQ+ family counselling looks different for different families. Sometimes it's supporting parents through a child's coming out - helping them process their own feelings, learn correct terminology and pronouns, and figure out how to advocate for their kid in schools and with extended family. Sometimes it's helping queer couples with parenting conflicts that have nothing to do with being LGBTQ but where they need a therapist who gets their family structure.
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We address the unique grief that comes with being queer or having queer family members. Parents often grieve the future they imagined for their straight or cisgender kid. Queer folks grieve the family acceptance they hoped for but didn't get. This grief is real and needs space even as families move toward acceptance and healing.
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For families dealing with rejection from extended family or religious communities, we help process that loss and figure out boundaries. Sometimes that means trying to repair relationships through education and communication. Sometimes it means accepting that certain family members won't come around and building chosen family instead. We support whatever path makes sense for your situation.
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We also work with blended queer families - when you've got kids from a previous straight relationship and you're now in a same-sex partnership. The ex-spouse issues, the kids adjusting, the new partner figuring out their role, family members who liked your ex better. It's complicated and LGBTQ+ family counselling helps everyone find their place in the new structure.
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For families with trans or non-binary members, we help everyone adjust to new names, pronouns, and sometimes medical interventions. Parents learn how to support their trans kid through social or medical transition. Siblings work through their feelings about changes in family dynamics. Grandparents get educated on what being trans actually means. Everyone needs different things and we address all of it.
Pricing Information
LGBTQ+ family counselling sessions are $200 per 50-minute session (slightly higher than individual because we're working with multiple people). We typically meet weekly or biweekly depending on urgency and what your family schedule allows.
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Length of treatment varies. Helping families adjust to a recent coming out might take 2-4 months. Deeper issues around acceptance, boundaries with extended family, or processing trauma related to discrimination could take 6 months to a year. We check in regularly to make sure therapy's still helpful.
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We provide receipts for insurance. Most extended health plans in BC cover family counselling under mental health benefits. Check your specific plan - many West Vancouver employers offer good coverage that helps with costs.
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Some LGBTQ+ organizations offer funding or sliding scale options for queer folks who can't afford therapy. We can point you toward resources if cost is a barrier to getting the support your family needs.
Areas We Serve
We're found in West Vancouver and work with LGBTQ+ families throughout the North Shore including all West Van neighborhoods - Horseshoe Bay, Dundarave, Ambleside, Eagle Harbour, Caulfeild, Whitby Estates, British Properties, Cypress Village, Gleneagles, Bayridge, Chartwell.
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We also see queer families from North Vancouver, Bowen Island, and throughout Metro Vancouver. Some families prefer working with someone outside their immediate community for extra privacy, especially in smaller neighbourhoods where everyone knows everyone.
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Virtual family counselling available and works great for LGBTQ+ families who prefer the privacy of meeting from home or who have scheduling conflicts that make in-person sessions difficult. Online sessions let us work with families anywhere in BC.
Frequently Asked Questions About LGBTQ+ Family Counselling
Are you LGBTQ+ affirming or will you try to change us?
Completely affirming. Being LGBTQ+ isn't something that needs fixing or changing. We support your family as it is and help with actual problems, not try to make you straight or cisgender. Conversion therapy is harmful pseudoscience and we absolutely do not practice it.
What if we're not sure how to support our LGBTQ+ family member but we want to try?
That's exactly what we're here for. Most parents and family members want to be supportive but don't know how. We teach you what your queer family member needs, correct terminology, how to advocate for them, and how to process your own feelings without burdening them with it.
Can you help if our family has religious objections to LGBTQ+ identities?
What if only some family members are accepting and others aren't?
Really common situation. We help the accepting members support the LGBTQ+ person and figure out boundaries with non-accepting family. Sometimes non-accepting members come to therapy and we work on education and building understanding. Sometimes they refuse and we focus on the relationships that can be healthy.
Do you work with families where someone is questioning or exploring their identity?
Absolutely. Not everyone's figured everything out yet and that's totally normal. We support families through the questioning process, whatever someone discovers about themselves. Sometimes people question and realize they're not LGBTQ+, sometimes they are - either way, we help families handle the exploration with care.
Can LGBTQ+ family counselling help with issues unrelated to being queer?
Yes. Queer families have all the same issues straight families do - parenting conflicts, communication problems, grief, life stressors. Sometimes you just need a therapist who gets your family structure so you can work on regular family stuff without having to explain why you have two moms or what your pronouns mean.
What if our kid's school or other families aren't accepting?
We help you advocate for your family in schools, sports, and community settings. That includes teaching you what protections exist under BC human rights laws, how to talk to teachers and administrators, and strategies for handling discrimination when it happens. We also help your family process the impact of dealing with bias.
Is it safe to be out as an LGBTQ+ family in West Vancouver?
West Vancouver is generally pretty accepting compared to lots of places, but discrimination still happens. Some families are totally open, others keep things private depending on their specific community and comfort level. We help you figure out what feels safe for your family and how to handle situations where being out feels risky.
Your family deserves support that actually understands you. West Vancouver LGBTQ+ family counselling helps queer families handle the unique challenges you face without having to educate your therapist first. Book your consultation today - you don't have to figure this out alone.