Identity
Questions about who you are and where you belong can be unsettling. Therapy offers space to explore them without judgement.
Our sense of identity is shaped by many things: family, culture, faith, sexuality, gender, class, neurodivergence, work, and the roles we play for other people. Usually it sits quietly in the background. But sometimes it comes into question, and that can feel disorientating.
That might happen after a big change, when something you've kept to yourself starts to need attention, or when the expectations you grew up with no longer fit the person you're becoming.
What it can look like
Feeling that you don't know who you really are, or what you want
A sense of living to other people's expectations rather than your own
Questions about your sexuality, gender or relationships
Feeling caught between cultures, communities or generations
Making sense of a late diagnosis, such as autism or ADHD, and what it means for how you see yourself
Losing your sense of self after becoming a parent, retiring, or leaving a role that defined you
Feeling different, or never quite fitting in
How therapy can help
Therapy isn't about telling you who to be. It's a confidential space where you can think, question and feel without having to manage anyone else's reaction.
With your therapist you might:
Explore the parts of yourself you've felt you had to hide or play down
Untangle the messages you absorbed from family and culture
Make sense of experiences of not fitting in, or of being treated differently
Work out what matters to you, and how you want to live
Feel more at ease with yourself, whatever you discover
We're members of the Safe Space Alliance, and we welcome people of every background, identity and belief.
What to expect
You start with a free 15-minute consultation with the therapist you choose. Sessions are usually weekly and last 50 minutes, in person at our rooms in Nottingham city centre or online.
Common questions
Do I need to have a clear question to come?
No. Many people start with just a sense that something doesn't fit. Working that out is part of the process.
Will my therapist have opinions about who I should be?
No. Your therapist's job is to help you explore, not to steer you towards any particular answer.
Can I choose a therapist with particular experience?
Yes. Read through our therapists' profiles, and use the free consultation to ask whatever matters to you.