What is the difference between queer/LGBTQIA+ psychologists, counsellors and LGBTQIA+ friendly therapists?

These terms refer to different registration pathways and levels of training, but the most important distinction for LGBTQIA+ clients is often not the title — it's the depth of lived and clinical experience with your community. A psychologist holds a university degree in psychology and is registered with the Psychology Board of Australia. A registered mental health social worker like me holds a social work degree plus specialist psychotherapy training, and is registered with AASW — and can offer Medicare rebates via a GP Mental Health Care Plan. An LGBTQIA+ affirming therapist is a broader term that simply signals a commitment to inclusive practice, but doesn't specify registration or training level. When choosing a therapist, ask about their specific experience with LGBTQIA+ clients, not just their title.

Why seek LGBTQIA+ psychologists or counsellors with lived experience?

Therapy works best when you don't have to spend your session educating your therapist about who you are. A therapist with lived experience in your community brings an understanding of minority stress, identity-based shame, the impact of discrimination, and the specific ways LGBTQIA+ people have often adapted to navigate environments that weren't safe — without needing it explained. This means sessions can go deeper, faster, and with less of the emotional labour of making yourself legible to someone who doesn't share your context.

How LGBTQIA+ psychologists and counsellors create a safe place for you.

Safety in therapy comes from consistency, honesty, and genuine understanding — not just a rainbow flag on a website. In practice, it means you don't have to explain your pronouns, justify your relationships, or translate your experience into language a non-queer therapist can follow. It means I understand what internalised homophobia actually feels like from the inside. And it means the therapeutic relationship itself is grounded in over a decade of working specifically with LGBTQIA+ adults in Melbourne, including in community health and advocacy settings.

How do you find a LGBTQIA+ counsellor in Melbourne you can trust?

Here are some tips to help you find the LGBT counsellor in Melbourne for you. Reach out to your community and ask for recommendations. Someone close to you may know a LGBT counsellor in Melbourne who could be a good fit for you. Make sure to ask for details about their experience working with the therapist. You can also browse therapist directories, such as Psychology Today, Good Therapy, and Australian Psychological Society. These directories have filters that can help you narrow down your search based on your preferences. You can also check out Vic Inclusive Practitioners, a list of therapists and practitioners working with diverse populations, including LGBTQIA+ counseling in Melbourne. Be cautious of therapy profiles that include long specialty lists and look for specific LGBTQIA+ experience and training. Don't be afraid to ask questions and have a conversation with potential therapists before scheduling an appointment. Its ok to ask your potential new therapist if there are also LGBTQIA+.

What are your specialties as a LGBTQIA+ Counsellor in Melbourne?

My core specialties are trauma, complex trauma, shame, and the negative core beliefs that form when we've been hurt, dismissed, or made to feel like we're too much or not enough. I work with gay, queer, bisexual, trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse adults. My therapeutic approach is grounded in Gestalt psychotherapy, with specialist training in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) and IFS (Internal Family Systems). I am a registered mental health social worker and offer Medicare rebates.

Do you offer Medicare rebates?

Yes. As a registered mental health social worker, I offer Medicare rebates to clients with a valid Mental Health Care Plan from their GP. This gives you access to rebates for up to 10 sessions per calendar year. You don't need a specific diagnosis — a general mental health referral is sufficient. If you're unsure how to get a referral or what to say to your GP, I'm happy to talk you through it.

Do you offer online therapy?

Yes. I offer online sessions to LGBTQIA+ adults across Victoria. Online delivery works well for the approaches I use, and Medicare rebates apply to online sessions just as they do to in-person sessions.

EMDR Therapy in Melbourne for LGBTQIA+ Adults

Matthew Austin | Registered Mental Health Social Worker | Thornbury, Inner North Melbourne

Trauma can have a devasting effect on your life and shape the way you think about yourself, your relationships and the world around you. Perhaps you’ve tried a bunch of different therapies and still feel distressed by specific memories that come up even when you try your best to push them out of your mind. If so, EMDR or Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing could be right for you.

EMDR is a memory-processing therapy that helps you process painful memories that are still causing you distress in the present. Following processing, you retain the memories, but with greatly reduced pain and distress associated with them. Over the past two years, I have seen the powerful healing impact EMDR has had on clients.

What is EMDR therapy?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based, structured therapy that helps your brain process traumatic or distressing memories that are still causing you pain in the present. Rather than requiring you to talk through events in detail, EMDR works by pairing focused attention on a memory with bilateral stimulation — typically guided eye movements — to help your nervous system do what it couldn't do at the time: fully process and integrate the experience.

Following EMDR processing, the memories don't disappear. What changes is the charge they carry. Clients often describe the same memory feeling distant, flat, or simply like something that happened — no longer something that's still happening to them.

EMDR is endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the treatment of PTSD and is one of the most researched trauma therapies available.

Lets Talk

Who I work with

My practice is built around LGBTQIA+ adults in Melbourne who are carrying experiences that therapy hasn't fully touched. This might include:

Trauma and complex trauma — including childhood experiences of neglect, emotional abuse, or environments where you weren't safe to be yourself
Sexual assault and sexual trauma — processed at a pace that feels manageable and safe
Identity-based trauma — the cumulative impact of homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, and experiences of rejection or invalidation
Distressing memories — specific events or periods of life that continue to surface and affect how you feel today
Negative core beliefs — deeply held beliefs about yourself that formed in response to painful experiences, such as "I'm not enough," "I'm broken," or "I'm not safe"

With over a decade working specifically with LGBTQIA+ individuals — including roles at Thorne Harbour Health and Queerspace — I understand the external forces that shape how LGBTQIA+ people see themselves, and I bring that understanding into every session.

What to expect from EMDR therapy with me

EMDR follows a structured eight-phase protocol, which means sessions are purposeful and paced — but never rushed. Before any processing begins, we spend time building the foundation: understanding your history, identifying what you want to work on, and making sure you have the internal resources to move through the work safely.

My approach draws on EMDR, IFS (Internal Family Systems), and Gestalt therapy. This means that rather than applying a rigid formula, I work with the whole of you — including the parts that are protective, the parts that carry pain, and the parts that are ready to heal.

Sessions are available in person in Thornbury, inner north Melbourne, and online across Victoria.

Lets Talk

How much does EMDR therapy cost?

As a registered mental health social worker, I offer Medicare rebates for eligible clients. To access a rebate, you'll need a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP, which entitles you to up to 10 rebated sessions per calendar year. The rebate for a mental health social worker is $87, and the fee for a 60-minute session is $260, leaving a gap of $173.

If you're unsure whether you're eligible or how to get a referral, I'm happy to talk you through the process before you book.

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Frequently asked questions about EMDR therapy in Melbourne

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. It's a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps the brain process traumatic or distressing memories that haven't been fully integrated. During EMDR, you focus briefly on a distressing memory while following a set of bilateral stimulation — usually the therapist's moving fingers, though tapping or auditory tones can also be used. This dual attention appears to mimic the brain's natural memory processing during REM sleep, allowing the memory to be processed and stored in a way that no longer triggers the same level of distress.
EMDR was originally developed for PTSD and remains one of the most effective treatments for it. It is also widely used for complex trauma, sexual trauma, anxiety, depression, phobias, grief, negative core beliefs, and distressing memories that continue to affect daily life. In my practice, I work with LGBTQIA+ adults whose trauma often sits at the intersection of identity, relationship, and early life experience.
Yes. As a registered mental health social worker, I can offer Medicare rebates to clients who hold a valid Mental Health Care Plan from their GP. Medicare currently provides rebates for up to 10 sessions per calendar year. You do not need a PTSD diagnosis to access a rebate — a GP referral for mental health support is sufficient.
This varies depending on what you're working on and the complexity of your history. A single, clearly defined traumatic event may resolve in fewer sessions. Complex or developmental trauma, which is common among LGBTQIA+ adults who experienced prolonged adversity, typically takes longer. Most clients work with me over a period of several months, with sessions once a week or once a fortnight. On average clients see me 8 times in total and the earliest i have begun an EMDR processing session is in session 3. I'll give you a clearer sense of what to expect once we've had an initial conversation.
No. EMDR does not erase or alter memories. What changes is the emotional charge and physical distress associated with them. After processing, most clients find they can recall a memory without the same intensity of pain, anxiety, or physical response. The memory remains, it simply no longer holds the same power.
EMDR involves deliberately bringing distressing material to mind, so it isn't appropriate for everyone at every point in time. It requires a degree of emotional stability and the ability to tolerate some discomfort within the safety of a session. If you're in crisis, experiencing active psychosis, or using substances heavily, we'd need to address that stability first before beginning trauma processing. I assess this carefully with every client before starting EMDR work.
Yes. I offer online EMDR sessions to clients across Victoria. Online delivery is an effective and well-researched option, and for many clients it's actually more accessible and comfortable than in-person sessions. Bilateral stimulation is adapted for online delivery using visual cues or self-directed tapping.
EMDR is highly effective but not universal. Outcomes depend on factors including the complexity of trauma history, the presence of dissociation, the strength of the therapeutic relationship, and readiness for processing. For some clients, more preparatory work is needed before processing begins. For others, a different approach may be a better fit. I work with you to find the right pace and method, and I'll be honest with you if I think something else might serve you better.

About Matthew Austin

Matthew Austin is a Melbourne-based counsellor and psychotherapist who has worked with LGBTQIA+ individuals for over a decade. He has held roles at both Thorne Harbour Health and Queerspace, where he developed a deep understanding of the external forces that shape how LGBTQIA+ people see themselves. His background working with children and adolescents who have experienced trauma and neglect informs his understanding of how early experiences shape the lens through which we view ourselves, others, and the world.

Matthew holds a Bachelor of Social Work, a Certificate in Developmental Psychiatry, and an Advanced Diploma in Gestalt Psychotherapy, and has completed EMDR Levels 1 and 2 training. He is a registered mental health social worker and offers Medicare rebates.

His approach draws on IFS, EMDR, and Gestalt therapy to help LGBTQIA+ clients access the compassion, calm, and clarity that has always been there, beneath the self-criticism and distress.

Book your free initial consult

Ready to take the next step?

If you're curious whether EMDR therapy might be right for you, I offer a free 30-minute check-in to talk about what you're carrying and what you're hoping for. There's no obligation to boot, just an opportunity to see if we're a good fit.

Book a free 30-minute check-in

Matthew Austin works with LGBTQIA+ adults in Thornbury, inner north Melbourne, and online across Victoria. Medicare rebates are available with a GP referral.

You have more questions?

Get in touch and let’s chat