We’re re-launching our free and low-cost 2SLGBTQIA+ counselling

This month, we re-launched our partnership with Chroma NB to deliver free & low-cost counselling to 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals. Sessions will be run by counselling intern Adam Fraser every Tuesday from 2-4pm at 288 Germain Street in Saint John. Chroma is a non-profit that advocates for 2SLGBTQIA+ people in the Menahqesk / Saint John Region.

Our partnership with Chroma began last year when we spent five months delivering over 40 counselling sessions to 2SLGBTQIA+ youth aged 10 to 24 at the Teen Resource Centre. Through our free and low-cost counselling services, we were able to provide an affordable, safe and supportive space for queer folk to address the unique challenges and issues they may face related to their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.

For those who don’t have insurance, counselling can be expensive, and government services are limited, especially for the queer community. With our services, individuals get three sessions for free, and after that, they’re just $20 each.

Tailored mental health support for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community is crucial in addressing the higher rates of mental health issues and suicide within this group. By providing specific coping mechanisms and resources, 2SLGBTQIA+ counselling fosters mental well-being, self-affirmation and a sense of belonging. This is especially important for a community that has long faced discrimination and stigmatization.

According to Stats Canada, nearly 30 per cent of 2SLGBTQIA+ people reported their mental health to be fair or poor, compared with fewer than 10 per cent of non-2SLGBTQIA+ individuals. And 54 per cent transgender or non-binary people are over five times as likely as cisgender people to consider their mental health to be fair or poor.

To get started with your free counselling, book an appointment today!

Just Us is a charity that aims to reduce barriers to mental health access through in-person and online therapy in New Brunswick to anyone in need.