Deborah Mitchell Counselling

Reflections for June 2026: Pride, Belonging, and Lived Experience

June brings up a lot of important conversations around identity, survival, and celebration. As a person-centred counsellor, I don’t look at these dates as mere calendar events or clinical categories. To me, they represent the deeply human, lived experiences of the clients I work with.

Here is what I am holding space for this month:

Pride Month & Neurodiversity Pride Week (11–17 June)

This month is a beautiful, vibrant celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community and the history of the queer liberation movement. Alongside this, Neurodiversity Pride Week (with Pride Day on 16 June) reminds us of this year’s global theme: “Every Brain Is Beautiful.”

Rather than viewing neurodivergence or queer identities through a clinical lens that focuses on deficits, I want to celebrate you and your identity. I recognise the unique systemic stressors, minority stress, and exhaustion that can come with navigating a world not always built for you. You deserve a space where your individuality is respected, and your strengths are seen.

PTSD Awareness Month

I see this month as a reminder of how deeply our life experiences shape us. When we face overwhelming events, systemic oppression, or chronic stress, our nervous systems do exactly what they need to do to keep us safe. Trauma informed care is about gently understanding what happened to you, and helping you find safety and connection.

Loneliness Awareness Week (15–21 June)

Feeling disconnected, isolated, or misunderstood is a deeply painful but profoundly human experience. It is nothing to be ashamed of. My hope is always to offer a safe, relational, and flexible space where we can sit with that isolation together, breaking the weight of it, and slowly rebuilding a sense of connection at your own pace.

A note from me: Whoever you are, however, your brain works, and whoever you love, you are welcome here exactly as you are.