Just as plants will instinctively grow under optimal conditions, I believe humans will not only heal, but flourish if given the chance.

Jack Kelly, LGBTQIA+ therapist in Brisbane, headshot portrait

Brisbane LGBTQIA+ Therapist for Individuals & Couples

Hello! My name is Jack Kelly (he/him).

I’m a Brisbane-based therapist and Certified Practising Counsellor with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA), offering in-person therapy in Greenslopes and online across Australia. I work with individuals and couples, with a particular focus on supporting LGBTQIA+ clients, as well as people experiencing perfectionism, high-functioning anxiety, overthinking, and the pressure to hold everything together.

Many of the people I work with feel like they’re coping on the outside, but struggling underneath. Sometimes this can show up as feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, stuck in familiar patterns, or struggling to understand what’s happening in your relationships. I aim to create a supportive, relational space where deeper emotional change can take place. Rather than focusing on quick fixes or coping strategies alone, our work centres on understanding the patterns that keep you stuck and building the capacity to relate to yourself and others differently.

Engaging in therapy, I believe, is one of the bravest and most beneficial things anyone can do. I approach each client with care, curiosity, and a genuine belief in their capacity for growth and change.

If you’re someone who tends to push through, get things “right,” or hold yourself to high standards, therapy with me can offer a different way of relating to yourself.

You’re welcome here.

Armchair in a counselling room set up for therapy sessions

Providing you with a safe space to talk

I’m committed to creating a warm, inclusive space where diversity in all its forms is respected and valued. I offer queer-affirming therapy, and work with people from a wide range of backgrounds, beliefs, and lived experiences.

In this space, you’re invited to show up as you are. You don’t need to have the right words, have it all figured out, or present yourself in any particular way. The aim is to support you in feeling understood, accepted, and able to explore what’s going on beneath the surface at your own pace.

Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and LGBTQIA+ flags displayed side by side
  • "The focus of therapy is on evoking and deepening engagement in new experience, not new explanations or solutions. It is potent new emotion that moves the us into new responses."

    SUE JOHNSON

  • "As I hear myself talk I learn what I believe"

    MILLER & ROLLNICK

  • "What we call personality is often a jumble of genuine traits & adopted coping strategies that do not reflect our true self at all but the loss of it. Reclaiming these parts of self starts the long journey home"

    GABOR MATÉ

  • "Awareness in itself is healing"

    FREDERICK SALOMON PERLS

  • "If your peace depends on everything going right, that's not peace, that's control. Learning to be steady in uncertanity - that's real growth."

    UNKNOWN

  • "The curious paradox is when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change"

    CARL ROGERS

  • "Beneath every behaviour there is a feeling. And beneath each feeling is a need. And when we meet that need rather than focus on the behaviour, we begin to deal with the cause, not the symptom."

    ASHLEIGH WARNER

Counselling room with a couch for therapy sessions

How I Work as a Therapist & The Areas I Focus On

Rather than focusing purely on rigid techniques or step-by-step strategies, I offer an experiential, relational process that helps you explore what’s happening beneath the surface—supporting meaningful emotional change, greater self-understanding, and increased self-trust.

The simplest way I can describe my work is this: enhancing awareness + fostering self-compassion = building capacity.

Whether I’m working with an individual or a couple, I’m interested in what’s happening emotionally and relationally. We can become caught in patterns that once helped us cope, but may no longer serve us. By slowing down and becoming more aware of what is happening emotionally, we can begin to understand these patterns, create kinder ways of responding, and meet our own needs — and the needs of those we love — in more adaptive ways.


Green plant in a counselling room

LGBTQIA+ Affirming Therapy

My heart lies with supporting my queer community through the specific challenges we face. Coming out, dealing with societal or familial rejection, managing internalised stigma, engaging in healthy romantic relationships or exploring gender and sexuality are difficult to understand on our own. Having someone who understands the unique experiences of our community and the weight of those challenges can make a meaningful difference.


Perfectionism & High-Functioning Anxiety

Many of the highly driven people I work with experience what is often described as high-functioning anxiety. This often shows up as perfectionism, overthinking, people-pleasing, difficulty switching off, and putting others’ needs ahead of your own. While these patterns can help you cope in the short term, they can also leave you feeling drained, anxious, or disconnected from yourself. In our work together, we explore the roots of these patterns—often shaped through earlier life experiences—and begin to develop self-compassion and a different way of relating to your inner world. This is especially relevant if you’re someone who feels driven to get things “right,” often at the expense of your own wellbeing.


Couples & Relationships

Relationships can become caught in patterns that are difficult to understand or change, even when both people care deeply about each other. Couples may find themselves having the same arguments, feeling increasingly disconnected, or caught in cycles of pursuing, withdrawing, defending, or shutting down.

My couples work draws on Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT), one of the most well-established and extensively researched approaches to couples therapy. Rather than focusing simply on communication techniques or deciding who is right or wrong, we explore the emotional patterns underneath the conflict and the attachment needs that can be difficult to express.

The aim is to help couples understand the cycle they have become caught in, develop greater emotional responsiveness, and create a more secure and connected relationship.


Feeling Stuck or Disconnected

Sometimes people come to therapy feeling like they’re “getting by” but not truly living in a way that feels aligned or fulfilling. This might show up after a relationship ends, during a transition, or as a general sense that something is missing—even if it’s hard to name what that is. In these moments, therapy can provide a space to slow down, make sense of what’s happening internally, and reconnect with your values, strengths, and sense of direction.

Counselling room with multiple chairs and indoor plants

To learn more about me, my qualifications, and my approach, click below.

  • "Jack's approach went deeper than what I’d experienced with previous therapy - ‘just getting me to the other side’. It scaffolded lasting change."

    PAST CLIENT

  • "Not needing to come out was surprisingly freeing. There was no need for me to feel as though I had to internally ‘edit’ anything; I could just be and speak."

    PAST CLIENT

  • "Jack helped me work through an extremely challenging period. During each session his care, openness and support provided the space I needed to do the work and take care of myself."

    PAST CLIENT

  • "I am very grateful for Jack’s work - it was life changing!"

    PAST CLIENT

The Basics

In-Person Counselling | 749 Logan Road Greenslopes Brisbane

Online Counselling | Google Meet

50 Minute Sessions

Weekly | Fortnightly | Monthly - Thursdays & Fridays

$170 Individuals

$220 Couples

I also offer a limited number of discounted spots for those in need. If cost is a barrier, please reach out to discuss available options.

 

The Steps To Your First Appointment

1.

A Free 15-Minute Consultation

Use the online booking system to schedule a free consultation. This is your chance to share what’s brought you to therapy, ask questions, and see whether working together feels like the right fit. There’s no pressure to book after this.

2.

Scheduling & Contracting

If we feel like the right fit and once you’re ready, we’ll book your first counselling session. You’ll be asked to complete the Client Intake Form, Informed Consent & Service Agreement along the way.

3.

Your First Appointment

In your first therapy session, I’ll explain how counselling works, including confidentiality and your rights as a client. After that, we’ll begin your work together.

Before booking, please take a moment to review my Informed Consent & Service Agreement, which outlines how I work, confidentiality, fees, cancellations, and your rights as a client.

A sunlit field of tall grass swaying in the wind

Still feeling a little unsure?

Take a moment to read through what to expect from therapy and how it works. Understanding the process can help you feel more confident as you begin your journey.