Dr LJ Potter

Senior Lecturer

School of Health, Science and Wellbeing

I’m the course lead for the psychotherapeutic counselling course. I’m a genderqueer counsellor (my pronouns are they/them) who specialises in working with topics around gender, sexuality and relationship diversity (GSRD). This might be people who identify as LGBTQ+ (including intersex, asexual and non-binary/genderqueer people) and people who are in other minority relationship/living styles, such as people in consensually non-monogamous or kink/BDSM-based relationships, or people who are sex workers. Often those topics are not the topics people come to counselling with, but they want to be sure that their counsellor is culturally competent.

I’m person-centred, which means I believe strongly in people’s ability to intrinsically find their path through life, even if/when they might need supportive space to find that path. I also have an interest in focusing-oriented psychotherapy and use this in my practice.

I’m also a trainer in GSRD topics for counsellors and have provided external training to universities, as well as delivering international online seminars for Pink Therapy, and running bespoke training courses as part of my private practice.

Professional memberships and activities

  • Member: National Counselling Society

  •  

    Advanced accredited Sexual Diversity Therapist: Pink Therapy

  • (in progress) Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Academic qualifications

  • PhD: Sexuality and gender in UK high schools: a policy analysis and case study of one Midlands-based school. Coventry university
  • MSc: Parapsychology
  • Dip: Person-centred counselling and psychotherapy
  • Cert: Gender and sexual diversity in counselling
  • BSc: Psychology

Expertise

  • Gender and sexuality
  • Neurodivergence
  • Self-disclosure in the counselling room

Research interests

  • Gender, sexuality and relationship styles
  • Therapist self-disclosure of sexuality and gender
  • Neurodivergence
  • LGBTQ+ trainees’ experiences of counselling training

Teaching

I teach across all aspects of the post-graduate counselling course, from theory and ethics through to skills and personal development.

in the UK for Quality Education

Sustainable Development Goal 4, Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2023

for Career Prospects

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

for Facilities

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

for Social Inclusion

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023

of Research Impact is ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Very Considerable’

Research Excellence Framework 2021

of Research is “Internationally Excellent” or “World Leading”

Research Excellence Framework 2021

Four Star Rating

QS Star Ratings 2021