About Brian Gao

My path to counselling

A lot of what brought me to counselling comes from my own life, and especially from knowing what it's like to feel different.

I grew up gay in China, and it wasn't always easy. For a long time I was confused about who I was, aware of the stigma around me, and quietly ashamed of something I didn't fully understand yet. Canada is a much more accepting place for queer people today, but I know many people here still carry hard experiences with family, relationships, or simply finding where they belong. Going through that myself taught me how much it matters to have somewhere you can talk without being judged.

I also moved to Canada by myself in my early twenties. I had to get by in a new language and a different culture, far from my family and everything I knew. Some of it was an adventure. Some of it was lonely and uncertain. Looking back, that period changed me more than almost anything else, and it showed me that starting over is hard but can also lead somewhere good.

Along the way, I found help in different places. Sometimes it was a friend who really listened. Sometimes it was a book that put words to something I was struggling with. And sometimes it was a therapist who helped me look at things differently.

Now I hope I can be that kind of support for other people. When you're going through something difficult, it can help to have someone to talk it through with, to figure out where you are, where you want to go, and how to get there.