• An Introduction to Minority Stress Processes in Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Individuals

Dr Anna Louise Fry (PhD) is a person-centred counsellor and counselling supervisor in private practice.

She is also a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) mental health facilitator at a women's centre, being a member of the LGBTQ+ community herself.

Anna is a registered member of the BACP and graduate (chartership pending) member of the British Psychological Society.

Having grown up in four different countries on two continents, Anna has a keen interest in diversity, identity development and the influences of minority stress on mental health and wellbeing.

Anna has always been interested in psychology; however, she started her working career in engineering and studied electrical engineering at college. She worked in a variety of engineering roles over the years until she settled in highway design.

However, Anna's interest in psychology did not wane and she began to question how the designs she was creating impacted on the people using them.

Anna volunteered for the Samaritans during this time and became a team leader and assistant trainer. This experience enabled her to train as a person-centred counsellor.

Anna volunteered for Cruse Bereavement Care as a support worker, supervisor and assistant trainer and counselled at a women's centre before setting up in private practice.

Anna's dream of studying psychology was never far from her mind and she decided to leave the world of engineering behind and follow her passion. She enrolled on a psychology course and graduated with a first-class honours degree which enabled her to continue on to postgraduate study.

Anna's doctoral research was in intersectionality and the lived experience of non-heterosexual British South Asian women. Through their narratives, she explored identity and identity processes that the women employed in order to understand their experience of being British, of South Asian descent and non-heterosexual. Anna also examined their experiences of minority stress and how these experiences impacted on their mental health and wellbeing.

Protective factors were also identified in terms of risk and resilience. In her research, Anna was also interested in their experience of mental health provisions and barriers to seeking help.

Anna therefore has a special interest in minority stress theory and identity process theory which form the basis of her theoretical approach.

Anna has taught on both the level 3 certificate and level 4 Diploma courses for person-centred counselling theory and practice.

Furthermore, she currently contributes to the individual differences and social psychology modules at the University of Huddersfield.

In the past Anna has contributed to the qualitative research methods module also at the University of Huddersfield.

Anna is a keen runner and ran her first marathon in 2018 and has relatively recently discovered a love of yoga which she finds beneficial for her running and mind/body connection. She loves to write poetry and prose. She writes from her heart as it appears in her mind. Anna is currently studying to become a mindfulness practitioner.