As a native-born Scotsman, I have travelled a lot when younger seeking a place to call home before settling in Sydney. Being openly gay and accepted in the early 1980’s in Glasgow was less than safe, more secretive, and underground than being openly free to be myself. Moving to other cities and countries was about finding myself and acceptance and freedom to be me.
My studies and working life began in psychiatric nursing, then going on to work with cancer patients and their families in Oncology, and Bone Marrow Transplant in the 1980s and 90s, shaping a grounded, compassionate approach to working with complexity, vulnerability, and change.
Arriving in Sydney I worked in hospitals and NGO’s while undertaking further studies to become a psychotherapist. It was satisfying and exciting to volunteer with the gay and lesbian counselling service and other community support programs, as a platform for learning my craft.
This work continues today through my focused work with gay men and gay couples, supporting individuals and relationships with sensitivity, respect, and lived understanding.
How I Work
We need to find the courage to say no to the things and people that are not serving us if we want to rediscover ourselves and live our lives with authenticity.
– Barbara DeAngelis
I work as an existentially informed therapist, which means I focus on your real, lived experience rather than labels or diagnoses. I draw on different therapeutic approaches, the foundation of my work is holistic and strongly influenced by existential philosophy. I adapt my work to suit you. Sessions are a collaborative conversation where you can speak openly about what’s going on in your life, at your own pace, in a space that feels safe and respectful.
At its heart, my work is about helping you make sense of where you are and how you want to move forward. Life can feel confusing, uncertain, or stuck at times, and therapy offers a chance to slow things down, notice patterns, and reconnect with what matters to you. The relationship we build is central, it’s through feeling heard, understood, and supported that clarity and meaningful change become possible.
At its core, existential therapy is concerned with how we live our lives and being gay is no different. My approach supports you to explore how you are living, and whether it aligns with what matters most to you. Life often involves uncertainty, and many of us find ourselves navigating tensions, change, and difficult choices.
Working With Gay Men
For many gay men, therapy is about having a space where they don’t need to explain or defend who they are. My work with gay men acknowledges the impact of those crucial life experiences that may not always have been safe or affirmed. I understand how early experiences, societal expectations, and unspoken pressures can shape how gay men relate to themselves and others.
Therapy offers a confidential space to explore questions around identity, intimacy, purpose, and direction, without judgement or pressure to fit a particular narrative. Many gay men seek a therapist who feels relatable, grounded, and able to sit with complexity. My role is to help you speak honestly, understand yourself more deeply, and make choices that feel authentic and aligned with how you want to live.
Working With Gay Couples
Working with gay couples involves understanding both the shared dynamics of being in a same-sex relationship and the unique ways and interactions when two individuals come together. My approach focuses on what’s happening between you, how you communicate, handle conflict, negotiate intimacy, and make meaning together. I pay close attention to patterns that repeat, areas where distance or misunderstanding has grown, and the emotional needs underneath conflict.
Gay couples often want a therapist who understands relationship structures, sexual agreements, power dynamics, and the realities of living as a couple in a world that may not always reflect or support them. Therapy offers a space to hear each other more clearly, and work toward greater connection, trust, and mutual understanding, in a way that fits your relationship, not someone else’s expectations.
Qualifications
- Doctor of Professional Studies in Psychotherapy and Counselling (Middlesex University, London)
- Master of Counselling (Western Sydney University)
- Graduate Diploma Individual Psychotherapy and Relationship Therapy (Jansen Newman Institute, Sydney)
- Bachelor of Counselling and Human Change (Jansen Newman Institute, Sydney)
- Bachelor of Nursing (Sydney University)
Professional Memberships
I am bound by the code of ethics and professional conduct procedures of my registering bodies.
I am a Clinical Member and Accredited Supervisor of Psychotherapists and Counsellors Federation of Australia (PACFA) Reg No 20627
