Counselling
GALZ as an association of and for LGBTI communities, promotes LGBTIQ Human rights, good health, and mental and psychological wellbeing of sexual minorities in Zimbabwe and other countries.
GALZ offers a wide variety of services and has developed various psychosocial and general health guidelines to ensure that LGBTIQ receive comprehensive and standard medical treatment and justice without stigma and discrimination.
The Counselling and Psychosocial support unit works closely with the Integration and Sustainability Unit to reach members via outreach activities and affinity groups, and also assists in the collection of violations data that informs material used by the Advocacy unit to lobby for the better treatment and respect for rights of LGBTI persons.
Our Goals delivered via the Counselling and Psychosocial support unit include to:
- Provide enhanced counselling therapies & psychosocial support
- Empower marginalized sexual minorities to live healthy lives
- Engage the friends, families, allies and other support systems of LGBTIQ persons to ensure their emotional and physical safety in various spaces
- Promote the increase & uptake of STI and HIV prevention, management and treatment services
- Increase knowledge and access of sexual and reproductive health to the LGBTIQ community
- Encourage formation & sustainability of peer support groups within the community
- Manage client needs holistically including making referrals to resource partners and addressing needs via digital means where possible
Forms of therapy offered:
- Individual face-to-face Counselling
- Couple Counselling
- Family Counselling
- Group Counselling
- Grief counselling
- On-going Supportive Counselling
- Telephone/Skype Counselling
- Counselling Visits
- Affirmative Counselling
- Sexual Identity Therapy
- Suicide Therapy
- Pre/Post-test Counselling
- Initiation & Adherence Therapy
- Sexual Reproductive Health Counselling
- Substance Abuse therapy
- Disclosure Therapy
- Telephone Counselling
- Creative Art Counselling
Some of the achievements so far include:
- Creation of National KP Manual to include LGBTQI psychosocial well-being
- Development of one of a kind counselling systems and manual that speaks to LGBTIQ psychosocial well being
- Establishment of psychosocial support services in 5 sites across the country
- Report on LGBTIQ well-being during year 1 of the Covid-19 pandemic
- GALZ was the first human rights group in Zimbabwe to start HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns in the early 1990s. Our exhibition at the 1995 Book Fair was in fact carrying information on positive living and safe sex, which was considered controversial at the time.
To get in touch with our Counsellors, you can contact:
Harare 0783592138
Bulawayo 0779585836
Mutare 0785211036
Masvingo 0783073042
Or the Hotline 0772210836
See other partner resources on our Mental Health page