Queer Minds

The realm of psychology and therapy has called a need for queer friendly spaces that addresses the various needs of the queer community - and that is where Katy Lees delivers insight into how these spaces look. At first, her therapy interview format was not my favorite - but after I read a few essays I cannot deny the effectiveness of understanding the individual’s needs through their interview non-fiction delivery. Katy Lee opens each chapter with insight into specific queer struggles, journal review, and an introduction to the individual we are being introduced to. I appreciated at the end of her conclusions that readers are introduced to the individual’s published works and social media spaces that we can learn more about their relevant work and information. A remarkable collaborative effort that truly shines queer lives and how spaces are maturing and still need to mature in other areas to address the complexity of socioeconomic issues that the Queer community faces.The different approaches to therapy to address issues in the queer community begins with a trauma-informed space. Read this if you are interested in what it means to be properly trained in trauma informed care and how that radically helps both a community effort and therapy effort to aid the queer community for a stronger resilient future. This is why the interview style is so effective in Lee’s writing. The readers are given a dual perspective of writer and interviewee and how each aspect of the queer daily struggles are viewed from the therapist and person’s point of view. Please read this - this is truly a remarkable way to approach queer studies to advance the quality of queer lives.As a lesbian and a gamer, I was absolutely in love with the segment we are introduced to queer gaming. Queer gaming is therapeutic but at the same time the heteronormative values within the sphere of gaming can impact the queer psyche. We are really given an introspective look as to what that means. I found myself agreeing with the way World of Warcraft creates a gateway into MMO’s (massively-multiplayer online game) and roleplaying games that really shapes the way we challenge gender norms and other self-actualization questions. There is something for every queer to resonate with in this book and I promise you this is very reflective. Beyond a pleasure to read and almost would love to see an expansion that looks into queer therapy and the psychology of gaming. Thank you Netgalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishing for an advanced digital copy.Read more recommendations, reviews, and ARC insights at /

Queer Minds includes interviews with several LGBTQ+ people connected to the healing community; most (but not all) are mental health practitioners and all are neurally atypical queer folk navigating the intersections of belonging to underserved and increasingly persecuted communities. Lees and her cohorts point out that there is room for healing and joy as well as tragedy, and they all pursue different, frequently complementary, means of facilitating clients’ personal journeys. I found it by turns joyous and challenging, even tragic, but always helpful and fascinating.Lees is a UK practitioner and most of the people she interviews are also in the UK (there is one US practitioner and one Canadian interviewee), so many of the specific institutional challenges (healthcare, social care, legal concerns) are UK-centered, but there are international resources and many of the challenges are common throughout the world.I think this book would be helpful not only for people dealing with the challenges discussed but also for those who have clients, patients, friends or other loved ones who are in these communities as well as anyone interested in learning more and increasing their empathy.

A helpful book with excellent interviews with queer specialists and those who are entitled to speak about being queer and mental health.The range of topics and the representation are great.I liked the open, hopeful and realistic conversations and the insights hidden in them.I am glad this book exists for we need to support marginalised, and multiple marginalised people.

This book is an absolute triumph. I didn’t have any expectations before reading this as I have never read anything else by the author but I was blown away by the content of this book.The book is a collection of interviews conducted by Katy with friends, colleagues and people within the Queer commuinity about their experiences of therapy and the mental health system and how being Queer affected their treatment.The way in which each chapter is set out is perfect. Each chapter starts off with a bio of the interviewee, then a transcript of the interview and finished with Katy’s closing thoughts on the interview. The interviews are conducted are very intriguring and interesting but also educational. I myself am part of the Queer community but I learned new terminology which I had never come across before such as allocishet and metamour.I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking at attending therapy, especially anyone who is within the Queer commuinity but also just the Queer community/Allies in general. I found myself drawing on my own experiences and I could see myself in some of the interviewees.An excellent book and is will definitely be looking jnto Katy’s other books.Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the Advanced Review Copy of this book. The book is currently scheduled to be released on the 21st October 2025.

The topic is super important - mental health in the queer community (and in general) needs more advocacy and support. I think I expected this to be more about ways mental health intersects with queerness and how to implement advocacy and therapy with queer people in mind. This book focuses instead on individual experiences of queer people and mental health, which is still important!I thought I’d love the interview format, but it ended up reading like a transcript and was less enjoyable that way. Perhaps this could work well as an audiobook or podcast?Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

This book is a fantastic academic piece. From the description I had hoped it would be a little bit more of a guide and not only interviews. While the interviews were excellent, it wasn’t what I expected.I am grateful that this book exists and I think it will help a lot of people/

Katy Lees is a queer, non-binary, person-centred therapist, primarily working with trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming clients. They have written on mental health, sexuality, relationship styles and trans life for publications such as Dirge Magazine, Do Some Damage, and The Body Love Box and have appeared on podcasts such as Friend of Marilyn and the Trans Variety Hour. Katy is based in Hartlepool, UK.