About Us

Michele Pavey is a certified life coach, having had a complete career change in her late 50s. Whilst in her former role at the University of East Anglia, she was co-chair of Staff Pride for a number of years, working to ensure that the needs and concerns of LGBTQ+ staff were heard and acted upon as appropriate and that LGBTQ+ felt they had a voice. Michele is passionate about people being able to live their best, most authentic lives. Through her coaching, she has helped many people tap into their inner strength to tackle challenges, make difficult decisions or to find the path they really want to take in life. She lives in Norwich and is in a long-term relationship with her partner Kate.

B.J. Woodstein is a counsellor and writer. Her books include We’re Here!: A Practical Guide to Becoming an LGBTQ+ Parent (Praeclarus Press, 2022), and she has published many articles about LGBTQ+ topics, including LGBTQ+ relationships, parenting and literature. B.J. has a variety of certificates in counselling, as well as a postgraduate certificate in sexology, and has used her counselling skills over the years as a doula, breastfeeding/chestfeeding counsellor and lactation consultant, among other areas. She has a PhD in translation studies, which is a field within literature, and has a deep knowledge of literature that she brings to her bibliotherapy sessions. She has run coming-out workshops and writing workshops for LGBTQ+ people. B.J. lives with her wife and their children in Norwich.

Why LGBTQ+?

What do we mean by LGBTQ+?

Under our queer umbrella, we include lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, trans, non-binary, intersex, two-spirit, questioning, poly, kinky, asexual, aromantic, gender-fluid, gender-non-conforming, ethically non-monogamous, and anyone else who identifies as queer in some way. Apologies if we haven’t included your term here.

We like to use “queer” as a helpful overarching term, but we will use whatever terms and pronouns or clients prefer for themselves.

Both of us are part of the LGBTQ+ community ourselves. We felt that LGBTQ+ folks are underserved when it comes to coaching and counselling, and that there are particular times or situations when LGBTQ+ people would benefit from the support and knowledge of other LGBTQ+ people.

For example, common concerns among our fellow queers include, but are not limited to: coming out, issues with friends or relatives, addiction, unhealthy or abusive relationships, being out at work and finding a workplace with values that suit us, starting a family, financial issues, grief, handling discrimination and prejudice, mental health worries, changing identities, or transforming relationship types.

Sometimes it can make a huge difference to see a professional and not have to worry about whether you will be accepted, seen and respected for who you are.

We both see non-LGBTQ+ clients as well, and absolutely provide the same level of respect and service.

Affordable, Confidential Sessions Tailored to Your Needs

Counselling

Counselling is a process of exploring emotional, psychological, professional or other personal issues or challenges. I provide a safe, non-judgmental, confidential space and offer you support as you work through your concerns and move forward in your life. The aims are for you to grow as a person, to more deeply understand your experiences, feelings, and thoughts, and to feel empowered to be fully yourself.

There are many different approaches to therapy (such as psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioural therapy or humanistic), and I integrate ideas and methods from a variety of them in order to tailor my support for each individual client.

Every session is 50 minutes long. While some clients may only want a single session, others may find that they would like a series of regular sessions in order to have the time and space they need to go in depth into the challenges they are facing.

Coaching

Life coaching is a supportive process that empowers individuals to maximise their personal and professional potential. We all have goals we want to reach, challenges we’re striving to overcome and times when we feel stuck. Partnering with a coach can change your life, setting you on a path to greater personal and professional fulfilment.

For clients who identify as queer or LGBTQ+, coaching offers a safe, affirming space to explore unique challenges and opportunities that may arise from your identity and experiences. Whether navigating life transitions, setting healthy boundaries, or achieving specific life goals, coaching provides a supportive, judgement-free environment where you can be authentically yourself. Together, we’ll celebrate your strengths, address whatever might be holding you back, and work towards creating a life that feels both purposeful and fulfilling to you.

Coaching is for anyone ready to move forward, take action to reach their potential, and live life to the full.

Bibliotherapy

Bibliotherapy is a specialised therapeutic approach that employs literature (and, in some cases, even TV shows, films, music or podcasts) as a method of better understanding yourself and your situation.

Your first session of bibliotherapy with me is much like a typical booking-in session for any form of talking therapy. What is different is that after our discussion, I provide you with an individualised list of suggested readings, viewings or listenings, which can help you reflect on and gain insight into your own situation.

You can choose whether to return for one or more follow-up sessions to discuss what you have read, watched and listened to and how it has fostered new thoughts in you; if you do, you will then be provided with additional texts to explore.

As with counselling, a bibliotherapy session lasts for 50 minutes.

Wayfinder is an LGBTQ+-focused coaching, counselling and bibliotherapy service based in Norwich, England, and online. We offer a supportive, tailored approach so you can feel empowered and can achieve your potential.

Our website is currently under construction, so please bear with us. In the meantime, if you'd like to book an appointment or contact us, please write to info@queerwayfinder.com. Thank you!