Mark Clarke

I'm currently taking on new clients.

Sessions are online by video, in English. I work with clients in the UK, Ireland, the EU/EEA and Switzerland.

Because I work across time zones, appointment times are wider than most practices — early mornings and evenings are usually available, which suits men whose work makes a standing daytime slot difficult.

Individual sessions are 50 minutes at £95. Your first booking covers two sessions; after that you book one at a time, or take a block at a reduced rate. Blocks are refundable for any sessions you don't use.

Before anything is booked, I offer a free 30-minute conversation — a chance to talk about what's brought you here and see whether we're a fit. You don't need to have it figured out beforehand.

Therapy for gay and bi men who look successful from the outside and exhausted from the inside.

My clients are usually the capable one — the person others rely on, who has never quite had somewhere to put their own weight down. Coming out later in life, or after a marriage. Being closeted in a senior or public-facing role. Loneliness that has nothing to do with how many people are around you. Family estrangement. Ageing, and how it lands. Sex, desire, and the things that are hardest to say out loud.

I work in the person-centred tradition, which means I don't arrive with a technique to apply to you. I follow what matters to you, at your pace — and I'll challenge you rather than simply agree. Most capable men have plenty of people who agree with them already. My practice is trauma-informed, so where something older is sitting underneath what brought you here, there's room for that too.

I'm Mark Clarke, a BACP-registered counsellor with a First-Class BSc (Hons) in counselling. I run a small online practice for gay and bi men, working in English with clients across the UK, Ireland, the EU/EEA and Switzerland.

There is good free counselling available through LGBTQ+ charities, and it does excellent work. What it usually can't offer is the same counsellor every session, no cap on how long you work for, no waiting list, and no file held within an organisation. If those things matter to you, that's what this is.

If you'd like to find out whether we're a fit, I offer a free thirty-minute conversation first. You don't need to have anything figured out beforehand.

How sessions work

Sessions are 50 minutes, held privately by video. You don't need an app or an account — just a link I send you. Nothing is recorded, and I keep brief, factual notes only.

Starting

We begin with a free thirty-minute conversation. No obligation, and no pressure to book afterwards. If we go ahead, your first booking covers two sessions — one is rarely enough to know whether the work is right for you, and two gives it a fair start. After that you book one session at a time, or take a block at a reduced rate if you'd rather commit to a longer piece of work. Unused sessions in a block are refunded in full if you decide to stop.

What to expect from me

I won't rush you toward a goal, and I won't hand you a worksheet. I'll listen closely, ask about the things that seem to matter, and say what I notice — including when it's uncomfortable. You set the direction; I'll stay with you in it.

Privacy

Discretion is absolute. If you're not out, or only partly out, tell me how it's safe to contact you and I'll follow it exactly — including what appears in the subject line of an email. Everything is stored securely, and I'm registered with the ICO as a data controller.

Practicalities

Appointment times include early mornings and evenings. I reply to enquiries within two working days. Sessions are £95, taken at the time of booking.

This is not a crisis service. If you're at risk of harming yourself or someone else, please contact 999, 111, your GP, or Samaritans free on 116 123, day or night.

Before we start

The first conversation is free. Thirty minutes, by video, with no obligation. We talk about what's brought you here and how I work, and we both get a sense of whether this is a fit. You don't need to have anything worked out beforehand.

There's no assessment, no forms to fill in, and no charge for this.

If we decide to go ahead

Before your first paid session I'll send you a short agreement and an intake form. It takes about fifteen minutes and covers the practical things — how I hold confidentiality, how to contact you safely, who to reach if I'm ever seriously worried about you. Doing it beforehand means we don't spend your first session on admin.

Your first booking covers two sessions

One session is rarely enough to know whether the work is right for you. Two gives it a fair start. So the first booking is £190, covering both. After that you book one session at a time at £95, or take a block at a lower rate.

The first session itself

Fifty minutes, by video. Nothing is recorded. There's no script — I'll ask what brought you here now rather than a year ago, and we go from there. Some men arrive knowing exactly what they want to say. Others don't, and that's fine.

If you need to rearrange

For your first session, 24 hours' notice is fine. From the second session onwards I ask for 48.

If you need to be seen sooner

I keep some short-notice appointments available from the next day onwards, at £140. This isn't a crisis service — if you're at risk of harm, please contact 999, 111, your GP, or Samaritans free on 116 123.