Oliver Ip

Oliver takes a trauma-informed, queer- and trans-affirming integrative approach using different therapeutic tools to meet his clients’ unique individual needs. At its core, Oliver’s approach brings together psychodynamic and narrative therapies to help his clients better know themselves, their emotions, and their needs. He believes we are fundamentally relational creatures and uses relational-cultural therapy to help his clients use their self awareness to develop the kinds of supportive relationships that we need to flourish. He also uses EMDR therapy for the treatment of acute and chronic/complex trauma.

Oliver specialises in supporting clients forming and exploring their identities. He has lived his life back and forth between the UK, HK, and the USA and like others from mixed cultural and geographical backgrounds (e.g. immigrants, TCKs, internationals) has spent much of his own life untangling the myriad—sometimes conflicting—identities that make up who he is. He is passionate about supporting those seeking to unpack the intertwined issues of belonging, transience, family, language, community, spirituality, and colonisation. This also extends to his passion for supporting LGBTQIA+ clients exploring gender and sexuality and how these identities connect with the rest who they are. His aim is to help clients build a sense of home in themselves and the world.

Oliver also specialises in issues around religious and spiritual trauma. His academic theological background and past pastoral work has exposed him to the inner workings of how religion affects us, for better or worse. He also completed a specialisation at Columbia University in the mental health experiences and needs of bi/pan/queer religious folks. Oliver helps clients recover from traumatic religious experiences/spaces including misogyny, spiritual abuse, high-control religion, homophobia, and purity culture. He helps them deconstruct and process harm, grieve what was lost, and find a path forward that gives them meaning while embracing all of who they are.