Beck Harrison

Beck graduated from the University of Leicester with a BA in English and took a further year of study at the University of Newcastle to pursue a career as a journalist. As part of their study, they were required to create two documentaries, and they reached out to Hart Gables, an LGBT+ charity in Hartlepool.

When Beck joined Hart Gables, they wrote their sexuality down for the first time. After forming relationships with other attendees, they created two short documentaries on the lives of trans people in the town. They were awarded a Distinction in MA Media and Journalism and began looking for a work opportunity.

Beck took a copywriting position with an IT company in Gateshead, and started writing for a local blog on the subjects of sex and consent. Beck then made the decision to pursue further training outside of journalism. They had experienced joy and connection in their relationships with other LGBT+ folk at Hart Gables and wanted to pursue additional opportunities.

Beck began taking some sexual health training in Newcastle, and, after a positive experience with their own counsellor, began a Level 2 in Counselling. Beck found the experience overwhelmingly positive, and felt passionately about the power that therapy could have in supporting people in navigating challenges. After progressing to, and qualifying with a Level 3 in Counselling, they decided to pursue further study to become a therapist.

During this time, Beck began to accept and celebrate their queerness, as well as their polyamorous relationship orientation. Wanting to connect with more non-monogamous folk, they founded Non-monogamy Newcastle, a social and support group for people who were non-monogamous, or considering non-monogamy.

The group was incredibly popular and created a space for a community in the city where there had not been one before. Beck eventually established a committee to help run the group, and ran two events a month; a social, and a discussion group. After a couple of years, Beck decided to hand the group to the committee so that they could focus on further study.

Beck then started training with CICS, and began their Diploma in Clinical Sexology, Psychosexual Therapy and Relationship Therapy. The course combined their love of therapy and their passion for sex education, and their desire to support other LGBT+ and non-monogamous folk. After qualifying, they began working in private practice with these marginalised communities.

At this time, Beck began exploring their gender identity with their therapist. In these conversations Beck realised that they had never resonated with a gender, and after considering and reflecting on their experience started to identify as agender. In finding this label, their experience made sense to them in a way it had never made sense before.

Post qualification, Beck continued collaborating with CICS, helping to create teaching materials and learning resources, and was invited to join the teaching team in 2020, firstly as a Co-Tutor on the Diploma in Clinical Sexology and Relationship Therapy programme and then as Lead Tutor for GSRD, teaching CICS students their Gender and Sexuality, and Relationship Diversity modules. Beck created new lesson plans for these modules, bringing together resources, tools and techniques based on their experience working with GSRD clients and they remain in this role to date.

Since teaching for CICS Beck has founded a Trans and Enby focus group, bringing together therapists that work with gender non-conforming people to discuss ways of working and resources that could better support this client group. This group has evolved and is now focused on creating a resource for therapists on improving sexual wellbeing and pleasure for gender non-conforming folk.

Today, Beck continues to work in private practice, and as the GSRD Lead Tutor for CICS, helping students develop the skills to work with gender, sexuality and relationship diverse clients.

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