“I started looking back and thinking ‘why is it I want to be a general therapist?’ I realised it's because there was still some internalised homophobia. And I thought ‘I need to fight against this. I'm not going down this avenue. Let's do something about that’.”

Overcoming shame & embracing who we are is a huge part of why Pride Month exists and it’s a topic I dive into with Dhiren Doshi-Smith (he/they), this week’s brilliant guest on ‘Pause. And Rewind…’. Dhiren is a counsellor, public speaker & model and was recently appointed as an ambassador for ADHD UK. He’s incredibly passionate about authenticity and his work centres this alongside neurodiversity, mental health & body image amongst other topics. Many of these close to my own heart so it was a real treat to delve into many of these during our chat as well as finding out more about Dhiren & his origin story…

Little Dhiren grew up in East Ham where his family had a shop & they were well known in the community. Dhiren describes his younger self as a ‘good Indian boy at school’ and ‘one of the geeks’ - he was quiet & reserved. He stayed that way until later in life when his mum sadly passed away and Dhiren fondly shares what he misses the most about her. It was then that he realised that life is too short and he started to address some of his shame.

Originally on a path towards a career in IT, a breakdown followed by a career break are what led to Dhiren pursuing his goal of becoming a therapist & where he found himself focusing more on inclusion. A great deal of this was shaped by his own experience too which he puts into action not just through his practice but also as a volunteer for various organisations including London Friend, Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline & QueerWell.

I could have chatted to Dhiren for hours. Other areas we cover include sex education, body confidnece, the importance of community, contentment, boundaries & how these days, Dhiren says, “I’m dancing for me.”

Please note | We cover some sensitive topics in this conversation around mental health, grief & more so please take care of yourself whilst listening.