About Me

Kia ora, I’m Lee Grabarek (they/them), a transmasculine, queer, tauiwi counsellor based in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

I’m originally from the US, from a family of predominantly Korean and Polish descent. I grew up in a small, old mill town in Connecticut, surrounded by outdoor lovers and tenacious tenderhearts who taught me the quiet power of kindness and attentiveness. I later moved to Western Massachusetts, where I studied outdoor education before shifting my focus to gender and sociology at Hampshire College.

In 2013, I moved to Aotearoa New Zealand, spending nine years living and working in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. During that time, I worked across various rainbow and sexual health NGOs, developing and delivering education, advocacy, and peer support programmes. Through that mahi, I heard countless stories from rainbow people about the difficulty of finding affirming mental health support—and the transformative impact of connecting with counsellors and community who truly get it.

I moved to Ōtautahi in 2023 to complete my Master of Counselling at the University of Canterbury and to be closer to the landscapes that sustain me most.

My counselling practice is shaped by years of experience in rainbow health promotion, gender-affirming healthcare advocacy, and rainbow competency development. I work from a place of deep curiosity, always attuned to peoples’ strengths and exceptions, and committed to supporting folks nurture self-compassion. I believe that good things take time—and that taking time is one of the most radical acts of care we can offer ourselves.

I have an Bachelor of Arts concentrating in gender and sociology, a Masters in Counselling, and provisionally registered with New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC).

Outside of counselling, I work in health promotion. I am also a member of the NZAC Rainbow and Takatāpui Advisory Group.

When I’m not working, I’m an avid trail runner, enthusiastic cyclist, lifelong skier, and wannabe surfer.