Introducg LGBTQ psychology (Chapter 1) - Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer Psychology

Contents:

• 15 - GAY-AFFIRMATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY REAL TIME (A FIRST INTERVIEW)
• AFFIRMATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY WH GAY CLIENTS
• ISSU PSYCHOTHERAPY WH LBIAN AND GAY MEN: A SURVEY OF PSYCHOLOGISTS

15 - GAY-AFFIRMATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY REAL TIME (A FIRST INTERVIEW)

We lnched one of the natn’s first graduate psychology specializatns voted to affirmative psychology for lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, queer, qutng, tersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) dividuals over 10 years ago.

G., both stutnalized and ternalized homo/bi/transphobia) that n be seen as unrlyg for prsn, anxiety, substance abe, unsafe sex, and other psychic challeng faced by many LGBT dividuals. Lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) people seek psychotherapy at high rat, and the importance of providg culturally appropriate and LGBT-affirmative psychotherapy has been wily acknowledged. LGBT+: you mt have seen the ialism referred to sexual diversi such as LGBTIAQ+, LGTBIQ+, LGBTIQA+… In this article, we will refer to all possible inti as LGBT+ (Lbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transgenr people and any other mory sexual inty.

AFFIRMATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY WH GAY CLIENTS

LGBT+ Affirmative Psychology is the psychology applied to the specific difficulti affectg the mental health of people wh sexual and genr diversy (this means lbian women, gay men, bisexual people, transgenr people, and all those clud the spectm of queer diversy). Tradnally, nversn therapi aim to change a person’s sexual orientatn om a non-normative one (normally homosexual) to what they nsir to be “natural” or “normal”: heterosexual. This event occurred 1973, when the Amerin Psychiatric Associatn (APA) removed Homosexualy om the Diagnostic and Statistil Manual of Mental Disorrs (DSM).

ISSU PSYCHOTHERAPY WH LBIAN AND GAY MEN: A SURVEY OF PSYCHOLOGISTS

Let not fet that before nsirg homosexualy a disease, we me om long perds (centuri) which was nceived as somethg worse, if possible, and servg of all kds of harassment (persecutn, extortn, ath sentenc, etc. It is then, om the whdrawal of homosexualy om psychiatric nosologi, when good practice guil are signed to addrs the mental health of people belongg to sexual mori. It also clus the nigratn of mory sexuali, the fear of stigma, the unwillgns to reveal onelf as one is and the acceptance of social stereotyp around the llective (fn adapted om the term “ternalized homophobia”, om Herek et al.

Some exampl of the great variety that we fd among the differential experienc are: adoptn procs for homoparental upl, surrogacy, enterg to a sexual transn procs, learng to nceive sexual relatnships as an tersex person, livg wh HIV, havg to mata lims wh a fay that do not accept our ndn, beg part of LGBT+ activist groups, experimentg wh open romantic relatnships, etc. If you are a gay, lbian, bisexual, transgenr person, or wh any other non heterocisnormative inty, and you are gog through some difficulty your life that is related to , you n e to our centre. Jt this week, my mom told me that one of her clost iends, a iend wh whom she’s had for nearly 40 years and fact, is like an nt to me and someone that I’ve loved—who I still love—said that God is punishg my mom for havg a gay son.

And earlier this week, a lleague, who is Clil Director at a theraptic boardg school, lled me to tell me about recent homophobic bullyg that they’d like to addrs.

Someone else I know told me about a recent nversatn they overheard where a father said that if his son were to e out as gay, he would “smack the sh*t out of him" bee beg gay wouldn't be tolerated his hoe. It also ma me realize that although I n’t change anyone’s beliefs, I n share my experience, strength, and hope to help shift limed generatnal iology and challenge systemic cultural and relig homophobia.

Specifilly for gay men, bee I’m a gay man who specializ workg wh gay men, ’s important to she a light on the trma and toxic shame that is often ternalized. While the LGBTQ+ muny has ma tremendo progrs, there’s still eper healg work for to do around the effects of external homophobia unnscly seared to our psych.

Most young gay men, even when they have affirmg parents, aren’t moled what ’s like to grow up wh an ner sense of self-acceptance for who they are as an LGBTQ+ person. Happy pri month everyone, I wanted to wre an article that will troduce and overview LGBTQI+ Affirmative Therapy (formally referred to gay affirmative therapy however I don’t feel this is reprentative for all inti 2022, so I will refer to this as LGBTQI+, or simply affirmative therapy). Isay said that rpect is central to his work wh LGBTQI+ clients and is found on the belief that homosexualy is normal, and simply an acceptable and natural variatn on human sexualy.