Billboard's hottt new artist gets real about therapy and gay men.
Contents:
- IF YOU’RE GAY, SHOULD YOU SEE A GAY THERAPIST?
- SHOULD GAY MEN START THERAPY?
- 5 SURPRISG FACTS ABOUT GAY CONVERSN THERAPY
- ISSU PSYCHOTHERAPY WH LBIAN AND GAY MEN: A SURVEY OF PSYCHOLOGISTS
- ISSU ARISG PSYCHOTHERAPY WH LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENR PATIENTS
IF YOU’RE GAY, SHOULD YOU SEE A GAY THERAPIST?
Highlights of the specific mental health needs among gay and bisexual men. * therapy for gay people *
Although a person’s sexual or romantic orientatn or genr inty may not be a source of distrs, people who intify as lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, queer, qutng, asexual, or any other orientatn or genr inty may fd that the social stigma of livg as a mory is a source of strs or anxiety. Acrdg to a 2007 survey, stunts who intified as lbian, gay, bisexual, or transgenr were almost ten tim as likely to have experienced bullyg and victimizatn at school and more than twice as likely to have nsired suici as their heterosexual, non-transgenr classmat wh the prev year.
SHOULD GAY MEN START THERAPY?
* therapy for gay people *
Early edns of the Diagnostic and Statistil Manual (DSM) intified homosexualy as a mental disorr, until clil rearch monstrated sexual or romantic attractn to someone of the same genr is a normal, healthy, posive form of human sexualy. Mental health unselg and support groups that are sensive to the needs of gay and bisexual men n be pecially eful if you are g to terms wh your sexual orientatn or are experiencg prsn, anxiety, or other mental health problems.
While many gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex wh men may not seek re om a mental health provir bee of a fear of discrimatn or homophobia, is important to keep this as an optn and to fd a provir that is tstworthy and patible.
Addnally, a gay male therapist n spend time wh you talkg about shared gay muny norms, which n help you make cisns about what’s healthy for you and/or how you may want to modulate your behavr.
5 SURPRISG FACTS ABOUT GAY CONVERSN THERAPY
A look at the shockg and misguid history of gay nversn therapy to turn homosexuals straight. * therapy for gay people *
Over the years I’ve worked wh gay male clients, I’ve found some men rentful of me based on ems that are important wh our muny: my succs, what I look like, my wardrobe, or—more signifintly—their assumptns about who I am based on their own projectns. And fdg someone outsi of the gay muny who is fortable wh all aspects of a gay client’s life n be a profound and healg experience; I’ve often sent gay clients to non-gay therapists. And sce we don’t live isolatn, a straight therapist n brg a perspective to the table that a gay therapist might not—they n speak out of their experience as a parent, for example.
Even if a straight therapist has had few or no gay clients, they still might offer precisely what you need, and a rponse along the l of, “I haven’t had that many experienc, and maybe you’ll help me unrstand more” is actually pretty ial; you’ll both be engaged the procs.
ISSU PSYCHOTHERAPY WH LBIAN AND GAY MEN: A SURVEY OF PSYCHOLOGISTS
His latt mic vio for the sgle "Brown Rice" (off his new album, Servg Body) has been met wh a lot of attentn for s unflchg portrayal of mental health issu cludg body image, eatg disorrs, and substance abe among gay men plex relatnships. I’ve learned that beg an artist and beg gay don’t mean I have to be treated like sh, not by energy vampir wh victim plex, not by pervy people wh power, not by un-empathic straight people, not by anyone at all, really!
ISSU ARISG PSYCHOTHERAPY WH LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENR PATIENTS
Don't get ught up checkg for the lndry list of gay mons: whether your patient is reckls (like Brady) or hyper-nscient, our emotnal re is still searchg, still vulnerable, still lost a hall of mirrors, and you should be attuned to that whether we're stgglg wh meth addictn or jt tryg to navigate a difficult relatnship.
But mastream psychologists say the therapy is effective, uhil and often harmful, exacerbatg anxiety and self-hatred among those treated for what is not a mental 2013, two s volvg the therapy to nvert gay people to heterosexuals h the urts, wh one seekg to sue unselors who offer the therapy and the other seekg to fend are five thgs you need to know about the therapy and the current psychologists say nversn therapy don't workA diagnosis of major prsn do not evoke much rponse, eher a stigmatizg or supportive, om a person's social work, a study dited.