Highlights of the specific mental health needs among gay and bisexual 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?
* 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.
SHOULD GAY MEN START THERAPY?
Billboard's hottt new artist gets real about therapy and gay men. * therapy for gay people *
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. 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.
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 *
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. 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.
ISSU PSYCHOTHERAPY WH LBIAN AND GAY MEN: A SURVEY OF PSYCHOLOGISTS
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. 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.
ISSU ARISG PSYCHOTHERAPY WH LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENR PATIENTS
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!