Gay affirmative psychotherapy
Encyclopedia
Gay affirmative psychotherapy is a form of psychotherapy
for gay and lesbian clients which encourages them to accept their sexual orientation, and does not attempt to change them to heterosexual, or to eliminate or diminish same-sex desires and behaviors. The American Psychological Association
(APA) offers guidelines and materials for gay affirmative psychotherapy. Affirmative psychotherapy states that homosexuality or bisexuality is not a mental illness. In fact, embracing and affirming gay identity can be a key component to recovery from other mental illnesses or substance abuse. There are a number of individuals for whom neither gay-affirmative therapy nor conversion therapy might be appropriate, however. Clients whose religious beliefs teach against homosexual behavior may require some other method of integration of their conflicting religious and sexual selves.
, current guidelines instead encourage psychotherapists to assist patients in overcoming the stigma of homosexuality rather than the sexual orientation. Because some mental health professionals are unfamiliar with the social difficulties of the coming out
process, particular to other factors such as age, race, ethnicity, or religious affiliation, they are encouraged by the APA to learn more about how gay, lesbian, and bisexual clients face discrimination in its various forms. Many gays and lesbians are rejected from their own families and form their own familial relationships and support systems that may also be unfamiliar to mental health professionals, who are encouraged to take into account the diversity of extended relationships in lieu of family. For some clients, acting on same-sex attraction
may not be fulfilling solutions as it may conflict with their religious beliefs; if embracing one's sexuality is seen as more problematic then understanding these desires as simply not acting on them, celibacy
and even changing churches are alternative courses of treatment.
Joseph Nicolosi
writes, 'Clients who seek gay-affirming therapy tend to emphasize a sexual morality that sees the individual as his own autonomous source of moral truth. This is the “ethic of autonomy,” which envisions sex as being moral as long as it is consensual.' http://www.stolaf.edu/people/huff/classes/Psych130F2010/LabDocuments/SpitzerCommentary.pdf
/SPD) summarized the professional consensus as indicating that homosexuality is no illness, and that conversion therapy is dangerous and doesn't help homosexual people. Voluntary changes to sexual orientation
are not an option, according to the administration's answer to parliamentary questioning. The German government also made the point that Gay Affirmative Psychotherapy can help clients.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a general term referring to any form of therapeutic interaction or treatment contracted between a trained professional and a client or patient; family, couple or group...
for gay and lesbian clients which encourages them to accept their sexual orientation, and does not attempt to change them to heterosexual, or to eliminate or diminish same-sex desires and behaviors. The American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
(APA) offers guidelines and materials for gay affirmative psychotherapy. Affirmative psychotherapy states that homosexuality or bisexuality is not a mental illness. In fact, embracing and affirming gay identity can be a key component to recovery from other mental illnesses or substance abuse. There are a number of individuals for whom neither gay-affirmative therapy nor conversion therapy might be appropriate, however. Clients whose religious beliefs teach against homosexual behavior may require some other method of integration of their conflicting religious and sexual selves.
Guidelines
Countering psychiatry over the past hundred years that saw homosexuality to be a mental illnessMental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
, current guidelines instead encourage psychotherapists to assist patients in overcoming the stigma of homosexuality rather than the sexual orientation. Because some mental health professionals are unfamiliar with the social difficulties of the coming out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
process, particular to other factors such as age, race, ethnicity, or religious affiliation, they are encouraged by the APA to learn more about how gay, lesbian, and bisexual clients face discrimination in its various forms. Many gays and lesbians are rejected from their own families and form their own familial relationships and support systems that may also be unfamiliar to mental health professionals, who are encouraged to take into account the diversity of extended relationships in lieu of family. For some clients, acting on same-sex attraction
Same-sex attraction
Same-sex attraction is a term occasionally used instead of the more common term homosexuality to refer to a person's feelings of sexual attraction toward members of the same gender identity....
may not be fulfilling solutions as it may conflict with their religious beliefs; if embracing one's sexuality is seen as more problematic then understanding these desires as simply not acting on them, celibacy
Celibacy
Celibacy is a personal commitment to avoiding sexual relations, in particular a vow from marriage. Typically celibacy involves avoiding all romantic relationships of any kind. An individual may choose celibacy for religious reasons, such as is the case for priests in some religions, for reasons of...
and even changing churches are alternative courses of treatment.
Joseph Nicolosi
Joseph Nicolosi
Joseph Nicolosi is an American clinical psychologist, founder and director of the Thomas Aquinas Psychological Clinic, in Encino, California, and a past-president of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality...
writes, 'Clients who seek gay-affirming therapy tend to emphasize a sexual morality that sees the individual as his own autonomous source of moral truth. This is the “ethic of autonomy,” which envisions sex as being moral as long as it is consensual.' http://www.stolaf.edu/people/huff/classes/Psych130F2010/LabDocuments/SpitzerCommentary.pdf
German government action
In March 2008, the German federal government (CDUChristian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
/SPD) summarized the professional consensus as indicating that homosexuality is no illness, and that conversion therapy is dangerous and doesn't help homosexual people. Voluntary changes to sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
are not an option, according to the administration's answer to parliamentary questioning. The German government also made the point that Gay Affirmative Psychotherapy can help clients.
Literature
- Adelman, M. (1990). Stigma, gay lifestyles, and adjustment to aging: A study of later-life gay men and lesbians. Journal of Homosexuality, 20(3-4), 7-32.
- Allen, M., & Burrell, N. (1996). Comparing the impact of homosexual and heterosexual parents on children: Meta-analysis of existing research. Journal of Homosexuality, 32(2), 19-35.
- Allison, K., Crawford, I., Echemendia, R., Robinson, L., Knepp, D. (1994). Human diversity and professional competence: Training in clinical and counseling psychology revisited. American Psychologist, 49, 792-796.
- American Psychological AssociationAmerican Psychological AssociationThe American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
. (1998). Appropriate therapeutic responses to sexual orientation in the proceedings of the American Psychological Association, Incorporated, for the legislative year 1997. American Psychologist, 53(8), 882-939. - Browning, C. (1987). Therapeutic issues and intervention strategies with young adult lesbian clients: A developmental approach. Journal of Homosexuality, 14(1/2), 45-52.
- Buhrke, R. (1989). Female student perspectives on training in lesbian and gay issues. Counseling Psychologist, 17, 629-636.
- Cabaj, R., & Klinger, R. (1996). Psychotherapeutic interventions with lesbian and gay couples. In R. Cabaj & T. Stein (Eds.), Textbook of homosexuality and mental health (pp. 485-502). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.
- Canadian Psychological Association. (1995). Canadian code of ethics for psychologists. [On-line]. Available: http://www.cycor.ca/Psych/ethics/html
- Journal of Gay & Lesbian Psychotherapy, Homosexuality and Psychoanalysis revisited, 2002, 6. ed., Nr. 1
- Richard IsayRichard IsayDr. Richard Isay is a professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and a faculty member of the Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research....
, (1993). Schwul sein. Die psychologische Entwicklung des Homosexuellen. München: Piper. ISBN 3492116833 (Original 1989: Being homosexual. Gay men and their development. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.) - Udo Rauchfleisch, (2002). Gleich und doch anders: Psychotherapie und Beratung von Lesben, Schwulen, Bisexuellen und ihren Angehörigen. Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta. ISBN 360894236X
- Kathleen Ritter and Anthony Terndrup, (2002). Handbook of Affirmative Psychotherapy with Lesbians and Gay Men. New York: Guilford. ISBN 1572307145