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APA Psychotherapy Training Videos are intended solely for educational purposes for mental health professionals. Viewers are expected to treat confidential material found herein according to strict professional guidelines. Unauthorized viewing is prohibited.
Affirming therapy with gay, lesbian, and bisexual clients involves acknowledging where a client stands in his or her development and encouraging healthy growth. Affirming does not simply mean acceptance—challenging the client may be part of the therapy—but is rather a validation of the client's experiences and lesbian, gay, or bisexual identity. Research has shown that one of the most important aspects of therapy with lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients is the therapist's attitude, and an affirming approach has been shown to result in successful therapy. Dr. Perez outlines two key aspects to his approach to working with lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients in the coming-out process: learning the client's story and discerning a support system. Listening to the client's story involves learning about his or her experiences of life, coming out, and any current concerns. Next, the therapist helps the client discern his or her support system: friends and family who support and accept the client. If the client does not have a support system, the therapist should offer ways to develop a network of support. This might involve counseling on communication skills or recommending involvement in lesbian, gay, and bisexual organizations or groups. An overriding issue in therapy with gay, lesbian, and bisexual clients is the effect of homophobia and heterosexism on the client. Therapists should learn as much as they can about these phenomena, as experiences of stigma and prejudice will very often be central to the concerns of the client. In addition, a client may or may not be out (i.e., having revealed his or her true sexual orientation to those around them) or may be partially out (may have come out to some close friends or family). A client's social roles will be determined in part by the extent to which they have come out. Most therapists will work with lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients during their careers. Dr. Perez recommends reading the literature on affirming therapy and working in general with lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients. He also recommends obtaining supervision and consultation on working with this population. |
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