WASHINGTON-- At its February 25-27 meeting, the Council of Representatives of the American Psychological Association adopted Guidelines for Psychotherapy with Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Clients. The guidelines, which were reviewed and supported by approximately 15 APA boards and governance groups and passed the APA Council nearly unanimously, are designed to provide advice and information for mental health providers but do not mandate treatment standards for psychotherapy with gay, lesbian and bisexual people. Practice guidelines differ from practice standards in that standards are mandatory and are often accompanied by an enforcement mechanism. In contrast, these guidelines are designed to be educational and aspirational.
"These guidelines encourage all mental health providers to recognize how their own attitudes and knowledge about gay, lesbian and bisexual people may affect their assessment and treatment of such clients," says Kristin A. Hancock, PhD, Professor in the graduate school of professional psychology at the John F. Kennedy University in Orinda, Calif. and one of the authors of the guidelines document.
Research suggests that gay, lesbian and bisexual people seek psychological services in greater proportions than do heterosexual men and women. Therefore it is particularly important that mental health providers are prepared to provide unbiased and informed treatment for this population, according to the creators of the new guidelines document.
The basis of the guidelines is the understanding on the part of the mental health community that homosexuality and bisexuality are in no way indicative of mental illness. Therefore gay, lesbian and bisexual people should be able to expect and receive informed and non-biased treatment when they seek psychological health care. Gay, lesbian and bisexual clients can, at times, bring issues to psychotherapy that are unique to their sexual orientation. Examples of issues that gay, lesbian and bisexual people bring to psychotherapy include the coming-out process, same-sex relationship dynamics, family acceptance issues and the effects of anti-gay stigma and discrimination.
The need for guidelines on psychotherapy services for this population was well documented in survey published by APA in 1991. The survey found that while many psychologists demonstrated knowledge and sensitivity to the concerns of gay, lesbian and bisexual people, there was also strong evidence of incidents of biased and inappropriate care. For example, one survey finding was a number of practitioners who automatically attributed the presenting client's problems to their sexual orientation.
APA's guidelines for psychological practice with sexual minority persons (PDF, 1.5MB)