Affirmative Psychotherapy With Gay Clients

Kathleen J. Bieschke demonstrates her affirmative approach to psychotherapy, working with a young man to uncover his interpersonal concerns within the context of his gay identity.

This affirmative approach involves a strong focus on the therapeutic alliance, with the therapist serving as an advocate for the client and being mindful that gay clients have a sociopolitical reality that heterosexuals do not have to contend with. Using this developmental and culturally sensitive understanding, the therapist must also engage in meaningful self-reflection and exploration, determining how heterosexist biases might inform their work and interpersonal views.

In this session, the client presents himself in a happy-go-lucky manner but reveals feelings of inferiority and a tendency to let few people see who he really is. Dr. Bieschke fosters the client's development of assertiveness, transparency with people, and ability to advocate for himself so that he can enjoy more satisfying relationships.

Kathleen J. Bieschke, PhD, is an associate professor of counseling psychology at Pennsylvania State University, a licensed psychologist, and director of Clinical Training for Penn State's counseling psychology PhD program, which is accredited by APA.

Dr. Bieschke has published over 40 professional journal articles, chapters, and edited books and has delivered approximately 100 professional presentations. In addition to working with gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals in both a college counseling and a private practice setting, Dr. Bieschke has written about and conducted research pertaining to the delivery of affirmative counseling and psychotherapy to gay, lesbian, and bisexual clients.

She is a fellow of APA (Division 17, Society of Counseling Psychology) and currently serves as the vice president for Education and Training for Division 17.

APA Videos

• Coming Out in Adulthood
  Ritch C. Savin-Williams
• Existential Therapy
  Kirk J. Schneider
• Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Clients
  Ruperto M. Perez
• Inclusive Cultural Empathy in Practice
  Paul B. Pedersen and Jon Carlson
• Personality-Guided Therapy Over Time
  Jeffrey J. Magnavita
• Working With Gay Male Clients
  Douglas C. Haldeman

APA Books

• Addressing Cultural Complexities in Practice, Second Edition: Assessment, Diagnosis, and Therapy
  Pamela A. Hays
• Handbook of Counseling and Psychotherapy With Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Clients, Second Edition
  Edited by Kathleen J. Bieschke, Ruperto M. Perez, and Kurt DeBord
• HIV+ Sex: The Psychological and Interpersonal Dynamics of HIV-Seropositive Gay and Bisexual Men's Relationships
  Edited by Perry N. Halkitis, Cynthia A. Gomez, and Richard J. Wolitski
• Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children: Research on the Family Life Cycle
  Abbie E. Goldberg
• Mom, Dad, I'm Gay. How Families Negotiate Coming Out
  Ritch C. Savin-Williams