Category: LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Issues
The Good Therapy Blog
December 14th, 2010 |
Let’s face it. Compared to gays and lesbians, straight people have it easy when it comes to the practical nuts and bolts of relationships and marriage. They go to school, find a job, fall in love, get married, have kids, send them to college, retire to Boca Raton and call it a day. The path is well trodden, worn into place by generations of “traditional” couples who have set the cultural standard. Even divorce and the minutia of dissolving a relationship are spelled out in great detail by the legal system in each state.
From an emotional and interpersonal perspective, being in... Read More
December 13th, 2010 |
Many recent studies have highlighted the psychological, social, and emotional burdens that queer stigma places on youth who are, or who are perceived to be, LGBT. But one factor that can protect youth and teens from the brunt of these struggles is support from their family. When families openly support their children, including advocacy against mistreatment, those kids go on to have much lower rates of depression, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts during their early adult years.... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist West Hollywood Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
December 13th, 2010 |
Richard came to treatment feeling angry, sad and resentful. He was scared that the man he was living with was getting ready to dump him.
“That always happens,” he said. “Just when I feel my life turn around, I get dumped. What’s wrong with me? Why am I always the one who gets left? I think we were in love, he says he’ll never leave me, but in three months he’ll be gone and I’ll be a fool.”
This was the third serious relationship that was not working out. Richard is handsome, smart, funny. He would seem to be an ideal mate, but he has a fatal flaw. He is very controlling,... Read More
December 6th, 2010 |
Santa Claus lived long ago in a far away land, far from the United States, in the hills of Bavaria before Thomas Nast drew the first caricature of a rollie-pollie man who evolved into the one depicted in advertisements today. Santa was an original Bohemian, you might say. He was well known in his community as a toy designer and artist who crafted a variety of toys including wooden horses, paper kites, ceramic dolls, stuffed animals and one of-a-kind puppets. In his studio, located on a mountainside, he used his imagination to create characters that portrayed personality aspects belonging to... Read More
November 8th, 2010 |
To combat suicide nationwide, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently awarded a $22.4 million grant to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC), which provides “state-of-the-art suicide prevention expertise to states, tribes, and communities” nationwide. The SAMHSA funds will be used to address suicide prevention in specific at-risk populations, including LGBT youth, youth in the juvenile justice system or foster care, young Latinas, and Alaska/American Indian natives.... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Woodland Hills Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
October 22nd, 2010 |
Seth Walsh, 13, Asher Brown, 13, Billy Lucas, 15, Tyler Clementi, 18, Raymond Chase, 19, all died within the last three weeks as a result of suicide. All of them were bullied or harassed for being perceived as gay. And these are just the names that we know. There are many others out there suffering and struggling through the discovery of their sexuality.
Every day gay teens or teens who are perceived as being "outside the box" are bullied and harassed for simply being who they are. This bullying can come from fellow students but there are also negative messages from families, teachers, television,... Read More
August 11th, 2010 |
In the development of most teenagers there is a natural moment where the bounds of sexuality are explored and roles and sexual identity are created. For LGBT teens this natural part of growing up can often be confusing and overwhelming, resulting in a variety of responses. Some individuals experience such intense negative emotions about their sexual feelings that they repress and push those feelings as far away as possible and choose to ignore their sexuality.
By hiding deep in the closet, these teens are setting themselves up for an uphill battle as they get older and inevitably arrive at... Read More
July 28th, 2010 |
Earlier this month, researchers presented newfound information at the International AIDS Conference in Vienna, Austria. Among those findings was a study concluding that among gay and bisexual men, gay-related victimization (such as bullying, verbal and physical assault, physical violence, and threats) in childhood corresponds with higher rates of adult behavior (illegal drug use and risky sexual behavior) that increases... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Denver Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
June 18th, 2010 |
For years in our culture, most of us have defined family in a particular way. We assume that when we say “family” we mean a group of people who are related by birth, adoption, and marriage. And when we say marriage, we have pictured the promised relationships between men and women.
But meanings around American marriage and family are changing. Gays and lesbians have won the right to marry in five states, with number six, California, embroiled in legal battle over the reversal of the 2008 state law allowing homosexual marriages. While many of us keep our eye on the legal and religious debates... Read More
May 10th, 2010 |
The question often comes up among LGBT people as to whether or not they should see a gay therapist or if they would be comfortable with a gay friendly therapist. This is a personal decision that each person needs to make for themselves, but as in choosing any therapist, it is important to find a professional who has the education, the empathy, and the understanding of your individual needs.
Although there are many gay affirmative and gay friendly therapists, sometimes it is important to find a therapist who is a member of the gay community. The process of therapy is a very personal one and for... Read More
April 14th, 2010 |
Recently I received a message from a dear friend, Amy, on Facebook. We’ve known each other for over 20 years and have always shared a close bond. Since my move to Madison, most of our conversations have been via social media. Here’s what she wrote:
I have a sincere question and I believe you are the right person to ask. I notice that a lot of your posts (and that of other gay people’s) are about being gay, coming out, etc. ... It seems as though being gay is almost a persona or a greater identity than who you are in general. Like, one is not “Jimmy” or “insert name here” but “gay... Read More
February 1st, 2010 |
Whenever I am with a group of gay men, sex invariably becomes a topic of discussion. Often it is funny, sometimes sarcastic, biting and hurtful. However it appears, our culture, on the surface, has an ease about discussing sex in a way that I don’t encounter in heterosexual environments. I wonder what it is about our culture that makes this talk so easy, so expected… so normal? As a therapist, I am curious about where it comes from and how it affects us.
Sociologically speaking, if you look at the gay community as if it were an individual, we are a relatively young “out” person.... Read More
February 5th, 2009 |
Once upon a time, there was a certain clarity in the world of sexuality. Regardless of whether one believed a homosexual orientation was innate or a matter of choice, the sexual orientations were easily and clearly defined: Those who were attracted to, and had sex with, people of the opposite gender were heterosexual (straight), while homosexuals (gays and lesbians) were attracted to, and had sex with, people of the same gender. You knew who was who by the gender of the sexual partner.
As time went on, the waters became muddied a bit by acknowledgment of bisexuals and their ability to be attracted... Read More
December 9th, 2008 |
A University of Utah psychologist whose research has been cited by groups that identify homosexuality as a mental disorder and promote “reparative” therapy is defending her work and criticizing the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality for distorting her findings.
"If NARTH had read the study more carefully they would find that it is not supported by my data at all,” says Lisa Diamond of the University of Utah. “When people are motivated to twist something for political purposes, they'll find a way to do it." Diamond’s videotaped comments are available in full... Read More
