Affirmative Psychotherapy with Bisexual Women and Bisexual Men


Book Description

Learn the latest practicaland bisexually affirmativeapproaches to helping bisexual clients Clinical work with bisexual clients has conceptually shifted beyond the exclusive emphasis on either straight or lesbian and gay issues. There are still, however, too few psychotherapists who provide affirmative psychotherapy specific to bisexual concerns. Affirmative Psychotherapy with Bisexual Women and Bisexual Men addresses the issues of bisexuals with an accepting and affirmative perspective, providing therapists with the latest viewpoints, strategies, and research to effectively treat bisexual clients. Leading authorities with affirmative-to-bisexuals perspectives discuss problems specific to bisexuals and their lifestyles, with an eye toward providing practical, effective therapy. Unique bisexual lifestyle concerns are examined, such as transgender issues, polyamory, older bisexual women and men, and cultural differences, while providing an emphasis on cultivating well-being and a sense of community in bisexual clients. Affirmative Psychotherapy with Bisexual Women and Bisexual Men sensitively avoids the double standard long held by therapists clinically treating heterosexual or lesbian and gay individuals, showing that an affirmative viewpoint is valid and crucial for the effective treatment of bisexuals. This source clearly explains practical strategies and discusses the latest research on bisexual issues such as age, culture, heterosexual and bisexual mixed couples, and the polyamorous lifestyle with appropriate acceptance and understanding. The book also explores useful ways to develop successful health and support services specific to bisexual needs. Topics in Affirmative Psychotherapy with Bisexual Women and Bisexual Men include: affirmative psychotherapy techniques specific to bisexual women and bisexual men need for validation of bisexuality ways for clients to come to terms with their bisexuality practical valueand shortcomingsof the main therapeutic schools in providing effective psychotherapy transgender bisexuality, with illustrative case studies needs and issues of African-American bisexual clients bisexual aging issues counseling heterosexual spouses of bisexual women and men therapy approaches for clients who are bisexual and polyamorous recognizing and addressing the specific needs of different sub-groups of bisexual people and more! Affirmative Psychotherapy with Bisexual Women and Bisexual Men is a crucial addition to the literature of bisexual psychotherapy and is invaluable to counselors, psychotherapists, marriage and family therapists, social workers, psychiatrists, sex therapists, researchers, and educators in the fields of psychology, sociology, anthropology, sexuality, sex education, adolescent and adult development, and community mental health.




Handbook of Affirmative Psychotherapy with Lesbians and Gay Men


Book Description

Grounded in current research, this comprehensive volume lays thefoundations for effective, affirmative therapeutic practice with lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients. Addressed are family of origin issues; coupleproblems, including sex therapy with same-sex partners; vocational andworkplace issues; and more. The extensive appendix lists a broad array of publications, advocacy groups, and Web-based resources for bothprofessionals and consumers. 12/01.




Affirmative Psychotherapy and Counseling for Lesbians and Gay Men


Book Description

Affirmative Psychotherapy and Counseling for Lesbians and Gay Men offers a broad base of research, practice, and advocacy information about the special counseling needs of gays and lesbians. Authors Jeffrey N. Chernin and Melissa R. Johnson discuss universal themes as they apply to lesbian and gay clients, as well as issues unique to lesbians and gay men, including the treatment of same-sex couples and families, ethnic minority issues, and living with HIV/AIDS. They present sensible information on how to provide a safe therapeutic environment and how to interpret and apply psychological assessments.




Handbook of LGBT-affirmative Couple and Family Therapy


Book Description

Handbook of LGBT-Affirmative Couple and Family Therapy provides a comprehensive and specific overview, spanning thirty chapters, of the diverse and complex issues involved in LGBT couple and family therapy.




Affirmative Counseling with LGBTQI+ People


Book Description

This current and comprehensive handbook will guide educators, students, and clinicians in developing the awareness, knowledge, and skills necessary to work effectively with LGBTQI+ populations. Twenty-five chapters written by experts in the field provide direction for working with clients in an authentic, ethical, and affirmative manner that is tailored to their individual strengths, needs, and identity. The book is divided into four sections, which explore the science behind gender and affectional orientation; developmental issues across the life span and treatment issues; the specialized needs of nine distinct populations; and the intersectionality of ethnicity and overlapping identities, the role of religion, and counselor advocacy. To further a deeper understanding of the content, each chapter contains an "Awareness of Attitudes and Beliefs Self-Check," a case narrative relating to the material covered, questions for discussion, and a list of online resources. The book concludes with an extensive glossary of terms, both preferred and problematic, which counselors working with these communities should understand and use appropriately. *Requests for digital versions from ACA can be found on www.wiley.com. *To purchase print copies, please visit the ACA website. *Reproduction requests for material from books published by ACA should be directed to [email protected]




Is My Husband Gay, Straight, or Bi?


Book Description

Jennifer can’t believe it. Just married and pregnant, she discovers that her husband has been meeting Brad for sex. When confronted, Tom doesn’t deny it, but he insists it’s just “a thing” and he isn’t gay. Elsewhere, John’s wife, Karen, discovers that her husband likes to watch gay porn. John doesn’t understand his wife’s reaction. Why does she care what he watches if he’s not unfaithful? In couple’s therapy, Karen and Jennifer raise the same questions: Does this mean my husband is gay? Can my marriage survive? These and other stories illustrate the difficulties inherent when a wife or girlfriend finds out her man has had or wants to have sexual contact with other men. But many times, the man is not gay or even bisexual. Of course, some men with gay sexual interests are gay men in a process of self-discovery; they are “coming out.” These desires may only reflect a different side of a man’s sexuality or some response to childhood trauma or experiences they have not fully processed. Here Joe Kort and Alexander P. Morgan make the distinction between gay men and “straight men with gay interests” clearer to women who want to know how they can overcome these revelations. The authors explain the many reasons why straight men may be drawn to gay sex; how to tell whether a man is gay, straight, or bisexual; and what the various options are for these couples, who can often go on to have very fulfilling marriages. Is My Husband Gay, Straight or Bi? is intended to help couples understand how male sexuality can express itself in ways that may be difficult to understand. Many marriages have been hurriedly terminated when couples (and their therapists) have lacked the information they needed to understand their current situations. This book provides the clarity, describes the choices, and (in many cases) offers hope for relationships and marriages that have been brushed off as doomed.




Bisexual Women


Book Description

Understand the unique emotional dynamics of bisexual women’s friendship relationships Prevailing attitudes toward bisexuality affect every aspect of a bisexual woman’s emotional and sexual life. Bisexual Women: Friendship and Social Organization comprehensively explores the friendship relationships of bisexual women, and the ways that bisexuality shapes the friendship experience. This book fills a gap in the literature and research on bisexuality and friendship, presenting leading experts discussing the latest qualitative and quantitative studies on this rarely visited topic. This examination explains how the friendships of bisexual and bi-curious women can be affected by sexism, heterosexism, biphobia, and racism, as well as providing an insightful review of how bisexual women are portrayed in film and literature. Bisexual and bi-curious women often have a more diverse range of friendship experiences than heterosexual women. Bisexual Women: Friendship and Social Organization presents studies and personal essays to provide a comprehensive understanding of the patterns of various friendship relationships that exist because of—and in spite of—prevalent social attitudes about bisexuality. This extensive look details various aspects of bisexual women’s relationships as well as society’s biases and preconceived notions. Analysis of research explores the various effects that being bisexual has on the way women approach friendship, as well as how society views both bisexuality and relationships. Topics in Bisexual Women: Friendship and Social Organization include: research into young women’s emerging sexual orientation identity types of friendships formed by bisexual women how friendship experiences are shaped by sociopolitical attitudes bisexual images in popular media critique of the bisexual women’s friendship literature how heterosexism shapes platonic and erotic relationships how bisexuality constricts social relationships analysis of how sexual experiences influenced friendships much more Bisexual Women: Friendship and Social Organization is insightful, important reading for psychologists, counselors, LGBT studies professionals, educators, and students.




Handbook of Evidence-Based Mental Health Practice with Sexual and Gender Minorities


Book Description

Historically, mental health clinical research has taken inadequate account of psychosocial disorders experienced by those who identify as sexual and gender minorities, however, researchers have recently begun developing and adapting evidence-based mental health treatment approaches for use with these groups. Handbook of Evidence-Based Mental Health Practice with Sexual and Gender Minorities offers a comprehensive array of evidence-based approaches for treating sexual and gender minority clients' mental health concerns. The interventions detailed here span a diverse spectrum of populations, including sexual and gender minority youth, transgender populations, same-sex couples, sexual minority parents, and bisexual individuals. Chapters also address numerous mental and behavioral health problems, including anxiety disorders, depression, substance abuse, trauma, body image disturbance, and sexual health. In addition to an overview of the research evidence supporting each clinical presentation and approach, chapters contain practical how-to guidance for therapists to use in their clinical practice. This book reflects a true integration of the best of sexual and gender minority research and the best of evidence-based practice research, presented by the leading experts in the field. As such it is essential reading for mental health professionals who work with these groups, as well as trainees in social work, counseling, and clinical psychology.




Becoming Visible


Book Description

Becoming Visible offers cutting-edge psychological perspectives on bisexual and queer identities and the cultural and mental health issues facing bisexual, lesbian, gay, queer, and questioning individuals and their partners. Essential for any professional seeking to provide "best practice" services to this population, Becoming Visible addresses the therapeutic needs of bisexuals at every stage of the life cycle. This volume explores why some people resist identity labels and what bisexual men and women consider exemplary and harmful in their therapeutic experiences. It also helps practitioners distinguish between the stresses brought on by being part of a sexual minority and the clinical symptoms that indicate serious mental health issues. It includes research on ethnic minority bisexuals, youth, elders, gender-variant individuals, and bisexuals engaging in alternative lifestyles and sexual practices such as polyamory and BDSM. Edited by a psychologist who specializes in sexual-orientation and gender-identity issues and with contributions from scholars and professionals from multiple disciplines, the book embraces perspectives from the empirical to the phenomenological, and outlines both scientific and practice-based approaches to the subject while carefully considering the psychological, cultural, and spiritual dimensions of the issues confronting bisexual men and women. Becoming Visible is a crucial step in the improved mental health and well-being of bisexuals, transgender individuals, and other sexual minorities. This book offers a path toward awareness and compassion for those who seek to understand, treat, and empower this underserved and frequently misunderstood group of mental health clients.




Pink Therapy


Book Description

A comprehensive British volume on lesbian and gay affirmative psychotherapy has been a while coming. Pink Therapy, however, has arrived, amply fills this gap, and is well worth the wait. The literature reviews are masterful for scholars, and the book offers a comprehensive, thoughtful approach for clinicians. A deft editorial hand is evident in the unusual consistency across chapters, the uniformly crisp, helpful chapter summaries, and the practical appendices, generous resources lists and well organized bibliographies. I particularly like the contributors subtle appreciation of theoretical nuance, genuine open-mindedness to diversity of ideas, and willingness to synthesize in a pragmatic and client-oriented manner. John C. Gonsiorek, PhD., Minneapolis, MN USA; Diplomate in Clinical Psychology, American Board of Professional Psychology; Past President, Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian and Gay Issues (Division 44 of the American Psychological Association). Pink Therapy is the first British guide for counsellors and therapists working with people who are lesbian, gay or bisexual. It provides a much needed overview of lesbian, gay and bisexual psychology, and examines some of the differences between lesbians, gays and bisexuals, and heterosexuals. Pink Therapy proposes a model of gay affirmative therapy, which challenges the prevailing pathologizing models. It will help to provide answers to pressing questions such as: what is different about lesbian, gay and bisexual psychologies? how can I improve my work with lesbian, gay and bisexual clients? what are the key clinical issues that this work raises? The contributors draw on their wide range of practical experience to provide - in an accessible style - information about the contemporary experience of living as a lesbian, gay or bisexual person, and to explore some of the common difficulties. Pink Therapy will be important reading for students and practitioners of counselling and psychotherapy, and will also be of value to anyone involved in helping people with a lesbian, gay or bisexual orientation.