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What is Psychotherapy?

A way to help people with a broad variety of mental illnesses and emotional difficulties

-help eliminate or control troubling symptoms

-function better

-increase well-being and healing

-also known as counseling, talk therapy, or just therapy

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Important!

LGBTQ+ identities are NOT mental disorders!

Queer individuals can lead very happy and satisfying lives without the need for therapy

Gender dysphoria, depression, anxiety, social isolation/rejection can all contribute to the need for therapy

Homosexuality was considered a mental disorder until about 1980 when the DSM-III was published

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Background/History

Conversion therapy- efforts made to rid an individual of homosexuality and convert them to a heterosexual norm

^Worsens ingrained homophobia

^Electric shocks, neausea indicing drugs, forced hterosexual erotic images

^Often perpetuated by religious groups

^Not entirely history; some still practice it today

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Why It’s Important

Proven that LGBTQ+ individuals rely more heavily on psychotherapy
More likely to attempt suicide/need medical care from suicide attempts
Likely that every therapist will see at least 1 LGBTQ+ client in their careers
LGBTQ+ individuals are part of an “invisible” minority group

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Minority Stress Model

Not inherently a mental health issue, but social factors contribute to increased levels of personal stress

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Current Guidelines

Only “guidelines”, not “standards”

21 current guidelines for LGB clients (2011)

Ex. Guideline 1. Psychologists strive to understand the effects of stigma (i.e., prejudice, discrimination, and violence) and its various contextual manifestations in the lives of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people.

16 current guidelines related to gender issues (trans*, non-binary, gender non-conforming) (2015)

Ex. Guideline 7: Psychologists understand the need to promote social change that reduces the negative effects of stigma on the health and well-being of TGNC people.

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What is lacking?

Standards by which psychotherapists can be evaluated
Comprehensive LGBTQ+ education for psychology students/aspiring psychotherapists
Competent, LGBTQ+ affirming therapy skills
Access to affirming therapists (particularly outside of urban areas)

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Palo Alto University

Palo Alto, CA

a unique LGBTQ+ area of emphasis within the larger PhD in clinical psychology program.
1 of at least 7 areas of emphasis
MA, MS, & PsyD areas of study at this university do not provide an opportunity to emphasize an area of work, or provide LGBTQ+ specific courses.
only the PhD trained psychologists have an opportunity to emphasize work with LGBTQ+ clients.

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Antioch University & Northcentral University

Antioch University: Los Angeles campus

provides students within their Masters program to earn an MA in LGBTQ+ affirming clinical psychology
2 years; California licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) or a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), with an emphasis in LGBTQ+ affirming therapy

Northcentral University: Online program

Masters of Arts in Psychology, with a Gender Diversity Specialization
6 additional courses that focus on LGBTQ+ matters

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Southern Methodist University & Widener University

SMU: private university in Dallas, Texas.

Masters of Science in Counseling program - a sort of supplemental education for mental health professionals in many fields.
The main goal = to “address the knowledge gap of behavioral health professionals working with LGBT individuals, couples, and families''
3 courses; affirmative therapy with LGB clients, with trans* clients, and with LGBT couples and families.

Widener University:

offers a supplemental training for mental healthcare workers seeking competency in affirmative care with trans*, gender non-conforming, gender expansive, and non-binary (TGNCNB) individuals

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Certificate in LGBTQ+ Leadership

Right here at the University of Redlands

Offered through the School of Continuing Studies

Another sort of supplemental education opportunity for those who are seeking it

6, 4-week long courses

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Next Steps

Actual standards to which therapists must adhere when working with LGBTQ+ identifying clients

-This will hold therapists to a higher standard of care for all patients

Establish more programs that offer degrees in LGBTQ+ affirming therapy (and LGBTQ+ leadership overall)
Supplemental training throughout a therapist’s career

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Works Cited

American Psychiatric Association. (2019). What is Psychotherapy? Retrieved December 06, 2020, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/psychotherapy

American Psychological Association. (2000). Guidelines for psychotherapy with lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients. The American Psychologist, 55(12), 1440–1451. DOI: https://www.apa.org/practice/guidelines/glbt.pdf

American Psychological Association. (2015). Guidelines for Psychological Practice With Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People. https://www.apa.org/practice/guidelines/transgender.pdf

American Psychological Association. (2011). Practice Guidelines for LGB Clients. Retrieved October 05, 2020, from https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/guidelines

Barrow, K. (2014). Psychotherapy with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Clients. Retrieved October 05, 2020, from https://www.psychotherapy.net/article/psychotherapy-transgender

Berke, D. S., Maples-Keller, J. L., & Richards, P. (2016). LGBTQ perceptions of psychotherapy: A consensual qualitative analysis. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 47(6), 373–382. https://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000099

Garnets, L., Hancock, K. A., Cochran, S. D., Goodchilds, J., & Peplau, L. A. (1991). Issues in psychotherapy with lesbians and gay men: A survey of psychologists. American Psychologist, 46(9), 964–972. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.46.9.964

Haldeman, D. (2002). Gay Rights, Patient Rights: The Implications of Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy. Professional Psychology, Research and Practice, 33(3), 260–264. https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7028.33.3.260

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Works Cited cont

Meyer, I. (2003). Prejudice, Social Stress, and Mental Health in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Populations: Conceptual Issues and Research Evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), 674–697. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674

O’Shaughnessy, T., & Speir, Z. (2018). The State of LGBQ Affirmative Therapy Clinical Research: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Synthesis. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 5(1), 82–98. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000259

Pepping, C. A., Lyons, A., & Morris, E. (2018). Affirmative LGBT psychotherapy: Outcomes of a therapist training protocol. Psychotherapy (Chicago, Ill.), 55(1), 52–62. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000149

Schwartz, C. (2016). The Couch in Rainbow Colors: 'L.G.B.T.-Affirming' Therapy. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/14/fashion/lgbt-therapy-antioch-university.html?_r=3

Psychology Degrees. (2019). LGBTQ Counseling Degrees. Retrieved December 06, 2020, from https://www.psychologydegrees.org/programs/lgbtq-counseling

The Trevor Project. (2017). Facts About Suicide. Retrieved October 05, 2020, from https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/preventing-suicide/facts-about-suicide/

https://www.smu.edu/simmons/Academics/Counseling/MS-Counseling/LGBT-Program

https://www.antioch.edu/academics/psychology/clinical-psychology-masters-programs/lgbt-affirmative-psychology/

https://catalog.ncu.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=6&poid=1204#gref

https://www.widener.edu/academics/graduate-studies/affirmative-therapy-transgender-communities

https://www.paloaltou.edu/graduate-programs/phd-programs/phd-clinical-psychology/areas-emphasis/lgbtq-psychology