Grasping the nettle: gay men's experiences in therapy

Abstract

Qualitative research was carried out into gay men's experiences of being in therapy. One of the findings was that, while the overall experience of being in therapy was usually perceived to be helpful, the experience of discussion of areas relating to the clients’ experience of their sexuality was not. A common reaction was that this aspect of their experience had been silenced or not adequately explored. This finding gives rise to a consideration of what 'gay-affirmative' counselling means – and in particular to the ideas of whether affirmative counselling can be implicit or must involve a more active stance on the part of the therapist. These differing approaches and the implications which arise are discussed.