Gay Clients Research Articles

Religious and moral issues in working with homosexual clients.

While strict moral and religious neutrality in psychotherapy is problematic at best, the therapist working with homosexual clients particularly needs clarity about her or his own moral and religious assumptions, together with knowledge of the Judeo-Christian tradition on the subject. This article examines the biblical evidence and current theological arguments about homosexuality. Christianity as an incarnationalist faith is a sex-affirming religion with positive resources for lesbians and gay men. An analysis of homophobia concludes, maintaining the position that the church as a whole will benefit greatly from the liberation of gay men and lesbians from oppression.

Sexual Orientation of the Therapists and Therapeutic Effectiveness with Gay Clients

The psychotherapeutic effects of client-therapist similarity and difference have been investigated and reported in the areas of social class, gender, race, religion, culture, politics, wealth, education, age, personality, and sexual mores, but very rarely with regard to sexual-affect ional orientation. This paper examines the literature on relationship variables in psychotherapy, and on client-therapist similarity as one of those relationship variables. These broader issues are related to the more specific subject to similarity or difference of sexual orientation between client and therapist, and to the implications of the variable for psychotherapeutic process and outcome with lesbian and gay male clients.

A counseling/pastoral approach to the homosexual client

This article focuses on a practical approach to dealing with homosexual concerns within a pastoral context. The manner in which a church worker and a mental health professional can practice co-therapy is detailed with some of the limitations and advantages associated with such a team outlined.

The interaction of health professionals and their lesbian clients

While most literature suggests that health problems of lesbians vary little from those of heterosexual patients, there is some evidence to suggest that lesbians have greater problems interacting with health professionals because of misconceptions and homophobic fears of these professionals. The following study of 38 lesbians in Salt Lake City provides some indication of the concerns most identified by the lesbian client when seeking health care. Results of this study indicate the following: few lesbians “come out” to their practitioner; many delay health care because of their fears; there is evidence of inappropriate behavior from some professionals when lesbians reveal their sexual preference; and among those who have not come out, apprehension about what the professional might say or do is evident. Results also show that some examinations are viewed as less comfortable when administered by male professionals. This study reminds health professionals that lesbian clients expect to be treated with the same sensitivity and dignity as non-lesbian clients, and that often professional care may be enhanced by better communication, sensitive referral to professionals who are more comfortable in caring for lesbian concerns, and better self-awareness on the part of practitioners regarding their feelings and behavior toward gay clients.

Homosexuality, the Halacha, and the helping professions

The position of Jewish writings on homosexuality is the topic of inquiry. Overt homosexuality, child homosexuality, and lesbianism are examined in the light of Jewish Halacha (law). Though Talmudic writings view homosexuality with severe disapproval, a sprrit of tolerance and compassion is also voiced in them. It is suggested here that Jewish law placed overt homosexuality in the category of illness to evoke compassion for it Halachic insights also suggest that homosexualities be viewed differentially. Activities involving minors and lesbians are not given equal weight in the realm of retribution. There are efforts to obviate social stigma. Prevention and rehabilitation are given major concern. To conclude the article, the role of the Jewish religious practitioner and his responsibilities vis-à-vis the homosexual client are given a brief examination.

Psychologists' Attitudes toward Homosexual Psychotherapy Clients

Forty male and forty female psychotherapists were asked to rate both a hypothetical client, based on an intake case history, and their concept of the “psychologically healthy person” on a semantic differential scale. Participants were assigned case histories where the hypothetical client was a heterosexual male, heterosexual female, homosexual male, or homosexual female. Attributions of psychological health were found to differ as a function of sexual orientation of client and sex of therapist. No significant difference was found between evaluation of male homosexual and female homosexual clients. Results are discussed in terms of the significance of perceived violations of sex‐role stereotypes in the evaluation of psychological health.

Attitudes Toward Homosexuality among Graduate Counseling Students

The authors surveyed graduate counseling students regarding their attitudes toward homosexuality: its etiology; the mental health of homosexuals; the role of the mental health professional in treating homosexual clients; and myths and fallacies surrounding homosexuality. The results indicate that counseling students feel ill‐prepared to deal with homosexual clients, are unsure about the etiology of homosexuality, and that female students respond differently from male students regarding many aspects of homosexuality.

The Challenge of Counseling the Homosexual Client

The Personnel and Guidance JournalVolume 56, Issue 4 p. 243-246 The Challenge of Counseling the Homosexual Client Alphonso W. Haynes, Alphonso W. Haynes Atphonso W. Haynes: is Dean of Students at Long Island University Brooklyn Center where he is responsible for the Student Counseling Center. This article grew from his participation in the graduate Department of Guidance and Counseling series: Approaches to Homosexuality. An EdD candidate at Teachers College, he has an MS from the Columbia University School of Social Work.Search for more papers by this author Alphonso W. Haynes, Alphonso W. Haynes Atphonso W. Haynes: is Dean of Students at Long Island University Brooklyn Center where he is responsible for the Student Counseling Center. This article grew from his participation in the graduate Department of Guidance and Counseling series: Approaches to Homosexuality. An EdD candidate at Teachers College, he has an MS from the Columbia University School of Social Work.Search for more papers by this author First published: December 1977 https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2164-4918.1977.tb05385.x AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Volume56, Issue4December 1977Pages 243-246 RelatedInformation

Casework Intervention with a Homosexual Adolescent

Mental health professionals must see the gay client as a person who frequently needs supportive casework in an often hostile, prejudicial environment

Legal and Social Interface in Counseling Homosexual Clients

Unique legal problems including the accumulation of realty, personal property, and the contractual problems of insurance and wills are reviewed

Treatment for Gay Problem Drinkers

If trust can be established between straight therapists and gay clients, group counseling can offer effective help as with heterosexual individuals

Multiple behavior therapy techniques with a homosexual client: A case study

A case is described in which various aspects of a client's homosexuality and heterosexual avoidance were modified by education, self-management, desensitization, covert sensitization, aversive conditioning, aversion relief, orgasmic reconditioning and assertive training. The analysis of an individual's homosexual behaviors may lead to the application of multiple techniques. Dimensions of analysis and problems in sequencing are discussed.

A forward-fading technique for increasing heterosexual responsiveness in male homosexuals

A forward-fading conditioning technique was successfully used with a 27-yr-old homosexual client in conditioning penile erection, as measured by a mechanical strain gauge, to a previously neutral female stimulus. The technique involved the incremental fading of a nude female slide into a nude male slide, a procedure which is just the reverse of that recently reported by Barlow and Agras. This technique has a major advantage over the Barlow—Agras technique in that its application is not precluded by S's initial failure to reach an erection of a given magnitude.

Consultation with a male homosexual

The following interview is taken from the transcript of a dialogue at the University of Florida's Counseling Center between psychologists on the counseling staff and the author, who is homosexual and a member of the Gay Liberation Front at the University of Florida. The dialogue focused on referral to a gay organization as one of the options a gay client might use to gain peer relationships.