LGBTQ+
LGBTQ+ Support in Therapy: Safe, Respectful Care
homosexuality per se is not a mental disorder ... we oppose portrayals of sexual minority youths and adults as mentally ill due to their sexual orientations.
What is LGBTQ+?
LGBTQ+ is an acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning or Queer. Here are some (more or less) agreed definitions:
Lesbian: A female who experiences romantic attraction to other females
Gay: A male who experiences romantic attraction to other males. It is also a general term used to describe same-sex attraction in both males and females. Thus, females can also be referred to as gays.
Bisexual: Bisexuality is romantic and sexual attraction toward both males and females, or to people of any sex or gender identity.
Transgender: An umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. It is sometimes abbreviated to trans.
Questioning: The process whereby people explore gender, sexual identity, sexual orientation, or all three.
Queer: An umbrella term that refers to people who are not heterosexual or cisgender, also known as sexual and gender minorities.
LGBTQ+ and Psychotherapy
Many in the LGBTQ+ community have had unpleasant experiences with psychotherapy. Some have felt the effects of subconscious bias against their gender identity and sexual orientation, while others have unfortunately been subject to Sexual Re-orientation Therapy (sometimes called Conversion Therapy), despite criticisms and mounting evidence of its harmful effects.
Many organisations and establishments have stepped up to denounce Conversion Therapy. The American Psychological Association has found that:
“...there is insufficient evidence to support the use of psychological interventions to change sexual orientation” and
“...the American Psychological Association advises parents, guardians, young people, and their families to avoid sexual orientation change efforts that portray homosexuality as a mental illness or developmental disorder…”
But whatever your orientation, we share a common humanity.
Therapy should and must draw from values of love, respect and acceptance. And that is what we firmly believe in.
Our psychologists appreciate and respect the differences in gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation, as well as how they make up the individuality and identity of each member of the LGBTQ+ community. We strive to provide psychotherapy that’s centred on our values while adhering to the standards and best practices recommended by the APA and AHPRA, and keeping abreast of with established scientific evidence on providing psychotherapy taking into account sexual orientation and sexuality.