This seminar is aimed at anyone involved in training therapists. It will be
particularly useful for those responsible for incorporating training on sexual
minorities into counselling and psychotherapy programmes.
We will discuss the lacunae in training around sexual minority therapy issues
and the reasons for this in the light of the fact that:
(a) people from sexual minorities are significant consumers of therapy and
many have significant and specific mental health issues; (b) sexual and gender
minorities report poor experiences of mental health services due to inadequate
training of therapists and (c) incorporating sexual minority therapy issues
into therapist training is a necessary and effective way of improving practice.
Some practical and pragmatic ways of addressing these issues in curricula will
be proposed.
What is the evidence on mental health and wellbeing of LGBT people and
how to improve it? A systematic review
Although there is a considerable body of evidence underpinning the effectiveness
of psychotherapy and some evidence for effectiveness of counselling, we know
little about how such services are provided for lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender (LGBT) people or their effectiveness with this group of people.
In research commissioned by the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy,
we undertook a systematic review of the existing research in this area. In
addition to systematically searching databases and grey literature, we conducted
a wide internet search and hand searched key journals. Retrieved articles were
screened by two independent reviewers and consensus reached for inclusion.
The literature was examined for gay affirmative counselling and psychotherapy
intervention in LGBT people. Initial findings are that gay affirmative interventions
have been described within the literature. Moreover there is some, limited,
outcome effectiveness research published. These results will be presented together
with those of a Department of Health funded systematic review that was undertaken
concurrently by the authors: a meta-analysis of the 26 included published controlled
studies, retrieved from 13705 screened articles, revealed an increased risk
of mental disorder, DSH and suicide in LGBT people.
Working with the Erotic Transference: a workshop for lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender (LGBT) identified therapists
The transference between client and therapist is a source of rich information
and can be a profound instrument for healing relationships of all kinds. The
erotic transference - that is, one where there is attraction of various kinds
- need not be something to be feared or avoided. Worked with sensitively and
with awareness it can be life-affirming, playful and nourishing. It is possible
that many LGBT counsellors and therapists specifically avoid working directly
with the erotic transference for the misplaced fear of being seen as transgressing
boundaries. More likely to be the case is that, during training, there was
no safe space in which to explore the complex feelings associated with sexuality
in the consulting room – which is a pity given the wealth of experience and
knowledge LGBT practitioners bring from the wider world. In this workshop,
which is intended to be a safe space for LGBT practitioners, we will be exploring
both the concept of erotic transference and its applications to therapeutic
work in an experiential way.
To Disclose or Not to Disclose, That is the Question: Exploring therapist
self-disclosure with particular reference to sexuality
This seminar will address the complex issues of therapist self-disclosure
within the therapeutic relationship.
After reviewing current thinking within the field, relating to self-disclosure,
participants will be invited to consider clinical and ethical concerns about
a variety of scenarios with clients, evaluating possible conflicts regarding
how much to and/or whether to self-disclose in these situations.
Participants – own perspectives and models, in relation to disclosure/non-disclosure,
will be considered in what should be a lively and informative exploration.
Many thanks to Dominic Davies,
Director of Pink Therapy who programmed this strand
Biographies
Dominic Davies
Dominic Davies, MBACP (Snr. Accred.) is Director of Pink Therapy, the UKÐs
largest independent therapy organisation specialising in working with gender
and sexual minorities and in training those who work with them. A former senior
lecturer in counselling and psychotherapy, Dominic has been involved in training
others in this area for 25 years. He is co-editor (with Charles Neal) of the
Pink Therapy trilogy of textbooks (Open University Press) as well as a contributor
of numerous other chapters and articles on sexual minority therapy.
Dr Helen Killaspy
Dr Helen Killaspy is senior lecturer and honorary consultant in rehabilitation
psychiatry at Royal Free & University College Medical School. She is the academic secretary for the Faculty of Rehabilitation
and Social Psychiatry of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the convenor
of NIMHEÐs Mental Health Research Network Rehabilitation and Recovery Group.
She is secretary to the Royal College of PsychiatristsÐ Special Interest Group
in Gay and Lesbian Mental Health.
Jo Semlyen
Jo Semlyen is research fellow at Royal Free & University College Medical School and lecturer in Health Psychology at City University. She is a committee member of the British Psychological
SocietyÐs Lesbian and Gay Psychology Section. She also teaches at City University contributing to the MSc Health Psychology degree programme
and is completing her PhD there.
Keith Silvester
Keith Silvester MBACP (Snr. Accred.) is an integrative psychosynthesis therapist,
a clinical associate of Pink Therapy, and a contributor to the Pink Therapy
trilogy. A former convenor of London Friend counselling service for LGBT people,
he is now training director of the Psychosynthesis & Education Trust in London.
Deirdre Haslam
Deirdre Haslam is an integral psychotherapist with wide experience of working
within a range of therapeutic models and across the social spectrum in her
client work. She is a clinical associate of Pink Therapy and has contributed
a chapter on analytical psychology (Jungian analysis) to the Pink Therapy book
series. She has worked as a counsellor at London Friend and as supervisor at
ELOP (East London OUT Project) and is currently course team leader of the BSc
in Integral Therapeutic Counselling at Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford.
Dr Cordelia Galgut
Cordelia Galgut MBACP (Snr. Accred.) is a counsellor and psychotherapist,
and an experienced supervisor, trainer and researcher. She is a clinical associate
of Pink Therapy. Her MA research focused on practitioner attitudes to lesbians
and her doctoral research on lesbiansÐ experiences of therapy. Her results
and related issues have been appeared in a number of counselling and psychotherapy
publications.
Damian McCann
Damian Mc Cann is a qualified and experienced systemic psychotherapist, supervisor,
trainer and consultant. He is a clinical associate of Pink Therapy and has
extensive experience in training professionals to work with sexual minorities.
He has contributed to a number of publications and is undertaking doctoral
research relating to violence within gay male couple relationships at the Tavistock
Centre, London.
