Lessons from Gay & Lesbian History for Today’s Therapists

Few psychotherapists receive formal training in lesbian and gay history and identity development, creating significant gaps in the knowledge they need to competently identify, serve, and support clients who are — or may be – same-sex attracted. Given consistent empirical confirmation that the majority of clients with childhood cross-sex identification or gender anxiety will see resolution of these concerns through the development of adult gay and lesbian identities, clinicians working with these populations and their families must deepen their knowledge of the lesbian and gay history, psychology, and sociology in order to practice ethically. In this 90 minute presentation, participants will receive a condensed introduction to gay and lesbian history, with special attention to strategies used by medicine and psychiatry to “treat,” eradicate, and erase homosexuality in men and women, the resilient work of gay men and lesbians to create meaningful lives in the face of various forms of hardship and oppression, and how the current reduced visibility of gay and lesbian culture challenges young people to situate their own experiences with gender nonconformity or same-sex attraction within this rich history.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe historical Western perspectives on homosexuality and the evolution of sexological theories, including the concept of “gender inversion.”
• Identify institutional strategies historically used to suppress or pathologize homosexuality and their psychological impact.
• Explain feminist critiques of cultural efforts to constrain homosexuality in both men and women.
• Compare and contrast the experiences and identity development of gay men and lesbians, including childhood socialization and the role of gender nonconformity.
• Analyze how gender non-conformity has functioned as a cultural marker, form of resistance, and expression within gay and lesbian communities.
• Discuss the relevance of gay and lesbian history—from 1750 to the present—for understanding the effects of homophobia and sexism, and for fostering resilience in LGBTQ+ clients.

Presenter Bio:

A feminist sociologist and mental health clinician, Amber Ault first studied the social context of Gender Identity Disorder as a psychiatric diagnosis during an NIMH postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Amber’s academic interests center on social movements, ambiguous sexual identities, and the social contexts and contestations around them. Her clinical expertise includes trauma treatment, support for survivors of high conflict relationships, and suicide risk assessment. In addition to interdisciplinary training in the social sciences, she brings observations from work in medical contexts to her current understandings of the relationships among misogyny, homophobia, and the medicalization of youth gender nonconformity. In addition to teaching the sociology of sex and gender in various environments, she previously designed and taught a course on LGBTQ Mental Health in the Gender & Women’s Studies Department of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Therapy First has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7505. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Therapy First is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. This webinar provide 1.5 hours of CE credits.