PSY85003X/PSY8500 - Clinical Elective: LGBT Affirmative Psychotherapy

(3 units)

This course is an in-depth and focused course of the experiences and lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. This course will focus on the application of current theory, research, and clinical knowledge regarding LGBT issues in psychology to providing affirmative psychotherapy to LGBT people. Areas to be covered include: the social context in which mental health services have been provided to LGBT people, including the impact of heterosexism, discrimination, and violence on the lives of LGBT people; impacts of minority stress on identity development and psychological issues in psychotherapy with LGBT individuals, couples, and families; the history of psychological approaches to sexual orientation and gender identity, including the removal of homosexuality as a psychiatric diagnosis; the development and application of affirmative approaches to psychotherapy with LGBT people; applications of affirmative approaches to psychotherapy that acknowledge and include multicultural factors and issues of diversity.