Lesbianism: Affirming Nontraditional RolesEsther D. Rothblum, Ellen Cole In this major contribution to the literature, counselors, psychologists, and therapists address the issues that are vital to the lesbian experience. Although ten percent of the female population may be lesbian, the majority of people in the U.S. consider homosexuality, lesbianism included, obscene, vulgar, and anti-American. Despite the prevalence of and proven positive adjustment of lesbians, mainstream mental health professionals have mirrored society's attitudes in their conceptualization of lesbianism as deviant and in their treatment of lesbians in therapy. The contributors to this compassionate volume examine the need for greater understanding of the issues important to lesbians in order to decrease homophobic stereotypes and to demonstrate how the lesbian experience can serve as an affirmative model of nontraditional lifestyles. They focus on lesbian issues rarely discussed in print--married lesbians, lesbians in rural settings, and lesbian nonmonogamy. The choices, ethical dilemmas, and concerns of lesbians as mothers, lovers, clients, and therapists are voiced in this honest and provocative book. |
Contents
Thinking About Ethics | 13 |
Lesbians and the Cultural | 27 |
Married Lesbians | 41 |
Psychological Issues in Lesbian | 51 |
Psychosocial Development of Children Raised by Lesbian | 65 |
Impact on Couple | 77 |
Lesbian Victims of Relationship Violence | 89 |
Exploring | 119 |
Alcoholism Chemical Dependency and the Lesbian Client | 131 |
Using Kohuts Self Psychology in Work with Lesbian | 157 |
Nonmonogamy in the Lesbian Community | 167 |
Negotiating New Boundaries | 183 |
LesbianRelated Issues in Counseling Supervision | 195 |
Ethical Issues in Social Work Practice | 207 |
Common terms and phrases
abuse affectional alcoholic or chemically American Psychiatric Association battered lesbians become behavior beliefs bian body image boundary violation chemically dependent child clinical cognitive therapy conflict counseling counselor counselor-in-training countertransference culture custody differences discussion drug emotional ethical experience explore fear feel female feminist therapy friends gay male gender gender identity Haworth Press heterosexual mothers heterosexual women homophobia homophobic identity impact individual involved issues Journal of Homosexuality lesbian clients lesbian community lesbian couples lesbian feminist lesbian mothers lesbian relationships lesbian therapists Lesbian victims lesbian women lesbians and gay lifestyle lives lover married lesbians mental health merger monogamy negative nonmonogamy Padesky parents Peplau positive primary partner problems professional psychological psychotherapy rape rape victim rela sex role sex-typed sexual orientation situation social stereotypes supervision supervisor teacher therapeutic tion tionship treatment unethical violence woman Women for Sobriety York
