Reicen Mey B Valea

BS Psychology 3-1
LGBTQIA+ COUNSELING

The LGBTQIA+ Counseling is usually tackles the social anxiety a lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender. questioning/queer, intersexual or asexual & etc (LGBTQIA+)
develops throughout, problems about coming out, and the depression they feel
before or after coming out. Usually, a person from the LGBTQIA+ community would
feel different or does not fit in, neglected, worthless when not accepted by those he
or she respects and he or she would have a fear of rejection; the said beliefs then
generate problems with social anxiety, shame and depression. It is easy to see how
young people who sense they are different in some socially unacceptable way could
come to learn some of these self-destructive core beliefs. Young people who are
from the respective community are especially vulnerable to this dynamic of social
unacceptability and the unhealthy core beliefs, social anxiety, shame and
depression that often develop as a result.
Although things have improved dramatically during recent years, peer and
societal condemnation remains especially harshoften cruelfor a great many
LGBTQIA+ youth. Depending on ones social, religious and family upbringing,
LGBTQIA+ youth are often still hearing repeated messages from many sources that
they are sick, sinful, disgusting and should not exist. Many who cannot hide their
differences or who out themselves or are outed by others become the target of
harassment, bullying, rejection, ostracism and violence, resulting in a
disproportionately high rate of suicide attempts among LGBTQIA+ youth.
Fortunately, many who do come out as lesbian, gay, bi or trans are
increasingly met with support and acceptance from some family members, some
friends, and some school and religious leaders. Sadly, this support is still often
absent for LGBTQIA+ youth whose parents, peers, school and religious leaders are
frequently non-acceptingand often harshly condemningof homosexuality and
gender non-nonconformity. Even when coming out is met with positive reactions,
repeated condemning messages from other persons and institutions often instil
unhealthy core beliefs that make LGBTQIA+ youth especially prone to social
anxiety, shame and depression.
Coming out (to ourselves and to others) requires a changing of unhealthy
core beliefs so that we can develop a greater sense of self-acceptance and
emotional resilience in the face of potential condemnation and rejection. But even
after coming out, many LGBTQIA+ persons retain the sense of being negatively
different--not quite right or acceptable in some ways--even among other lesbians,
gays, bi's and trans people.
Other than those problems mentioned, the abuse LGBTQIA+ members
usually gays experience from menexperience, the stigma brought on being
LGBTQIA+ and the paranoia of being maltreated and discriminated because of their
gender are talked about counselling sessions. Counselors are recommended to use
cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), individual counseling and group psychotherapy.
CBT helps develop strategies and skills to identify, test and change these

destructive core beliefs and underlying assumptions. In CBT, clients learn to replace
these unhealthy ways of thinking with self-affirming beliefs that enable them to be
more comfortable and open when interacting with others, and more resilient when
those interactions do not go so well. Individual counseling can assist individuals
emerging from the pain of betrayal and help individuals in staying open to the
possibility of emotional closeness. Group psychotherapy offers a safe place to
experience change. Members discuss how to establish healthy relationships with
loved ones and/or friends Groups create powerful healing and transformative
experiences by facilitating a deep level of trust and interconnectedness. Members
find the resourcefulness of others as role models and renew feelings of self-worth
through assisting others. Participation in such a support network helps members
realize that they are not alone or unique.
The most promoted therapy technique for the LGBTQIA+ community is the
Gay Affirmative Psychotherapy in which it focuses on client comfort in working
towards authenticity and self-acceptance regarding sexual orientation, and does not
attempt to change them to heterosexuality or to eliminate or diminish same-sex
desires and behaviors. This type of therapy is an absolute opposite of the socalled Conversion Therapy which is a psychological or spiritual counselling designed
to change a persons sexual orientation from homosexual ot bisexual to
heterosexual. The treatment is said to be controversial since people who undergo
this treatment are forced to take it. The American Psychological Association opposes
the said psychiatric treatment and describes attempts to chance sexual orientation
by practitioners as unethical. Conversion therapy has been proved to make
depression or even suicide more likely.