Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Clients

In Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Clients, Dr. Ruperto M. Perez demonstrates and discusses his approach to working with lesbian, gay, or bisexual individuals. Therapy and counseling with this population is similar in many ways to working with members of the heterosexual population, except that the therapist must keep in mind issues of homophobia, the coming out process, and the multiple social roles that lesbian, gay, or bisexual clients may play.

In this session, Dr. Perez illustrates his affirmative approach to therapy with a client named Denise, a woman who in the past year has divorced her husband of 26 years, come out to friends and family as a lesbian, and entered a new relationship with a woman. Dr. Perez works with Denise on the complications of having a fuller relationship with her partner while acknowledging the needs of her children as well as her fears of coming out at work and in the broader community.