Therapy Articles

Helping Your Children Explain to Their Friends What it Means to Have Two Mommies or Two Daddies, by Tamberly Mott, MFT :: Adults in the LGBT community are not the only ones who are faced with “coming out” issues. The fact is that there are a growing number of LGBT couples who are choosing to be parents. Our newest contributor, Tamberly Mott talks about how to best serve your child’s interests when it comes to helping them integrate with other children. more »

Is Your Relationship Really Committed?, by Barba Elgin, MSW, LCSW-C :: Nationally noted therapist and counselor Barb Elgin (known as “Coach Saphho”) notes that: “There is nothing equal to the health, economic, emotional and social benefits one enjoys when he or she is part of a committed, thriving and socially supported life partnership.” In this era of celebration over marriage legalization in California and Massachusetts and domestic partnerships in several other states, it would (as my grandmother used to say) “behoove us” to take a serious look at our relationships and decide what the right option is for us. Click below to read more on this important relationship issue: more »

Hope for Victims of LGBT Domestic Abuse, by A Brewster Smythe :: Two decades ago, there were no shelters for battered gay men or domestic violence services for homosexuals. And police were often not inclined to get involved in household disputes involving same-sex couples. That, in startling clarity, is a short history of LGBT domestic violence. Today, however, there is hope for those in the gay community who are victimized in domestic abuse situations. more »

Not In Our Family: Domestic Violence In The LGBT Community, by A Brewster Smythe :: Domestic violence is full of equal opportunity. The same percentage of domestic violence occurs in the straight world as in the LGBT community. Domestic violence is a dirty little secret that not many people want to talk about. But talk about it we must. . more »

Recognizing and Treating Depression in the LGBT Community, by Katharine Swan with clinical consultation by Cherie Verber, MA, MFT :: To protect us from the impact of depression, the LGBT community as a whole needs to maintain an awareness of the disorder – helping each other to recognize the signs and seek treatment for ourselves and our loved ones. . more »

How to Co-Parent Thru Divorce, by Angela Watson :: With estimates of anywhere from six to fourteen million children living in LGBT households in the U.S., there is a proportionately high number of gay couples, married and otherwise, raising these children. And with coupledom, there are bound to be break-ups, splits, divorces… whatever you want to call them. And they will affect our families. more »

Mindfulness in Relationships, by Rev. Robert W. Cromey :: There are a whole host of “things” being in relationship brings with it. Pay attention to your needs as well as your partner’s and always remember to TALK things out. Not talking leads to fear, mistrust and resentment and those are always things a relationship can always be much better without. more »

Affirmative Counseling And Therapy (ACT) For Children, by Cherie Verber, M.F.T. :: As of 1990, 6 million to 14 million children in the United States were living with a gay or lesbian parent. If even half this number exists, that’s a lot of kids in LGBT households. We are charged with making our kids happy and healthy, both physically and emotionally. Read this article not for the ABCs of healthy parenting, but for the ACTS… more »

Parenting Through a Breakup, by Katharine Swan :: Breakups are rough, but they are especially so when children are involved. For gay and lesbian couples, the difficulty of breaking up is frequently amplified by a lack of legal, social, and emotional support. The absence of laws allowing gay and lesbian marriage also translates into a shortage of laws to regulate same-sex breakups. Without these protections, all of the family members involved can suffer the consequences, including the children. Read here for helpful tips on making the split as gentle as possible. more »

12 Reasons Why Gay Marriage Will Not Work :: “Straight marriage will become less meaningful, since Britney Spears’ 55-hour just-for-fun marriage was meaningful.” Read the other 11 reasons in this tongue-in-cheek reprint. A funny look at the anti-gay-marriage arguments most commonly cited more »

Coming Out To Your Kids, by Cherie Verber, M.F.T. :: Gay and lesbian individuals begin the “coming out” process when they first begin to recognize that they are attracted to someone of the same sex. Coming out to your children is but one more step in this lifelong process. more »

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