Welcome Graduate Students!

Thank you for pursuing more information and education to provide affirming and research supported services to LGBTQ+ individuals.

Historical Note: We are a short 50 years from the time that psychiatrists removed "homosexual" from the DSM. See this interesting video about the history of that change.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cItPwUFk6Vk&ab_channel=NBCNews

The first parents' rights movement to support their LGBT children was 50 years ago with the start of PFLAG https://pflag.org/our-story/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfpnt9c3tZw

UGA History of Gay Rights Movement on Campus

https://digilab.libs.uga.edu/scl/exhibits/show/makingspace/lgtbtq/cge

Tenets of Affirming Therapy with LGBTQIA+ Youth

Variety in sexual orientation and gender identity is a normal, healthy, and positive expression of our humanity.

It is typical for children and teenagers to explore their identity as they experience developmental milestones (e.g., puberty, attraction, dating, socialization, presenting in the world, accepting their body). For some, this developmental process happens early and for some it is an ongoing process.

LGBTQIA+ individuals experience minority stress, which contributes to disproportionately higher rates of negative outcomes in areas like physical and mental health, etc. Those with multiple marginalized identities face more discrimination and challenge (intersectionality).

In addition to our own identity pride, support in the form of acceptance from important people in our lives is a protective factor. Validation of our identity and humanity contributes to healthier outcomes.

Sexual orientation or gender identity change efforts (i.e., conversion therapy/exploratory therapy) is psychologically harmful and goes against our professional ethical standards as psychologists.

Theoretical foundations of affirming mental health care comes from a client-centered, multi-cultural, sex positive, relational, developmental, family systems, social justice, feminist, intersectional, trauma-informed and resilience-based position, etc. (Chang, Singh, dickey, 2018)

We support clients to envision and embody their authentic selves, contrary to the societal pressures of endocisnormativity, heteronormativity, bi-erasure, homophobia, and transphobia, as well as working to build a world that is affirming, inclusive, and safe for all people.

Minority Stress Model (Risk and Resiliency Factors)

Meyer (Psych Bulletin, 2003) Prejudice, Social Stress, and Mental Health in LGB Populations

Graphic for Minority Stress https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-019-01502-2/figures/1

Minority Stress explanation by Dr. Sara Williams https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mf1rTN28j4

Testing the Minority Stress Model (2023) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37261780/

Minority Stress and Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempts among LGBT Adolescents and Young Adults : A Meta-Analysis (2022) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35319281/

Reducing Behavioral Health Symptoms by Addressing Minority Stressors in LGBTQ Adolescents (2021) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8696968/

Intersectional Identity: Black and LGBTQ https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/guide/black-lgbtq-approaching-intersectional-conversations/

Intersectionality Matters: Supporting Trans and Nonbinary People of Color

https://youtu.be/hZT7_iBKrk0?si=_bJqZGBzWrhYvBfj

Affirmative Therapy with Trans and Nonbinary Clients- youtube webinar- Division 17

INTERVENTION

Chaudior at al. (2017) interventions at the structural, interpersonal, and individual levels

Individual Intervention

Unified Protocol- LGBTQ Affirming CBT (T.J. Sullivan, PhD Virtual Workshop 2/28/2025)

Research from Dr. John Pachankis

Underlying key psychological mechanisms of chronic stress to the person

1) early minority stress--> lasting feelings of inferiority (internalized stigma)

2) early victimization--> lack of current trust for others (rejection sensitivity)

3) early concealment --> enduring tendency towards secrecy (identity concealment)

• Growing up LGBTQ can powerfully shape one’s interpretations of many different kinds of situations, as well as expectations about what will happen next

• Explore with your client the minority stress origin of their: expectations of rejections, self-hatred or shame, contingent self-worth, loneliness

Meyer Minority Stress with LGB populations (pdf)

Download

Gender minority stress measure with scoring (pdf)

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Trauma Focused-CBT for LGBTQ-Implementation-Manual-FINAL (pdf)

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Burger & Pachankis 2024 State of the Science of LGBTQ Affirming therapy (pdf)

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Chaudior et al. 2017 What reduces sexual minority stress? A review of the intervention toolkit (pdf)

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Stone Centering the voices of queer youth in defining resilience 2022 (pdf)