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Conversion Therapy Versus Gay-Affirmative Therapy: Working With Ego-Dissonant Gay Clients

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Dissertation(414.52 KB)

Date

2008

Authors

Supervisor

Appel, Stephen

Item type

Thesis/Dissertation

Degree name

Master of Health Science

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Auckland University of Technology

Abstract

This dissertation explores the issue of doing psychotherapy with ego-dissonant gay male clients. The methodology used is a modified systematic literature review with clinical illustrations. A dichotomy exists in the literature in relation to treating egodissonant gay clients who experience conflict between their sexuality and opposing values and beliefs. Each position tends to respond with a limited, exclusionary choice to either reject or accept one’s sexual orientation. This dissertation examines if there is a way to treat ego-dissonant clients without endorsing homophobic treatments or negating opposing values and beliefs. Freud’s views on homosexuality and sexual reorientation are delineated to inform and contextualise later writings on the subject. A review of conversion therapy and gay-affirmative therapy investigates the evidence of each, following which emerging integrative solutions are examined. Finally, a Kleinian model is proposed for individuals where neither a choice of a side nor comfortable resolution of the conflict seems feasible. While it is proposed that gay-affirmative therapy benefits the majority of ego-dissonant gay clients, this study recognises that each psychotherapeutic paradigm discussed caters, to some degree, to the uniquely different needs of individuals.

Description

Keywords

Psychotherapy, Gays counselling, Homosexuality, Sexuality

Source

DOI

Publisher's version

Rights statement

Permanent link

https://hdl.handle.net/10292/11160

Collections

Masters Dissertations