Affirmative Psychotherapy with Bisexual Women and Bisexual Men

Ronald C. Fox

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN:
  9781560232995
• eBook ISBN:
  9781317712909
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Mental Health in Psychology
• Index: Psychology

Learn the latest practicaland bisexually affirmativeapproaches to helping bisexual clients

Clinical work with bisexual clients has conceptually shifted beyond the exclusive emphasis on either straight or lesbian and gay issues. There are still, however, too few psychotherapists who provide affirmative psychotherapy specific to bisexual concerns. Affirmative Psychotherapy with Bisexual Women and Bisexual Men addresses the issues of bisexuals with an accepting and affirmative perspective, providing therapists with the latest viewpoints, strategies, and research to effectively treat bisexual clients. Leading authorities with affirmative-to-bisexuals perspectives discuss problems specific to bisexuals and their lifestyles, with an eye toward providing practical, effective therapy. Unique bisexual lifestyle concerns are examined, such as transgender issues, polyamory, older bisexual women and men, and cultural differences, while providing an emphasis on cultivating well-being and a sense of community in bisexual clients.

Affirmative Psychotherapy with Bisexual Women and Bisexual Men sensitively avoids the double standard long held by therapists clinically treating heterosexual or lesbian and gay individuals, showing that an affirmative viewpoint is valid and crucial for the effective treatment of bisexuals. This source clearly explains practical strategies and discusses the latest research on bisexual issues such as age, culture, heterosexual and bisexual mixed couples, and the polyamorous lifestyle with appropriate acceptance and understanding. The book also explores useful ways to develop successful health and support services specific to bisexual needs.

Topics in Affirmative Psychotherapy with Bisexual Women and Bisexual Men include:

• affirmative psychotherapy techniques specific to bisexual women and bisexual men
  
• need for validation of bisexuality
  
• ways for clients to come to terms with their bisexuality
  
• practical valueand shortcomingsof the main therapeutic schools in providing effective psychotherapy
  
• transgender bisexuality, with illustrative case studies
  
• needs and issues of African-American bisexual clients
  
• bisexual aging issues
  
• counseling heterosexual spouses of bisexual women and men
  
• therapy approaches for clients who are bisexual and polyamorous
  
• recognizing and addressing the specific needs of different sub-groups of bisexual people
  
• and more!
  
  

Affirmative Psychotherapy with Bisexual Women and Bisexual Men is a crucial addition to the literature of bisexual psychotherapy and is invaluable to counselors, psychotherapists, marriage and family therapists, social workers, psychiatrists, sex therapists, researchers, and educators in the fields of psychology, sociology, anthropology, sexuality, sex education, adolescent and adult development, and community mental health.

Index

Affirmative psychotherapy. See also Psychotherapy

about, 53–55

with African American bisexuals, 74–75

for bisexual transgender people, 53

with bisexual women and bisexual men, 6–9

African American bisexuals. See also Bisexual people

about, 67–69

deconstruction of hegemonic forms of femininity and masculinity and, 74

hegemonic identity systems and, 69–72

labeling and, 67–68

promoting well-being through integrative therapy for, 76–79

providing affirmative therapy for, 74–75

social capital and, 69

well-being and, 69

American Psychological Association, 5–6

Authenticity, jargon of, 70, 72

Bi and Bi-Curious Men’s Group, at Fenway Community Health, 176–179

Bi-curious people, defined, 169–170

BiHealth program (Fenway Community Health)

about, 167–169

Bi and Bi-Curious Men’s Group, 176–179

example of safer sex education in field of, 183–185

origins of, 170–171

phone counseling and, 179–181

prevention outreach and, 181

Safer Sex Educator Team of, 181–183

separating attraction, behavior, and identity in language at, 171–174

Sexual Diversity Panel, 183

sexual identity and support services at, 174–176

terms used to identify bisexuals at, 169–170

training volunteers and, 172–173

volunteer training and, 181–182

Biphobia, acknowledging, 23

Bisexual-heterosexual couples. See Mixed-orientation couples

Bisexual identity

assumptions made on basis of, 56

coming out and, 31–33

multiple identities and, 70

Bisexuality

affirmative approaches to, 3–4

cultural diversity and, 37–40

defined, 30–31

invisibility and, 56

negative attitudes toward, 4, 42

pathologizing, 73–74

perspectives of, 29–30

polyamory and, 144–148

relationships and, 33–35

shifts in perspective in psychology and, 3–6

types of, 56

Bisexual men, 3–4. See also Older bisexual women and ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• About the Contributors
• About the Editor
• Affirmative Psychotherapy with Bisexual Women and Bisexual Men: An Introduction
• Affirmative Psychotherapy with Bisexual Women
• Affirmative Psychotherapy with Bisexual Men
• Affirmative Psychotherapy with Bisexual Transgender People
• Promoting Well-Being: An Ecology of Intervening with African American Bisexual Clients
• Affirmative Psychotherapy with Older Bisexual Women and Men
• Counseling Heterosexual Spouses of Bisexual Men and Women and Bisexual-Heterosexual Couples: Affirmative Approaches
• Therapy with Clients Who Are Bisexual and Polyamorous
• Developing Successful Sexual Health and Support Services for Bisexual People: Lessons Learned from the BiHealth Program
• Index