Edmond J Coleman

Integrated Identity for Gay Men and Lesbians: Psychotherapeutic Approaches for Emotional Well-Being (Inglés)

Immensely helpful for professionals, this book provides valuable insights into psychotherapy with gay people. Highly competent clinicians and researchers discuss typical psychological problems of gay men and lesbians and the most effective contemporary psychotherapeutic treatment methods. Each of the treatment methods--examined from a theoretical viewpoint--is designed to maximize potential, improve psychological and interpersonal functioning, and develop a positive self and sexual identity. Topics addressed include assessment of sexual orientation, internalized homophobia, coping with the threat of AIDS, counseling for family members, and sexual control.

Contents Foreword

Preface
Introduction
Assessment of Sexual Orientation
Developmental Issues and Their Resolution for Gay and Lesbian Adolescents
Therapeutic Issues and Intervention Strategies With Young Adult Lesbian Clients: A Developmental Approach
Internalized Homophobia and Lesbian Identity
Ericksonian Hypnosis and Strategic Interventions for Sexual Orientation Confusion
Therapy for Male Couples Experiencing Relationship Problems and/or Sexual Problems
Stage Discrepancy in Male Couples
Treatment of Identity and Intimacy Issues in Gay Males
Dependency Issues in Lesbian Relationships
Sex Therapy With Lesbian Couples: A Four Stage Approach
Causes and Treatment of Sexual Desire Discrepancies in Male Couples
A Sociological Approach to Counseling Homosexual Clients and Their Families
Group Psychotherapy for Bisexual Men and Their Wives
Clinical Implications of Lesbian Mother Studies
Helping Gay Fathers Come Out to Their Children
Psychotherapy With Gay/Lesbian Couples and Their Children in “Stepfamilies”: A Challenge for Marriage and Family Therapists
Resources for Families With a Gay/Lesbian Member(s)
Alcoholics Anonymous and Gay American Men
AIDS, Sexuality, and Sexual Control
The Worried Well: Maximizing Coping in the Face of AIDS
The Individual and Social Psychology of Aging: Clinical Implications for Lesbians and Gay Men… (altro)

Very interesting analysis of gay and lesbian culture in China. The title, Tongshi, originally meant comrade in Communist China. Its literal meaning is "same purpose". Somewhere in the 1990's it became a term for homosexuals, although not entirely in the western sense. It had been an almost sacred designation among Communists, so its transformation is striking.

The most interesting aspect is his comparison of self-identification of gays in China versus the west, particularly America. There is not the conceptual dichotomy in China of being gay or not gay. Instead there is the idea that someone may have attraction to someone of the same sex and may act on it on a regular basis, but it is culturally acceptable as long as they do not flaunt it and it does not interfere with societal responsibilities, which generally means marriage and children. Sexual orientation is not the primary means of self-identification, but it is one aspect of that self-identification. The Chinese word for homosexual is not used to describe someone but describes homosexual activity. "Tongzhi" does not describe someone who is "out", but someone who finds people of the same sex attractive. When actually wanting to call someone a homosexual (which usually means a more active gay lifestyle), Chinese usually use the term "gay" because their own culture does not used that identification.

This is a complex work, signifying the difficulty of analyzing this subject in an entire country, much less including the related cultures of Hong Kong and Taiwan. In larger cities with large western populations, there is sometimes a gay community, but there is very little incentive to "come out". There are still problems for Chinese who get caught (blackmail by police is not uncommon) so most try to stay hidden from public and family view, often with the family's tacit consent.

This is a very interesting book, and not just for people interested in China. By examining homosexuality in China, Chou also illuminates and challenges some of the assumption on homosexuality in other cultures, particularly the United States.… (altro)