Psychotherapists' approaches to gay and lesbian patients/clients: A qualitative study

We used qualitative research methods to examine the core issues relating to the approaches of psychodynamic and psychoanalytic psychotherapists to gay and lesbian patients and clients. The paper begins with a review of the psychoanalytic approaches to gay and lesbian sexuality and continues with material of a clinical nature, providing information about the experience of lesbians and gay men in psychotherapy. It also explores the attitudes of therapists towards gay and lesbian sexuality by discussing a range of psychoanalytic theories and their application to clinical work with patients and clients.