Kink Affirmative Therapy: Perceptions of Power
When practicing kink affirmative therapy, it is important as a clinician to understand the inherent dynamics that play into working with clients who are a part of the Bondage and Discipline, Dominance, and Submission, Sadism and Masochism (BDSM) community. Over 40 percent of the United States population has fantasies about or has engaged in BDSM [...]
Supporting LGBTQIA+ Youth to Address Microaggressions
Microaggressions are “everyday derogations, slights, and invalidations that are often delivered to people of minority or marginalized backgrounds” (Lui & Quezada, 2019). Daily microaggressions such as heterosexism (thinking heterosexual people are the norm and assuming everyone is heterosexual), assuming gender pronouns, or placing heterosexual norms about sexuality or relationships on an LGBTQIA+ person [...]
Substance Use Disorders in LGBTQIA+ Youth
*Content warning: eating disorders, substance use disorders in LGBTQIA+ youth
LGBTQIA+ youth are more susceptible to developing a substance use disorder than people not in this group (Garcia et al., 2019). Affirming therapists must be cognizant that LGBTQIA+ clients are more likely to make impulsive decisions and have a high rate of dysphoria around body [...]
Eating Disorders with LGBTQIA+ Youth
*Content warning: eating disorders, sexual assault, aggressive behaviors
The intersection of eating disorders with LGBTQIA+ youth is a challenging presentation to treat. A therapist’s chief concern is that eating disorders have a higher mortality rate than any other mental health disorder (Edakubo & Fushimi, 2020). Secondly, people in the LGBTQIA+ community have a high rate [...]