Interpersonal Practice with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Clients

This course will address issues of concern to interpersonal practice clients that identify as Transgender, Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Questioning, or Non Straight (TLBGQNS). This course will build on basic IP skills and knowledge of, primarily, individual therapy. Issues which are of greater concern, or for which services and in some cases, knowledge are lacking for these groups will be reviewed. For example, these issues will include: the development of sexual identity, coming out, social stigma, substance abuse, HIV and AIDS, the interaction of discrimination due to gender and/or ethnicity with the discrimination due to sexual orientation, violence within relationships and violence against these groups, discrimination on the basis of orientation, suicide, family development and parenting, passing and community interaction, and policy. This course will closely focus on skills needed for working with these specific issues.