Research Paper on "Stigmatization and Therapy Counseling of Gay Men"

Research Paper 11 pages (4032 words) Sources: 1+

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(Yontef & Jacobs, 2007) According to Freud, the unconscious harbored objective, biologically-based drives press incessantly for release. Effective functioning was dependent on successful application of sublimation and repression for hiding the unconscious's contents; these impulses could only be experienced symbolically. 'Unconscious' from the Gestalt perspective is rather different. The unconscious is replaced by Gestalt concepts of unawareness and awareness. Therapists of this school of psychology employ unawareness/awareness concepts for indicating their belief in mutability between elements that are fleetingly in and out of awareness. An individual is unaware when an important, strong, and relevant element is not allowed to come to the forefront. The background is, temporarily, outside of one's awareness, but may suddenly come into awareness. The above statement is consistent with Gestalt theory's definition of perception (materialization of figures against some background) (Yontef & Jacobs, 2007).

Person Centered Theory

The initial focus of this perspective was on clients being in control of their treatment, resulting in development of a better grasp of self, enhanced self-concepts, and self-exploration among them. Subsequently, emphasis shifted to reference frame of client and the main conditions essential to effective therapy; e.g., ensuring that the therapist displays empathy and is non-judgmental.

Influence of humanistic perspective on client-centered therapy: The humanistic perspective has significantly influenced client-centered therapy. Client-centered therapists regard clients as trustworthy, capable persons, and concentrate on clients' capability of effecting changes by themselves.

Actualization: Individuals tend to strive towards attaining self-actualization, which denotes comprehensive development of an individual. Actualization takes place all through their lives, as he/she endeavors towards self-realization, fulfillment, and intrinsic goals, involving self-regulation and independence (Seligman, 2006).

Conditions of worth: These denote derogatory, negative messages from key figures in a person's life, impacting how he/she reacts to and acts in specific situations. In other words, they govern how important individuals in his/her life molded the self-concept of a person. A person tends to have low self-image if conditions of worth are forced on him/her. Moreover, a person's self-image may also be adversely affected upon exposure to dominating or overprotective environments.

The fully functioning person: Represents a person whose emotional health is perfect (Seligman, 2006). Normally, such individuals will be amenable to experience, trust themselves as well as others, and have purpose and meaning in their lives. One key aim of client-centered therapy is working towards making the client "fully functional." "

Phenomenological approach: This approach deals with every person's unique view of their own world. Individuals view and experience their own world differently, and react in distinct ways. Client-centered therapy concentrates on the client's personal experience informing the way the therapy will work.

Psychologist Carl Rogers developed the client-centered perspective, approaching therapy from a humanistic standpoint. In humanistic psychology, individuals are considered as independent and competent; the theory believes people can recognize their potential, resolve personal difficulties by themselves, and positively transform their lives (Seligman, 2006). On the whole, client-centered therapy constitutes a positive, non-directive therapy whose focus is on the ability of client to alter their lives, while striving to attain self-actualization (Person centered Therapy, n.d.).

Reality therapy

American psychologist and psychiatrist, William Glasser developed Reality Therapy during the mid-1960s. Its theory, methods, and broader applications are still evolving. It represents a therapeutic technique that teaches individuals to grasp the needs which have evolved through human evolution and that guide the whole of mankind; to meet these needs by making better choices; to take charge of one's life; and to cultivate the strength required for coping with life issues and stresses (EART, n.d.).

Reality therapy, as a corrective tool, is empowering as well as challenging, as it places emphasis on a person's ability to, and responsibility for, change; its theory opposes client 'excuses.' The focus of reality therapy's underlying theory -- choice theory -- is on existing relationships; this implies that the therapy de-emphasizes prior experiences; therefore, interventions are able to remain solution-focused and brief. Reality therapists offer a challenging, yet non-judgmental and helpful, environment, urging clients to understand that it is possible to bring about change, which, however, will need active client involvement. The aim of reality therapists is maintaining an optimistic and non-critical frame, and employing the micro-skills of warmth, humor, and counseling, for communicating to clients that they care, and are interested in what the client has to say. The idea that mental illness refers to 'denying reality' is inherent in this therapeutic approach. Historically, professionals have frequently utilized mental health services for suppressing dissent (e.g., Soviet Psychiatry); a disagreement with regard to facets of mankind's socially developed reality is the basis of all societal development. In the words of George Bernard Shaw: "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself." Hence, in his view, all development is dependent on those who are unreasonable. Social deviance cannot be considered 'irrational' by itself, and choice theory's criticism of psychoanalytic disagreement with traditional morality (Glasser, 1975) overlooks the patriarchal and exceedingly repressive nature of sexual and social relationships of the late nineteenth to early twentieth century (Stack, n.d.).

Bisexual and gay Latino males in the U.S., as members of both ethnic and sexual minority groups, are attacked by no less than three socially unfair forces -- racial discrimination, homophobia, and poverty -- preventing them from properly participating in the homosexual community and family life, and limiting their educational/professional prospects. Their exceedingly stigmatized social condition predicts a broad array of health issues; however, much is still unknown about the mental or physical health of bisexual and gay Latino males in the U.S. Since this group is characterized by some of the highest national rates of sexual risk-taking, HIV seroconversion and seroprevalence, rare empirical research on this social group have been performed in the HIV prevention context (Diaz, Ayala, Bein, Henne, & Marin, 2001).

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT represents a talking therapy, which can aid individuals suffering from a wide array of mental health-related issues. CBT is grounded on the assumption that individuals' thoughts can impact their feelings and behaviors. When mentally distressed, individuals think differently with regard to themselves and all that is happening with them. Their thoughts may turn extreme and adverse, and may aggravate the individual's negative feelings. Their resultant behavior may prolong their distress. Cognitive behavioral therapists assist clients with recognizing and altering their extreme thoughts and negative behavior. The consequence, is, often, a significant improvement in an individual's life and how he/she feels. CBT is based on principles and concepts derived from human behavioral and emotional models of psychology. They include an extensive range of therapeutic strategies for emotional ailments, across a continuum ranging from self-help content to structured individual therapy.

CBT is a key psychotherapeutic orientation (Roth & Fonagy, 2005), and constitutes an exclusive psychological intervention category, as it draws from behavioral and cognitive psychological theories of human behavior, including, for example, theories of abnormal and normal development, and of psychopathology and emotion. Behavior therapy, one of the initial CBT psychotherapies, is founded on the clinical implementation of thoroughly researched behavioral models, like learning theory (wherein operant and classical conditioning have primary roles). The initial behavioral models were not direct in their analysis of cognitive process' and cognition's role in the growth/maintenance of emotional ailments. Cognitive therapy's basis is the clinical implementation of widespread and more recent studies into the dominant influence of cognition in emotional disorder development (Grazebrook & Garland, 2005).

Therapists require accessible data in connection with how, specifically, to ascertain the effect of antigay persecution on their gay clients, as well as how to adapt and employ current therapeutic models for reducing these effects The prejudice and hostility encountered by gay men because of stigmatization jeopardizes their mental well-being further. Among representative samples of members of this group, perceived societal stigma, and reported prejudice and violence incidents are noted to be linked to suicidality and other mental health issues. Therefore, it is imperative for social workers who support gay males to evaluate and manage the psychological repercussions of stigma (LaSala, 2006).

Male homosexuals strive against the basic stigma of their homosexuality and the correlation of this with masculine identity. Pachankis addresses the significance of the gender-nonconformity stigma in development and masculine identity in his 2009 essay. Fortunately, masculine identity and socialization are, of late, getting the attention deserved by them in the literature of male psychology (Szymanski & Carr, 2008). These issues' role is complicated, particularly for gender-conforming men, and for gender-non-conformists as well. Despite Pachankis's focus being gender-non-conformity among gay males, Felix conformed to his gender, and yet strove with the crossroads of gay identity and masculinity. In his interest and actions, he was gender-conformist and identified strongly with the male role. Additionally, he did not report any inconvenience or shame with behaviors that were of a gender-non-conforming nature. A major share of his anxiety and stress, however, arose from the gay stigma and the discrepancy between conventional 'masculinity' definitions and male homosexuality (Mankowski, 2000).

Pachankis (2007) performed extensive research about stigma's effect on LGB clients'… READ MORE

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