Despite an abysmal "success rate," practitioners still use reparative therapy in an attempt to turn gays and lesbians straight. This text exposes the pitfalls that should be considered before gays embark on this journey that typically leads nowhere. Although homosexuality is becoming less stigmatized in American culture, gays and lesbians still face strong social, familial, financial, or career pressures to "convert" to being heterosexuals. In this groundbreaking book, longtime psychiatrist Martin Kantor, MD-himself homosexual and once immersed in therapy to become "straight"-explains why…mehr
Despite an abysmal "success rate," practitioners still use reparative therapy in an attempt to turn gays and lesbians straight. This text exposes the pitfalls that should be considered before gays embark on this journey that typically leads nowhere. Although homosexuality is becoming less stigmatized in American culture, gays and lesbians still face strong social, familial, financial, or career pressures to "convert" to being heterosexuals. In this groundbreaking book, longtime psychiatrist Martin Kantor, MD-himself homosexual and once immersed in therapy to become "straight"-explains why so-called "reparative therapy" is not only ineffective, but should not be practiced due its faulty theoretical bases and the deeper, lasting damage it can cause. This standout work delves into the history of reparative therapy, describes the findings of major research studies, and discusses outcome studies and ethical and moral considerations. Author Kantor identifies the serious harm that can result from reparative therapy, exposes the religious underpinnings of the process, and addresses the cognitive errors reparative therapy practitioners make while also recognizing some positive features of this mode of treatment. One section of the book is dedicated to discussing the therapeutic process itself, with a focus on therapeutic errors that are part of its fabric. Finally, the author identifies affirmative eclectic therapy-not reparative therapy-as an appropriate avenue for gays who feel they need help, with goals of resolving troubling aspects of their lives that may or may not be related to being homosexual, and of self-acceptance rather than self-mutation.
Martin Kantor, MD is a Harvard psychiatrist who has been in full private practice in Boston and New York City, and active in residency training programs at several hospitals, including Massachusetts General and Beth Israel in New York. He also served as Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Mount Sinai Medical School and as Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School. He is currently a full-time medical author, the author of more than a dozen other books, including Homophobia, Second Edition (Praeger 2009); Uncle Sam's Shame: Inside the Veteran's Administration (Praeger 2008); Lifting the Weight: Understanding Depression in Men: Its Causes and Solutions (Praeger 2007); The Psychopathy of Everyday Life: How Antisocial Personality Disorder Affects All of Us (Praeger, 2006); Understanding Paranoia: A Guide for Professional, Families, and Sufferers (Praeger 2004); Distancing: Avoidant Personality Disorder, Revised and Expanded (Praeger, 2003), Passive-Aggression: A Guide for the Therapist, the Patient, and the Victim (Praeger, 2002), Treating Emotional Disorder in Gay Men (Praeger, 1999), and Homophobia (Praeger, 1998).
Inhaltsangabe
Introduction PART I: DESCRIPTION Chapter 1: An Historical Overview Chapter 2: Problems with Research Studies Chapter 3: Outcome Chapter 4: Ethical, Moral, and Practical Considerations/on Banning Reparative Therapy Chapter 5: Harm Chapter 6: The Role Played by Religion and Religious Beliefs Chapter 7: Personal Problems of Reparative Therapists/Homophobia Chapter 8: Cognitive Errors (Erroneous Beliefs) of Reparative Therapists Chapter 9: Positive Aspects of Reparative Therapy PART II: THEORY Chapter 10: Speculative Causal Theories PART III: THERAPY Chapter 11: Obtaining Informed Consent Chapter 12: Destructive Therapeutic Mindsets Chapter 13: Reparative Therapeutic Mantras Chapter 14: Serendipitous Positive Effects/Unintended Positive Consequences Chapter 15: Therapeutic Errors Chapter 16: Diverse Therapeutic Approaches to SOCE Chapter 17: Therapy for Children and Adolescents Chapter 18: Affirmative Therapy Chapter 19: Treating Compulsive Homosexuality Chapter 20: Treating Self-Homophobia (Ego-Dystonic Homosexuality) Chapter 21: Parental Issues Notes Index
