Abstract
Adolescence is accompanied by an emergence of strong sexual feelings that occur while the individual is learning to navigate the social world. For some, questions about sexual orientation and identity are confusing. Therapeutically, adolescents need a safe and value-free environment to understand their internal experiences of admiration, affection, sexual fantasies, and sexual attraction. This article describes a client-centered therapeutic approach in working with questioning adolescents. Gay clients may need additional support in exploring their internal experience, their social environment, coping strategies, and sexual identity development.
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He was in clinical practice for thirty years, specializing in treatment of survivors of so-called “conversion therapy.” His scholarship on LGBT issues, and on “conversion therapy” in particular, spans over three decades.
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Haldeman, D.C. Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Questioning Sexual Orientation. J Health Serv Psychol 44, 62–67 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03544664
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03544664