Attachment-Based Family Therapy for Sexual and Gender Minority Young Adults and Their Non-Accepting Parents

Parents who learn that their child is LGBTQ+ may experience fear, shame, and loss. Therapies can help parents become more accepting and foster meaningful relationships with their children. Parental acceptance is associated with lower rates of suicidal thoughts and attempts, higher self-esteem, perceived social support, and better general health. Attachment-based family therapy (ABFT-SGM) can help reduce parental rejection, facilitate parental acceptance, and promote safer, closer, and more mutually respectful relationships between LGBTQ+ young adults and their parents.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 164 pages
Publication date: 04 April 2023
Publisher: American Psychological Association

Parents often face a range of emotions, including fear, shame, and loss, when they discover that their child is same-sex oriented or gender non-conforming. The importance of therapeutic interventions to assist parents in becoming more accepting and fostering meaningful relationships with their LGBTQ+ children cannot be overstated.

Ongoing parental criticism, invalidation, and rejection of one's sexual or gender identity can have profound psychological consequences. It can lead to internalized homophobia, expectations of future rejection by others, depression, and other negative impacts. In contrast, parental acceptance is associated with numerous positive outcomes, including lower rates of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, higher self-esteem, greater perceived social support, reduced psychological symptoms, and improved overall health.

While most parents tend to become more accepting or at least more tolerant over time, some remain partially or fully rejecting even after learning about their child's identity. Attachment-based family therapy for sexual and gender minority young adults (ABFT-SGM) is a valuable approach that aims to reduce parental rejection, facilitate parental acceptance, and ultimately promote safer, closer, and more mutually respectful relationships between LGBTQ+ young adults and their parents.

This informative book provides step-by-step guidance, real-life examples, and an empirically based approach to help therapists conduct transformative attachment experiences that strengthen these families' connections. By addressing the fears and concerns of parents and providing them with tools and strategies to support their LGBTQ+ children, ABFT-SGM can help create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all members of the family.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781433836619