RELATED SERVICES

Gay and Lesbian Families

Gay and lesbian parents raising children are wonderful examples of what makes family, well family. Everywhere, gay and lesbian families are on the rise. Increasingly, children of gay and lesbian families are recognized for their psychological strength, their unique capacity to express emotions and their appreciation for social diversity.

Still, there are a number of unique challenges that gay and lesbian families face that other families do not: Challenges for parents such as having to decide when to “come out” to their children about their sexual orientation, or having to weigh the pros and cons of disclosing the gender characteristics of their family to the public.

Indeed, the presence of social stigma in the United States is very real. You can feel it. As such, gay and lesbian parents can often benefit from the process of becoming better educated about what services are available to better manage the stresses of family life.

One of the ways that I help support gay and lesbian families is by providing parents with a “blueprint” of their family; a one-of-a-kind structural representation of how their family works: what is happening to increase the family’s sense of well being and what is happening to create conflict. This sets the foundation for future growth and change.

I also teach gay and lesbian parents practical ways to help their children prepare for, address and resolve problems related to homophobia and social stigma. In fact, I will refer you to an article I recently wrote for more information about this topic and more generally about how I work with gay and lesbian families. Please read: “Practical Tips for Lesbian and Gay Parents Raising Teenagers.”

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