Clinical work with LGBTQ parents and prospective parents

Abstract

Clinical work with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) families bridges the gap between knowledge gained from research and the political activism of communities fighting for social acceptance and legal protections. This chapter outlines the family-building strategies of LGBTQ people and the particular challenges faced in moving through normative family life cycle development. The authors explore LGBTQ parenting utilizing an eclectic therapeutic framework based in feminist, systemic, narrative, relational, and transfeminist theoretical models, and through the use of case vignettes from their clinical experiences, the authors describe clinical assessment and treatment strategies. There is an emphasis in this chapter on clinical competency within the therapeutic setting for each group of the LGBTQ acronym, as they are all faced with different biological possibilities, social imperatives, and public bias in making choices to become parents. This chapter illustrates the importance of therapists educating themselves regarding the multitude of parenting possibilities for LGBTQ people and to foster the matrix of intersecting identities that each parent may hold.