Contemporary Perspectives on Psychotherapy and Homosexualities [Paperback]

Christopher Shelley (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1998 | ISBN-10: 1853434043 | ISBN-13: 978-1853434044

Most psychotherapy training programmes don't incorporate elements which examine the special needs of the gay and lesbian populations. It is therefore questionable whether practitioners possess the basic necessary skills for assessing and employing interventions based on sexually sensitive material. An unexamined and untrained approach to working with homosexual populations can no longer be tolerated. This book addresses some of the incoherence that exists in this field. The contributors propose theories and models of practice that will be more beneficial to the therapeutic needs of homosexual clients. Their accounts represent a significant step towards a better understanding of the needs of this client group.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Christopher Shelley is a Canadian, based in London. Formerly a psychotherapist at the Toronto Counselling Center for Lesbians and Gays, he is now coordinator of the Institute for Individual Psychology, London.

Product Details

• Paperback: 231 pages
• Publisher: Free Assn Books (June 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1853434043
• ISBN-13: 978-1853434044
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,959,959 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Thought-out Response, January 24, 2003

By 

Allan M. Savage (Thunder Bay, Ontario) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Contemporary Perspectives on Psychotherapy and Homosexualities (Paperback)

Shelley is the editor of this collection of essays. The Introduction to the collection and the essay that is his contribution forms the basis of this review. Shelley is an Adlerian psychoanalyst who proposes a fresh methodological approach to understanding the homosexual person. He suggests that an individual is not characterized by one understanding of homosexuality but rather is understood through a varieties of homosexualities. He recommends an abandonment of the traditional definition of homosexuality which seems to be an impediment to understanding the homosexual person in his or her environment. This would allow for the individuated and special needs of homosexual persons to be recognized by therapists in their professional approaches. He takes a stand against "reparative practices" by therapists and against those social institutions which perpetuate unhealthy pressures on homosexual individuals by accepting the uncriticized social perspective as the norm. In an insightful comment he criticizes affirmative therapy as a reaction to the illness model of homosexuality and proposes that a thought-out response to the person-in-community replace it. To Shelley's way of thinking affirmative therapy as understood by many practitioners is not in keeping with proposed developments in Adlerian psychology. The seven articles selected represent a number of points of view and are intended to allow the reader to make dialectical comparisons and stimulate debate, he says (p. 8). Given my limited understanding of Adlerian psychology, and then only from a theological perspective, Shelley's suggested re-interpretation of Abler's thought concerning the homosexual person appears convincing. As I see it, his overall argument strives towards understanding the person in a natural order with the intent of constructing a healthy psyche.

1.0 out of 5 stars This person is not credible., November 16, 2011

By 

Nikki Buechler (Stanford, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Contemporary Perspectives on Psychotherapy and Homosexualities (Paperback)

If I wanted mental health advice, Christopher Shelley is the LAST person I would approach. He may be well-dressed and articulate but he's got some pretty serious issues.

4.0 out of 5 stars A Thought-out Response, January 9, 2002

By 

Allan M. Savage (Thunder Bay, Ontario) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Contemporary Perspectives on Psychotherapy and Homosexualities (Paperback)

Shelley is the editor of this collection of essays. The Introduction to the collection and the essay that is his contribution forms the basis of this review. Shelley is an Adlerian psychoanalyst who proposes a fresh methodological approach to understanding the homosexual person. He suggests that an individual is not characterized by one understanding of homosexuality but rather is understood through a varieties of homosexualities. He recommends an abandonment of the traditional definition of homosexuality which seems to be an impediment to understanding the homosexual person in his or her environment. This would allow for the individuated and special needs of homosexual persons to be recognized by therapists in their professional approaches. He takes a stand against "reparative practices" by therapists and against those social institutions which perpetuate unhealthy pressures on homosexual individuals by accepting the uncriticized social perspective as the norm. In an insightful comment he criticizes affirmative therapy as a reaction to the illness model of homosexuality and proposes that a thought-out response to the person-in-community replace it. To Shelley's way of thinking affirmative therapy as understood by many practitioners is not in keeping with proposed developments in Adlerian psychology. The seven articles selected represent a number of points of view and are intended to allow the reader to make dialectical comparisons and stimulate debate, he says (p. 8). Given my limited understanding of Adlerian psychology, and then only from a theological perspective, Shelley's suggested re-interpretation of Abler's thought concerning the homosexual person appears convincing. As I see it, his overall argument strives towards understanding the person in a natural order with the intent of constructing a healthy psyche.