Homework Assignments and Handouts for LGBTQ+ Clients A Mental Health and Counseling Handbook

Foreword by Anneliese Singh

Introduction by Joy Whitman and Cyndy Boyd

Part I: Homework, Handouts, and Activities for the Coming-Out Process across the Life Span

1. A Pet-Assisted Intervention during Coming-Out Experiences

Michael P. Chaney and Kathryn L. Pozniak

2. Assisting Individuals in Coming Out in Later Life as Lesbian, Gay, or Bisexual

Vincent M. Marasco and Randall L. Astramovich

3. Transgender Teens and Gender-Identity Disclosure

Laura R. Haddock

4. Assisting Youth with Disclosing Their Sexual Orientation and/or Gender Identity Using an Ecomap

Richard A. Brandon-Friedman and M. Killian Kinney

5. Must Be the Music: Musical Autobiography and Critical Lyric Analysis

Kiahni Nakai

6. Cinematherapy for LGBT Clients

Jennifer Lancaster and Angelica Terepka

7. How Does God See Me? A Reflective Exercise

Hannah B. Bayne and Anita A. Neuer Colburn

Part II: Homework, Handouts, and Activities for Managing Oppression and Building Resilience

8. Survival in an Unjust World: A Tool for Coping with Multiple Forms of Oppression

Jessica Chavez

9. Managing the Intersections: A Narrative Approach to Guiding Queer People of Color in Navigating Multiple Oppressions

Jayleen Galarza

10. A Lovingkindness Meditation to Heal from Heterosexism, Transphobia, and Other Forms of Oppression

Eve M. Adams, Tracie L. Hitter, and Virginia Longoria

11. From Stress to Strength: A Group Intervention for Processing Minority Stress Experiences with Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Individuals

Caroline Carter and Diane Sobel

12. Exploring Multiple Marginalized Identities in LGBT Clients of Color

Vanessa Dabel

13. Somos Latinx: Exploring Cultural Values of Sexually and Gender-Diverse Latinx Clients

Zully A. Rivera Ramos, Amanda Lawson-Ross, and Carlos Hernández

14. Building Resilience with Clients Who Face Multiple Forms of Oppression

Kristin N. Bertsch

15. Building a Stronger Advocacy Role for Older LGBT+ Adults in Nursing Home Settings

Angela Schubert

16. A Toolkit for Collaborative Safety and Treatment Planning with Transgender Youth of Color

Wendy Ashley, Allen Eugene Lipscomb, and Sarah Mountz

17. Healing from Heterosexism: An Empirically Based Exercise for Processing Heterosexist Experiences

Kathleen M. Collins, Meredith R. Maroney, Tangela S. Roberts, Brianna M. Wadler, and Heidi M. Levitt

18. At the Intersection of the Autism Spectrum and Sexual and Gender Diversity: Case Studies for Use with Clinicians and Clients

Eva Mendes and Meredith R. Maroney

19. Clinical Work with LGBTQ Asylum Seekers

Brianna M. Wadler, Meredith R. Maroney, and Sharon G. Horne

20. Value-Driven Exploration of Intersections between Sexual and Religious Identity

Angelica Terepka and Jennifer Lancaster

Part III: Homework, Handouts, and Activities for Relationships

21. Exploring and Navigating Sexual Desire in Relationships

Sara K. Bridges

22. Intimate Partner Violence: Initial Interventions for LGBTQ Clients

Sabina de Vries

23. Transgender Youth and Healthy Relational Skills

Luke R. Allen

24. Two Stars and a Wish: Termination Activities for Groups with Sexual- and Gender-Identity Diverse Clients

Theodore R. Burnes

25. The Quadrant Exercise of Relationship Exploration for Sexual- and Gender-Identity Diverse Clients

Theodore R. Burnes

26. Negotiating Information and Communication Technologies with Sexual and Gender Minority Youth and Young Adults

Nathaniel Amos

27. BDSM Exploration and Communication within LGBT Relationships

Kandice H. van Beerschoten

Part IV: Homework, Handouts, and Activities for LGBTQ Parenting and Family Therapy

28. Transgender-Affirmative Parenting: Practicing Pronouns

Jennifer M. Gess

29. Family Mapping Exercises (FMEs) for Adults and Children in LGBTQ-Parented Families

Fiona Tasker, Maeve Malley, and Pedro Alexandre Costa

30. Expanding Binary Thinking: A Reflective Activity for Parents and Caregivers of Transgender and Gender-Expansive Youth

Rebekah Byrd and Laura Boyd Farmer

31. Parents of Transgender Teens and the Initial Disclosure Process

Laura R. Haddock and Hilary Meier

32. Maintaining the Family Unit When an Adolescent Family Member Comes Out as a Sexual or Gender Minority

Susannah C. Coaston, Patia Tabar, and Lori Barrett

33. Empty-Chair Work for Coping with Heterosexist and/or Transphobic Family Rejection

Cara Herbitter and Heidi M. Levitt

34. Addressing Blended Family and Trauma Issues with Sexual and Gender Minority Parents

Anthony Zazzarino, Veronica M. Kirkland, and Jenae D. Thompson

35. An Informative Intervention for Parents and Caregivers of Transgender and Gender-Nonbinary Children and Adolescents

Heather Kramer

36. Circles of Outness: Systemic Exploration of Disclosure Decisions in Mixed-Orientation Relationships

Mary R. Nedela, M. Evan Thomas, and Michelle M. Murray

Part V: Homework, Handouts, and Activities for Gender and Sex Identity Exploration

37. The Matrix for Sexuality and Gender: My Sexual and Gendered Self in the World of Sexual and Gender Diversity

K. Jod Taywaditep

38. Exploring Gender Identity with a Photo Diary

M. Killian Kinney and Richard A. Brandon-Friedman

39. Creative Interventions for Traumatized Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming (TGNC) Youth

Alexandra M. Rivera and Crystal Morris

40. The Importance of Language: Creating Nonbinary Assessment Forms That Reflect a Full Range of Gender Identities

Andrew Suth and Sorrel Rosin

41. Mapping of Desires and Gender: Explorations at the Intersections

Shannon Solie

42. Asexuality: An Introduction for Questioning Clients

Emily M. Lund, Bayley A. Johnson, Christina M. Sias, and Lauren M. Bouchard

43. Inhabiting Our Bodies: Working with Gender Dysphoria in Transgender and Gender-Nonbinary Children and Adults through Body Maps

Natasha Distiller

44. Using Expressive Art Therapy with LGBTQ Youth: A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

Jean Georgiou

45. An Eight-Week Identity Exploration Group for Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Individuals

Julie M. Mullany

46. Using Mindfulness to Enhance Identity Integration for LGBTQ clients

Marilia S. Marien

47. Managing Religious and Sexual Identity Intersections

Matt Zimmerman

48. Rose as a Name Is So Much Sweeter: Navigating the Name-Change Process with Transgender and Gender Nonbinary Clients

Cadyn Cathers

49. The Aging Transgender Client: Mapping the Acceptance of Experience

Dorian Kondas

Part VI: Homework, Handouts, and Activities for Substance Use Disorders

50. A Relapse-Prevention Intervention for LGBTQ Clients with Substance Use Disorders: The C3PO

Michael P. Chaney and Fiona D. Fonseca

51. Exploring the Concept of Honesty with Transgender Clients in Recovery from Addiction

Mia Ocean and George Stoupas

52. Using Art Therapy to Address Body Dysphoria, Body Image, and Eating Concerns with Trans and Nonbinary Clients

Jeannine Cicco Barker

53. The Inextricable Relationship between Marginalization and Addiction: Bridging the Gap through Charting

John J. S. Harrichand and Christian D. Chan

54. LGB Addiction Recovery and Community Membership

George Stoupas and Mia Ocean

Part VII: Homework, Handouts, and Activities for Career, Employment, and Education Issues

55. Job Search and Career Resources for LGBT People

Anita A. Neuer Colburn

56. Sexual-Identity Management in the Job-Search Process with Lesbian and Gay Clients

Suzanne M. Dugger and Jason A. Owens

57. Strategies for Helping LGBTQ Clients Address Discrimination in the Workplace

Randall L. Astramovich and Matthew J. Wright

58. Exploring Values in Career Exploration with Adolescent LGBTQ Clients

Jane E. Rheineck and Tracy Peed

59. The College Search: Campus Climate Checklist

Suzanne M. Dugger, Carina Lindsey, and Jason A. Owens

60. Exploring Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy with Sexual and Gender Minority College Students

Marilia Marien and Yuhong He

Part VIII: Homework, Handouts, and Activities for Use in Outreach Programming and Training Workshops

61. Intersecting Identities: A Self-Reflective Activity for Outreach Programming and Workshops

Laura Boyd Farmer and Christian D. Chan

62. Building Community on Campus: A Workshop on Sharing and Support for LGBTQ College Students

Alaina Spiegel

63. Outreach Ally-Training Activities

Brandy L. Smith

64. Reflections of Assumptions

Jayleen Galarza and Matthew R. Shupp

65. The Papercut Activity: Understanding the Subtle and Ongoing Effects of Microaggressions

Jeanne L. Stanley

66. Examining Our Blind Spots: Considerations in Working with Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients with Disabilities

Michelle Murray

67. Outreach on a College Campus: Understanding the Campus Climate

Batsirai Bvunzawabaya and Matthew LeRoy

68. Understanding Me, You, and LGBTQ: An Outreach Workshop for General Audiences and Allies

Alaina Spiegel

69. Living in Intersectional Spaces: Exploration of Social Identities in the LGBT Community

Matthew LeRoy and Batsirai Bvunzawabaya

70. Creating Consciousness to Create Connection: Attending to Biases When Working with Queer Victim-Survivors of Sexual Violence

Deborah O’Neill and Laura Kay Collins

71. Addressing Anti-Trans Prejudice: Decoding the Gender Matrix

Soumya Madabhushi

About the Editors and Contributors

Index

Biography

Joy S. Whitman, PhD, is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in Missouri and a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) in Illinois. She is clinical professor at The Family Institute of Northwestern University in the master’s Counseling@Northwestern program. A past president of ALGBTIC, Joy serves as a board member of The International Academy for LGBT+ Psychology and Related Fields. She maintains a private practice in Missouri.

Cyndy J. Boyd, PhD, is a licensed psychologist, consultant, and psychotherapist in private practice in Philadelphia. She is director of training at Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of Pennsylvania. She has served on the APA Commission on Accreditation, the board of directors of ALGBTIC of the American Counseling Association, the supervision and training section of Division 17 of the American Psychological Association (APA), and the Association of Counseling Center Training Agencies.　

"Overall this is a very strong guidebook for helping professionals who work with LGBTQ+ clients. The editors should be applauded for organizing each facet of this massive notebook into a cohesive book." — Michael P. Chaney, Oakland University

"This text stimulates clinicians to think of the many questions they should ask to ensure that their counseling sessions are LGBTQQ+ affirming. I believe the drive to ask and answer even more questions about queer and trans mental health therapy is this text’s ultimate contribution to the discipline and the profession. It provides resources that we might not have even realized that we need." — Anneliese Singh, University of Georgia

"The resources in this book represent a significant source of activities for LGBTQ+ clients regardless of their social location. Authors of the homework exercises have been very thoughtful in the design of their activities, clearly identifying when an activity would not be indicated. Many activities are devoted to transgender and nonbinary clients. If you work with LGBTQ+ clients, you need this in your library!" — lore m. dickey, PhD, North Country HealthCare

"Joy Whitman and Cyndy Boyd share a queer treasure trove of innovative and practical exercises for use with LGBTQ+ clients. This must-have resource brings together top clinicians and scholars who share therapeutic best practices for affirming and supporting queer and trans clients across a variety of contexts and issues." — David P. Rivera, PhD, Queens College, City University of New York

"Homework Assignments & Handouts for LGBTQ+ Clients is a welcome addition to any mental health training program, or post-master’s advanced seminar in counseling members of the LGBTQ+ community. [It provides] intriguing exercises and interventions that can supplement empathic treatment planning for best practice with a focus on intersectionality in counseling. A solid, engaging addition to the literature." — Catherine Roland, EdD, LPC, NCC, past president, American Counseling Association

"Doctors Whitman and Boyd have woven together a revolutionary resource that is desperately needed by mental health professionals. This incredibly creative compilation of exercises not only applies effortlessly to allies and members of the LGBTQ+ communities but also cuts across issues related to lifespan milestones and the intersectionality of multiple identities. I know of no other resource in existence—buy it, use it in the classroom, use it with your clients and, dare I say it, use it with yourself. Bravo!" — Colleen R. Logan, PhD, LPC-S, Southern Methodist University