Author: Dr. phil. Jochen Kramer
LGBTQI* people are often quite reserved about counselling and therapy – and for good reason:
1. In psychology, being LGBTQI* has long been seen as an illness and a lot was done to try and stop people from being LGBTQI* (so-called conversion attempts). Today being LGBTQI* is no longer considered to be an illness and attempts to stop people from being LGBTQI* are considered harmful to health. As a result, a ban on conversion attempts among children and teenagers came into force in Germany in 2020. If you have the feeling that your therapist or counsellor is trying to influence your sexual orientation or gender identity in a specific direction, please consult our tips on the webpage on not feeling you are in good hands.
2. Even today, psychotherapeutic reports and accompanying psychotherapy are mandatory for gender reassignment surgeries. This obligation is be unpleasant for many. If you are affected by this obligation, it is all the more important to discuss with your psychotherapist how to structure your sessions together in such a way that you get the maximum benefit from it.
3. Even still today, counsellors and psychotherapists are not adequately prepared for helping LGBTQI* people in their training. It is possible that your counsellor or therapist will have had no experience with the topic and that their attitude may be less influenced by actual knowledge than by prejudice. We therefore recommend that you keep this in mind and really think about whether you can work effectively with a particular therapist during the first sessions with them. You can find some tips on how best to do this on our webpage on how to recognize whether you are in good hands. If you feel you are not in good hands, please see our advice here.
Last updated: 03/09/2021 - 16:16
