Tag: LGBTQIA+
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Coming Out(side): Queer Students, Fieldwork and the Great Outdoors
A look at “Coming out(side): Challenges and supports experienced by LGBTQ+ undergraduates in field-based courses” by Sam J. Ahler, Isabella Morse, Sara Padula, Samuel Zavala, Lisa Corwin and Scott A. Taylor (2026) Picture a week of fieldwork: sleeping in shared cabins, hiking through remote countryside, a single shower block, and long evenings with classmates and…
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“Not Enough” vs “Never Perfect”: Why Men Consider Penis Enlargement Surgery
A look at “‘Not enough’ vs. ‘never perfect’: a qualitative analysis of penile enlargement surgery intentions in heterosexual and homosexual men” by Boqiang Zhang, Tie Li and Bin Lei (2026) We hear a lot about body image pressures on women, and increasingly on gay men’s bodies more broadly: gym culture, dating apps and the endless…
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Growing a Good Therapist: How LGBTQIA+ Counsellors Cultivate Competence and Humility
A look at “The Development of LGBTQ+ Cultural Competence and Cultural Humility Among LGBTQ+ Counselors: A Constructivist Grounded Theory” by Rattanakorn Ratanashevorn, Phillip Waalkes, Susan Kashubeck-West and Rafe McCullough (2026) You might assume that a queer therapist would automatically be brilliant with queer clients. Shared experience helps, of course. But this American study suggests that…
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Out of Control, or Out of Step? The Science of Compulsive Sexual Behaviour and Porn Use
A look at “Compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD) and problematic pornography use (PPU): A comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and expert-informed narrative review with suggested future directions” by Campbell Ince, Beáta Bőthe and 27 international colleagues (2026) “Sex addiction” and “porn addiction” are phrases that get thrown around a lot, often with a hefty side of shame. But…
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Minority Stress Explained: Why It’s Not “All in Your Head”
If you’re LGBTQIA+, you may have heard well-meaning people say that queer people are “just more anxious” or “more sensitive”. The research tells a very different story. It’s not that something is wrong with us. It’s that living in a world that isn’t always kind takes a toll. Psychologists call this minority stress. What the…
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The Elephant (or Unicorn) in the Therapy Room: Why Research Forgets About Sex
A look at “Bridging the blind spot in psychotherapy research on personality disorders: a proposal for sexuality-related outcomes as indicators of therapeutic change” by Agnieszka Izdebska, Marta Elżbieta Szymańska-Pytlińska, Jerzy Bandel, Michał Marcin Sieński, Joanna Agata Franczyk and Monika Olga Jańczak (2026) When researchers test whether a therapy works, they measure all sorts of things:…
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“Me Too”: When Should Therapists Share About Themselves?
A look at “Therapist self-disclosure: a systematic review and brief person-centered framework for clinical practice and training” by Danielle Jeffery (2026) Have you ever wondered whether your therapist is queer, neurodivergent, a parent, or has been through something similar to you? And whether it would help to know? Therapist self-disclosure, when a therapist shares something…
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An Escape Hatch: Lesbian Women, Rejection and Gambling
A look at “The role of social rejection and trauma in homosexual women with gambling problems” by A. Fernández-Villardón, L. Macía and A. Estévez (2026) A gentle note: this post discusses trauma and rejection in general terms. When we picture someone struggling with gambling, the image that often springs to mind is a man in…
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How to Find a Therapist Who Truly Affirms Your Identity
Looking for a therapist can feel like speed-dating, with higher stakes. For LGBTQIA+ people, there’s an extra layer: will this person understand me, or will I spend my sessions educating them? Worse, will they quietly see who I am as the problem? Here’s how to find someone who’ll welcome the whole of you. What “affirming”…