By Drew Wilson
Technological advances like
videoconferencing and the ever-expanding capabilities of the Internet come
together with sociological advances in the realm of LGBTQ rights to create a
booming new addition to the telepsychiatry industry – LGBTQ telephone and video
therapy.
Tetty Gorfine |
Tetty Gorfine, a psychotherapist for the past 30 years, recently
created Connections in Therapy, LLC, a resource of professionally trained LGBTQ
and LGBTQ-friendly psychotherapists from around the United States to provide
services to members of the LGBTQ community who might not otherwise have the
opportunity to meet with supportive therapists.
“We are here to serve the whole LGBTQ community,” says Gorfine.
“What I’ve found is that many people are living in places where LGBTQ or
LGBTQ-friendly therapists are few and far between. These people end up feeling
like they have nowhere to turn for help around issues of sexual orientation or gender
identity. But because of the amazing technology of today, people are able to
actually reach out and seek counseling or therapy, either through the telephone
or videoconferencing options like Skype.”
And, according to recent
articles from CNN.com and The New YorkTimes, studies have shown that telephone or video therapy has the same
amount of benefits as traditional counseling.
Additionally, says Gorfine, “There is research that shows
that certain people who would never go into a therapist’s office are interested
in accessing counseling services via telephone or Skype.”
Dr. Gregory Simon, a
psychiatrist and researcher at Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, Washington,
says, “People may be more willing to talk about things that are embarrassing or
stigmatizing if they're not interacting face to face.” He agrees that alternatives
like telephone or video therapy represent “enormous potential” for
psychotherapy clients without access to in-person care.
In the case of lesbians, gay
men, bisexuals or transgender people, this could mean living in an isolated
area without access to LGBTQ resources and LGBTQ-friendly therapists,
necessitating an increased desire for anonymity for reasons of privacy or even
personal safety.
“Some people don’t care if their therapist is straight or
otherwise,” explains Gorfine. “But if someone is dealing with coming out or
having questions about their gender identity, it is better for them to go to
someone who can be supportive – someone who ‘gets it’ instead of someone who
thinks that they’re sick. Some clients feel that a lesbian or gay therapist
will have more knowledge of their issues and need less explanation about their
lives, and that can be a very good reason to meet with a therapist who is LGBTQ
themselves.”
“Over the years I’ve gotten phone calls from people who
would say ‘I live in Iowa or Montana and there’s nobody for me to talk to. Would
you consider doing telephone therapy with me?’ And I’ve had many clients tell
me their horror stories,” says Gorfine. “Just last week a (gay) client of mine
told me that his parents had him institutionalized at one point because the
therapist he was seeing thought that he was sick and needed help at that level
just because he was gay. In other cases, I’ve heard of therapists who have
attempted to perform anti-gay therapy, and I’ve also heard from clients who
describe the look of shock and horror given to them by therapists when they
come out as gay or trans. And these kinds of situations happen all the time.”
For more information
about Connections in Therapy, LLC visit Telephonetherapysite.com or check them
out on Facebook.