User:GLGermann~enwiki/Gay Affirmative Psychotherapy

Gay Affirmative Psychotherapy (de:Affirmative Psychotherapie) is not changing gay, lesbian, and bisexual people's sexual orientations to heterosexual, or at eliminating or diminishing same-sex desires and behaviors.

Gay Affirmative psychotherapy is today in Northamerica or Europe standard. The american organisation APA offers guidelines and materials for affirmative psychotherapy. Affirmative psychotherapy says, that homosexuality or bisexuality is no illness. This therapies oppose conversion therapy.

Guidelines
Homosexual and bisexual people learn to examine and integrate their sexual orientation. Psychologists uderstand that homosexuality and bisexuality are not indicative of mental illness.

German executive: No to conversion therapy
In March 2008 german executive (CDU/SPD) wrote, homosexuality is no illness and Conversion therapy is dangerous and doesn't help homosexual people. There is no choice to change sexual orientation

Literature

 * Adelman, M. (1990). Stigma, gay lifestyles, and adjustment to aging: A study of later-life gay men and lesbians. Journal of Homosexuality, 20(3-4), 7-32.
 * Allen, M., & Burrell, N. (1996). Comparing the impact of homosexual and heterosexual parents on children: Meta-analysis of existing research. Journal of Homosexuality, 32(2), 19-35.
 * Allison, K., Crawford, I., Echemendia, R., Robinson, L., Knepp, D. (1994). Human diversity and professional competence: Training in clinical and counseling psychology revisited. American Psychologist, 49, 792-796.
 * American Psychological Association. (1998). Appropriate therapeutic responses to sexual orientation in the proceedings of the American Psychological Association, Incorporated, for the legislative year 1997. American Psychologist, 53(8), 882-939.
 * Browning, C. (1987). Therapeutic issues and intervention strategies with young adult lesbian clients: A developmental approach. Journal of Homosexuality, 14(1/2), 45-52.
 * Buhrke, R. (1989). Female student perspectives on training in lesbian and gay issues. Counseling Psychologist, 17, 629-636.
 * Cabaj, R., & Klinger, R. (1996). Psychotherapeutic interventions with lesbian and gay couples. In R. Cabaj & T. Stein (Eds.), Textbook of homosexuality and mental health (pp. 485-502). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.
 * Canadian Psychological Association. (1995). Canadian code of ethics for psychologists. [On-line]. Available: http://www.cycor.ca/Psych/ethics/html
 * Journal of Gay & Lesbian Psychotherapy, Homosexuality and Psychoanalysis revisited, 2002, 6. ed., Nr. 1
 * Richard Isay, (1993). Schwul sein. Die psychologische Entwicklung des Homosexuellen. München: Piper. ISBN 3492116833 (Original 1989: Being homosexual. Gay men and their development. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.)
 * Udo Rauchfleisch, (2002). Gleich und doch anders: Psychotherapie und Beratung von Lesben, Schwulen, Bisexuellen und ihren Angehörigen. Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta. ISBN 360894236X
 * Kathleen Ritter and Anthony Terndrup, (2002). Handbook of Affirmative Psychotherapy with Lesbians and Gay Men. New York: Guilford. ISBN 1572307145