Counseling Our Own : Lesbian/Gay Subculture Meets the Mental Health System

This is the first and only book existing on the lesbian/gay counseling service, mental health movement in the United States. It covers how gay counseling services arose from the lesbian/gay subculture and gay movement, why they were needed, their history, organization, philosophy, staff, clients, and relationship with their lesbian/gay communities and the established mental health system. It provides recommendations and advocates measures the on-gay mental health professionals and agencies. It chronicles lesbian/gay history and the struggle for positive mental health services in a context of cultural homophobia and labeling gays as mentally ill.