LGBTQQ

LGBTQQ IDENTITIES AND FAMILIES

LGBTQQ families have their own unique set of challenges beginning with how do we want to create our family?  How do we go about navigating the logistics of creating our family (i.e. which adoption agency is gay friendly? whose sperm? Whose uterus? How do we find a donor? Etc.)?  How do we tell our extended family? How do we deal with hurt/rejection we may experience from others? How do we describe our family to others? What are we likely to experience during our parenting journey? How does our own LGBTQ identity affect the way we parent? Etc.

I have had the privilege to help many LGBTQQ people with regard to coming out, LGBTQQ identity formation, Life Stage issues, Parental Caretaking and, LGBT parenting.

I am an openly gay identified psychologist and a gay father and have been helping LGBTQQ people establish more positive identities for the past 20 years. Many of the individuals and couples that I see in my office are unaware of how their LGBT identity affects their way of viewing themselves, their love life relationships and if they have offspring, their relationships with their children. I can help you become more aware of how your particular journey affects your decisions and your overall view of yourself.

My research study involved gay and lesbian parenting and has been published in the Journal of GLBT Studies.  (Benson, A.L., Silverstein, L.B. & Auerbach, C. (2005) “Can Gay Fathers Contribute to Changing Cultural Norms?”, Journal of GLBT Family Studies, Volume 1 (3), 1-29.)

I have presented on LGBTQQ issues in various professional and higher education settings and have worked collaboratively with other LGBTQ organizations to help promote and educate others about some of the unique challenges that may affect a person who identifies as LGBTQQ.