Can you date your therapist?

California’s lawmakers and licensing boards want the public to know that professional therapy never includes sexual contact between a therapist and a client. Sexual contact of any kind between a therapist and a client is unethical and illegal in the State of California.

When can a Counsellor date a client?

(a) Psychologists do not engage in sexual intimacies with former clients/patients for at least two years after cessation or termination of therapy. (b) Psychologists do not engage in sexual intimacies with former clients/patients even after a two-year interval except in the most unusual circumstances.

Do LGBTQ clients need an LGBTQ therapist?

Though many therapists may be qualified to help, sometimes LGBTQ clients feel more comfortable with an LGBTQ therapist, or at least with a therapist who specializes in or has a great deal of experience with LGBTQ issues.

Can a therapist help with gender and sexual identity issues?

Seeking Therapy for Gender and Sexual Identity Issues. Though many therapists may be qualified to help, sometimes LGBTQ clients feel more comfortable with an LGBTQ therapist, or at least with a therapist who specializes in or has a great deal of experience with LGBTQ issues.

Is lgbtqlgbtq-friendly the same as LGBTQ-informed?

LGBTQ-friendly is not the same as LGBTQ-informed. While giving presentations around the country on sex- and LGBTQ-related issues, I often encounter therapists who have LGBTQ clients, think they feel no particular bias toward them, and assume they understand the issues facing these clients.

What challenges do LGBTQ people face in therapy?

LGBTQ adults, too, may be subject to similar forms of harassment, as well as discrimination with regards to housing, employment, education, and basic human rights. Many of the concerns and life challenges LGBTQ people bring to therapy are those common among all people.