Successful Treatment Tools for Working with Gay Men in Therapy

Presented by Rick Miller, LICSW on 10-23-2020 at 9 a.m. Pacific (noon Eastern) to 11 a.m. Pacific (2 p.m. Eastern)

Successful psychotherapy with gay male clients necessitates a basic awareness of psychosocial issues unique to this population. All too often, clinicians assume they know all they need to know in order support their gay clients without recognizing how their own biases or lack of education can decrease the efficacy of treatment.

In this 2-hour continuing education webinar, Rick Miller will review considerations for working with gay men in therapy and provide important tools and strategies to create an effective therapeutic relationship and produce the best treatment outcomes. The therapeutic interventions covered in this webinar apply to both short- and long-term treatment models.

Significant themes covered in this webinar will include: 

  • gay male development 
  • the covert impact of prejudice and micro-aggressions on clients
  • bias from the medical and mental health community
  • the significance of healing based on the therapeutic bond
  • sexual norms in the gay subculture and how to address this in treatment 
  • definitions of true masculinity and how to internalize a positive sense of self from this framework
  • utilization of mind-body sensory techniques for expanded awareness and success
  • a multicultural awareness for gay clients

The webinar is designed to help clinicians access a greater variety of therapuetic tools and feel more confident in their abilities to provide effective, more meaningful treatment with gay clients. As a result, their clients may feel safe and understood, with overall experiences of treatment that are successful. 

This introductory instructional level web conference is designed to help clinicians:

  1. Explain at least two best-practices strategies for interacting with gay clients to enhance treatment outcomes.
  2. Recite common developmental experiences of growing up gay and how this can impact clients' lives as adults.
  3. Differentiate norms of gay white men versus men of other races. 
  4. Describe healthy sexual norms for gay clients and increase one's ability to speak openly and comfortably about gay male sexuality.
  5. Explain and conduct a successful mind-body exercise for eliciting relaxation and self-awareness specific to gay clients.

Statement of program material's accuracy, utility, and risks: This program presents a clinical innovation that combines established psychotherapeutic methods for working with gay men. It is consistent with the ethics code of the American Psychological Association and also has its own established code of ethics as developed by the Association of Comprehensive Psychology, an approved CE Sponsor of the APA. Statements about approval or denial of services are according to presenter’s understanding of medical necessity and clinical documentation standards at the time of the program. This program discusses strategies for applying the methods taught in a clinically responsible manner, although the presenter may not know how to apply all principles discussed to every situation or person. A body of research surveyed in the program suggests that the methods are effective and safe. As always, however, misapplication of psychotherapeutic interventions with mentally vulnerable populations can lead to harmful outcomes.

Declaration identifying any potential conflict of interest and/or commercial support: None.

If you have any questions or would like information regarding disability accommodations, please contact us here.

Continuing Education (CE) Information

2 CE contact hours will be provided by GoodTherapy for attending this web conference in its entirety. To receive CE credit hours for an archived recording, you will need to complete a survey as well as a 15-question exam, verifying that you listened to or watched the event in its entirety. Archived CE events are generally considered "homestudy" by licensing boards.

GoodTherapy is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEPTM) and may offer NBCC-approved clock hours for events that meet NBCC requirements.

GoodTherapy.org, provider #1352, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. GoodTherapy.org maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 3/30/2022 – 3/30/2025. Social workers completing this course receive 2 clinical continuing education credits.

GoodTherapy is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. GoodTherapy maintains responsibility for this program and its content. 

GoodTherapy, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0395. GoodTherapy, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0022 and for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0031.

To receive CE credit hours for an archived event, you will need to complete a survey as well as a 12 or 15-question exam, verifying that you listened to or watched the event in its entirety. Archived CE events generally are considered "homestudy" by licensing boards.

Registration Information

Premium and Pro Membership with GoodTherapy includes access to this web conference at no additional cost, as well as other member benefits such as a profile listing in GoodTherapy's Therapist Directory. Not yet a member? Sign up for a Premium or Pro Membership, here.

Just want CE credits? Sign up for a monthly or annual CE Subscription with GoodTherapy to get unlimited access to our CE Program, including this event, other live CE web conferences, and hundreds of hours of homestudy courses.

Mental health professionals who are not members can access the homestudy recording for $14.95. Sign up here to purchase this CE course and earn a CE certificate.

If the event is canceled by GoodTherapy, registrants who purchased the event will be notified and the charge for the event will be refunded

If you have any questions or would like information regarding disability accommodations, please contact us.

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Meet the Presenter

Rick Miller, LICSW

Rick Miller, LICSW

Rick Miller, psychotherapist and author, has served on the faculty for The International Society of Hypnosis, The Milton Erickson Foundation, The Brief Therapy Conference, The Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, The American Group Psychotherapy Association, The Couples Conference, and Harvard Medical School.

Rick is the author of Unwrapped: Integrative Therapy With Gay Men… the Gift of Presence (Zeig, Tucker & Theisen, 2014) and Mindfulness Tools for Gay Men In Therapy (PESI, 2016). He also is the author of the blog "Unwrapped: Mind Body Wisdom and the Modern Gay Man."

Rick is the CEO and founder of the non-profit Gay Sons and Mothers.

You can learn more about Rick and his work by visiting rickmiller.biz.

Continuing Education Provider Approvals

  • aceGoodTherapy.org is Approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. GoodTherapy.org maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
  • Logo GoodTherapy.org has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6380. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. GoodTherapy.org is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
  • aceGoodTherapy.org, provider #1352, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. GoodTherapy.org maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 03/30/2019 - 03/30/2022.
  • GoodTherapy.org, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0395.
  • GoodTherapy.org, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0022 and for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0031.

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